Hyundai i10 Facelift spotted in NH4

Here is further proof that something is burning at Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Close on the heels of launching a facelift of their Verna mid-size sedan, the facelift of their bread and butter model, the i10 is spotted on public roads. Though these test mules have been spotted quite a few times in pitch darkness, this is the first instance of seeing these cars in total daylight. From a distance, at first glance, we thought that we have bumped into Hyundai's new 800cc car but getting closer to it revealed it's original identity.

Being India's second largest selling car after only Maruti-Suzuki's Alto, Hyundai has decided to play safe with the existing i10 by opting for a mild nip and tuck job. It literally means that it's only going to be a slight cosmetic upgrade to make the car look fresh and appealing. From the rear, nothing except the change in shape of the tail lamp lenses were visible through the heavy camouflage. When we passed the car, we found out that the profile remains virtually unchanged except for the indicators which are now positioned in the rear-view mirrors. Moving over to the front, the major change that could be noticed was the hexagonal outline of the grille, which could be seen by the shape of the camouflage. Also, the headlamps seems to have been blackened  out with a clear partition for the front indicators.

It seems to be a nice and sporty touch to freshen up the looks of a car which currently looks a little dated. Also, except for few feature-additions, no major changes in specifications are expected with this new model, unless Hyundai decides to spring in a surprise to us. Expected to be launched before the end of the year, I sincerely hope that this "transform"ation of the i10 does not go like the recent Verna Transform, which was criticized by almost everyone for transforming a bland-looking car into an outright ugly one.