Don’t let the fact that the i10’s rear end bears more than a passing resemblance to the Picanto fool you; this car shares very little with its Kia sibling. In fact, although the i10 officially sits on an all-new platform, it is distantly related to the Hyundai Getz supermini, although the forthcoming replacement for that car – the i20 – will use yet another all-new platform.
The 1086cc 12-valve engine can also be found in the Getz, as well as in the Kia Picanto. In the i10, different ECU settings mean that peak torque is available at 2800rpm, as opposed to 3200rpm in the Getz. However, although the Getz is some 260mm longer and 70mm wider than the i10, the i10 is the same weight, coming in at 975kg on MIRA’s scales.
But there is substance to the i10’s engineering. For example, the tubular torsion beam rear suspension is tougher than the set-up on the i10’s Amica predecessor, allowing the lateral supporting rod to be removed from the design. The resulting extra space has been used to create a lower boot floor, which in turn allows for neat packaging tricks such as the underfloor boot storage tray.