Hyundai has prematurely removed the covers off its facelifted Grand i10 hatch. It will make its debut at the Paris motor show in October 2016.

The facelifted Hyundai "Grand i10" has undergone a serious facelift – as far as updates go. We use the Korean car's name in quotes because although the model is known as the i10 in Europe, on the local market the previous generation soldiers on as the i10, while this version (specified to the requirements of our market), is known as the Grand i10. Major areas of improvement include the exterior design, safety featuresand a new infotainment system.

Starting with the exterior updates, the newly designed front end will set the standard for Hyundai models of the future. Round There are reshaped LED headlights positioned at the edges of the new cascading front grille, whereas at the rear, the bumper has been redesigned, as have the tail-lamps and the fog lamps are a similar design to those at the front.

The interior materials have been improved and there is a new red shade of cloth seat trim to choose from. The more obvious update is a 7-inch touchscreen that includes navigation on certain models. The infotainment system is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible which, in the A-segment is a serious step ahead of the competition.

Hyundai has also had a go at improving the ride quality in the facelifted Grand i10. There’s a larger front bump stopper that should make the ride more comfortable and the steering ratio has been modified. Whether the new steering ratio is actually an improvement is something we will have to test when we drive the refreshed Grand i10.

The facelifted Grand i10 is set to go on sale in Europe in early 2017 with identical engines to the current lineup of 1.0-litre or 1.25-litre petrol models. The Grand i10 will make its debut in South Africa around March or April next year (2017), but the specification is yet to be decided. Suffice to say the higher-end features of the European model are likely to be omitted.

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