Hyundai Grand i10 review: the cheapest new car in Bahrain that does not feel like it
3.3/5motorssouq Editorial Team
For a first car, a second car for a household, or a fleet vehicle, the Grand i10 does everything Bahrain actually asks of a small hatchback: it starts every time in 45-degree heat, its air conditioning copes, and running costs are as low as anything sold new in the country. It is not exciting and does not pretend to be — buy the automatic if you can afford the small premium, since clutch life in stop-start Manama traffic is short on the manual.
Pros
- 1.2-litre engine and automatic gearbox are smooth and unremarkable in the best sense
- Among the lowest running and insurance costs of any new car sold in Bahrain
- Upright driving position and good visibility make parking easy
- ISOFIX and rear camera available on higher grades
Cons
- 256-litre boot is tight for a family weekly shop
- Base grade limited to two airbags and no rear camera
- Road noise more present than a class-up hatchback on the highway
- Manual clutch wears quickly in Manama stop-start traffic
Hyundai's cheapest model in the Gulf does not feel like a car built down to a price the way some budget hatchbacks do. The 1.2-litre Kappa engine is unremarkable on paper — 83 hp is enough, not more — but it is smooth, revs cleanly, and the four-speed automatic offered on most Bahraini-spec cars shifts without the shudder some rivals still have at this price point.
Inside, the dashboard borrows styling language from bigger Hyundais rather than looking like an afterthought, and the driving position is upright and easy to see out of — genuinely useful for parking in Manama's tighter multi-storey structures. Rear seat space is adequate for two adults on a short trip, tight for three.
Where the budget shows
The compromises are where they should be for the price: road noise on the coastal highway is more present than in a car a class up, the 256-litre boot is small for a family's weekly shop, and safety equipment on the base grade is limited to the legal minimum of two airbags and ABS. Higher grades add a rear-view camera and ISOFIX anchors, both worth paying for if young children will ride in it.
Fuel consumption around 5.5 to 6 L/100 km in real Bahraini driving, combined with genuinely low insurance premiums given the engine size, makes the running-cost case difficult to argue with. It is a car bought with the head, and it rewards that decision with very few surprises.