New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS): Passenger car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Tuesday launched its premium entry-level hatchback Grand i10 in petrol and diesel variants with a launch price of Rs.4.29 lakh onwards.

"The Grand is particularly designed keeping in mind the needs of the Indian customers. The new vehicle comes with some of the most advanced features in this segment," Nalin Kapoor, senior general manager and group head marketing, Hyundai Motor India, told IANS.

"The Grand compliments our existing product portfolio and is smartly placed between i10 and i20, a segment where we had no presence till now," he said.

According to Kapoor, the Grand which is built upon a new platform with a development cost of nearly Rs.1,000 crore, features India specific dimensions and is 100 mm longer than its European version.

The diesel variant is powered by a 1.1 liter second generation U2 CRDi diesel engine which delivers 71 PS at the rate of 4,000 rpm (rotations per minute) and a mileage of 24 kms per liter.

The diesel engine is mated with a five-speed manual transmission. The vehicle is priced between Rs.5.23 lakh-to-Rs.6.41 lakh (ex-Showroom Delhi).

The petrol variant is powered by a 1.2 litre Kappa VTVT engine with an output of 83 PS at the rate of 6,000 rpm and mileage of 18.9 km per liter.

The petrol engine offers the choice of five-speed manual transmission and is priced between Rs.4.29 lakh-to-Rs.5.47 lakh (ex-Showroom Delhi).

The vehicle may soon have automatic transmission, Kapoor added.

The new premium entry-level hatchback will compete with the likes of Maruti Suzuki's Swift, Ford Figo and Toyota Liva.

The hatchback features rear AC vents, wider rear window, smart key for push button start, keyless entry, automatic folding outside mirrors, one GB internal memory in the integrated two-DIN music system and tilt steering.