Hyundai i10 has been a huge success for Hyundai in India. In past one year, Hyundai is one of the few car companies which have observed record sales increase, thanks to Hyundai i10 which has made this happen. After this positive response , Hyundai has also launched i10 with Kappa-Engine of 1.2 L capacity. Earlier, the engine was iRDE 1.1 L.
What’s the difference between i10 Kappa and i10 iRDE ?
Technology:
Kappa is a technically advanced engine as compared to iRDE Engine of Hyundai i10. the iRDE engine was an enhanced version of Hyundai Santro Engine. But Kappa is a different design which is technically advanced than the iRDE engine of i10. In tech jargons, it has four valves per cylinders compared to three in iRDE, it has a Dual over-head cam-shaft (DOHC) compared to standard Single overhead cam-shaft (SOHC) in iRDE, it is made of super light weight die cast aluminum. In short it has got better ingredients 
Power:
Now we are talking for something real , the power. i10 Kappa has a power output of 80 BHP
compared to i10 iRDE which has a max power output of 66.6 BHP . What does it mean? Well it means a lot for the feel of the car, the pick-up and the punch. Its a considerable difference of 20% which means a good amount!
Mileage / Fuel Efficiency:
If you are worried about ever rising fuel prices, then don’t keep away from i10 Kappa just because it has got a bigger and more powerful engine, because you will be surprised to know that there is almost no difference in the fuel consumption average of i10 Kappa and iRDE. In fact, Hyundai claims that i10 Kappa delivers 4% higher fuel efficiency than i10 iRDE. But for practical aspect, you can say that i10 Kappa will not consume more fuel compared to i10 iRDE.
Price:
Rightly said that everything comes for a price, so does the better technology . i10 Kappa is priced a slightly higher than i10 iRDE, simply because it has better technology, more power and good fuel efficiency. But its pure value for that extra money.
Looks:
There is not big difference in exterior looks except for the rear spoiler logo at the back of the car which says 1.2 Kappa. For Interiors, they have been made sporty for certain Kappa variants by providing metal finish inside handles, leather wrapped Steering wheel, gear knob and hand brake, which you will not find in iRDE.
Verdict:
You must have guessed by the comparisons I have made above that Kappa is a clear winner
But if have bought i10 iRDE before Kappa was launched (I am also one of them 
) Don’t loose heart, because i10 iRDE is itself a great car from every aspect when compared to other cars in this segment. Please Share your views and experiences of i10 via comments below. Click here for more such updated directly in your inbox.
Updated on 14th July 2009:
I recently got the EPS (electric power steering) replaced under warranty which comes as a shock to me because I never expected such an important component to fail like this in 13 months of purchase of the car.
One more problem I have faced is my car’s battery got fully discharged and it got complete dead until i got it re-charged from a battery shop. I am yet to get the charging circuit checked, there might be a problem there too.
so my recommendation is that you do your research well before buying hyundai i10.
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i10 Car of any make have serious problem of getting its Steering jammed all of a sudden and its EPS (Electronic Power Steering ) indicators glows . It does not matter how many days old your car is and how many KMs it has been drived. This is a seroius security hazard and cost a person and his family permanent loss in case it happens on a hilly road / busy road.
I have heard and experienced itmy self . For GOD sake do not promote Hyundai i-10 and do not buy it . Believe me . If you need a proof just type Hyundai EPS or i10 Steering Jam in google you will come to know about the fact.
PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS WHILE BUYING HYUNDAI PRODUCT. Maruti is far better tested and suits Indian roads and maintenance too
Maruti will launch A Star automatic, this will be a big blow to i10 sales because A Star automatic will be competitively priced. Expect A Star automatic this july 2010
Surprised to hear about the problems with the EPS on the i10 (I have an irde). I guess I will need to look out for that.
My experience (I’ve had the car for 2 years) has actually been excellent – No issues of the nature described, though I wish it had some more punch in 3rd gear too. Gives me about 14.5 in city driving.
Since I also drive a Swift (petrol) sometimes, I’d say I prefer the i10 for the city because the engine is peppier at low revs. However, the swift suspension is clearly better and the gearshift feels a lot more precise. The mileage really sucks though…
Beating out a field of 620 contenders, Alto (Maruti A-star) tops NRMA survey and declared cheapest car to own and run. Maruti A Star continues to bag so many awards.
iam having I 10 iRDE, iam using this for nearly 9 months and covered more than 18000 km. I feel this car is a good one especially for longtrips. Iam not feeling much difference between kappa and iRDE. My friend have a kappa 1.2. So for me both Irde and Kappa almost similar in features. About i10, its suspension and braking system is excellent especially in Indian roads . Anyway i 10 is really a good car as per my experience compared to others in this segment because it has really a royal looking interiors. Its external look is also very attractive compared to swift and beat.
I bought IRDE in March’2010. completed more than 5000 kms now. Everything is ok, and absolutely fine, but when u hve 3 or more people behind, the car feels sluggish in 2nd gear, even in spead of 5-10 kms u feel the need of putting it up in 1st gear…. slightly underpowered…. and also the brakes are not that immediate when running with AC on.
It’s spacious, tough, easy and fresh feel to drive. gear shift placement is excellent, far more better than santro or else… I went to agra 2 times and gave 16 kmpl with AC on.. in Delhi it may be around 11-12 only with AC on…
But phir bhi I feel my choice was not bad, and am satisfied with it. It’s like a beautiful curly haired lady accompanying you. so lovely.
samir khan