i20-20 vision
Berties just returned after a quick, rapid spin in the new Hyundai i20
So you expected to see a hot hatch that can go like stink and raise hell everywhere it went. Well think again, cause the new i20 is anything but a rabble rouser. Sure, it likes to imitate the best and most well dressed personalities and has a very sporty veneer, but where it really matters the i20’s focus is on fuel efficiency and not performance. The 1.2 litre kappa engine to be found under the i20’s macho hood is refined and economical. You may have seen this engine powering the i10, but in a hot hatch it lacks the depth and vitality to excite its audience. With 80PS of max power on tap and 112Nm of max torque the i20 is adequate for most city jaunts. But pit her against her closest competitor and you can see that there is need to get a bit more spice in the mix.
The advantage of the i20 lies in the fact that you get a lot of car for very little money. By falling under the 1.2 litre engine and the under 4 metre length tax bracket the i20 manages to keep a relatively inexpensive price tag, which by the way is just 5.6 lakh ex-Delhi. So Hyundai have managed to stuff her to the gills and more, and all of it is packaged tightly in very neat trim that speaks volumes of just how classy Hyundai have gotten. The Asta variant we tested comes with ABS, driver and passenger airbags, a geek-loving audio system that will hook up with any portable audio device, a multi information digital display and climate control. But what you don’t expect to get is the kind of space reserved for a C-segment entrant. There’s loads of leg and shoulder space in the rear bench area and you also get a very useful boot. That makes it a very practical and utilitarian car.
And slightly boring in the bargain for the enthusiast driver, it must be said! You cannot get both fantastic fuel efficiency and fantastic performance rolled into a single package. Forget it! So since the i20 does some 13.8kmpl in the city and 18.5kmpl on the highway you get a 0-100 sprint of 13.36 seconds. Not slow but not too fast either and certainly nothing that is going to have the enthusiasts lining up outside the showrooms. Quarter mile is demolished in 19 seconds and she will push herself to a (mere?) 147kmph. This is a basic attribute of her gearbox which is attuned to easing revs for better efficiency not rushing them on to glorious 0-100 times.
The person Hyundai is looking at attracting, however, is a more sensible more mature clientele for whom the over-servoed steering works wonderfully. It’s so light that it requires little more than one finger to execute a lock to lock turn. Sadly the lightness does not go away when on the highway which is what enthusiasts are looking for so that there is a bit more precision and confidence evoked. Enthusiastic wheel twirling is not a rewarding sensation and mountain road bashing is not at this Hyundai's heart of hearts.
Nevertheless Hyundai have built in a fantastic braking system which has ABS with EBD to make it stop on a dime. 100-0 takes just 43.02 metres and 80-0 is done in 26.86 metres. Now go look at what the competition has to offer, go ahead take a look, and be amazed.
In the overall the i20 comes across as a very competent car and one that will do quite well for the short inner city commute, creating little fuss and enhancing ownership costs. And that in this day and age is all that the masses ask for from their personal wagons. |
Comment on "i20-20 vision"
33 Comments
Akul Mahajan
Jan 25, 2009
09:02 PM
Theek thak hai zyada mehngi hai.. Features toh ordinary se hai
Shaheer
Jan 26, 2009
01:04 AM
Why they are not launching the 1.4 crde engine...This engine is available in forgein markets for the
same car... Can anybody tell me when is it expected from the hyundai india..
Jishnu Sasidharan
Jan 26, 2009
11:07 AM
I20 is one of the best hatchback ever launched in india. Its fit, finish & equipments puts it in
the league of european spec cars. The exterior and interior design and build quality is way ahead of
its main competition swift and more comparable to fabia.
in overdrive's test u have mentioned a lack of performance of the car compared to swift. But
nowadays more people prefer to buy the diesel swift compared to the petrol one which is very
expensive to run. So, hyundai has given a car which has respectable performance and most important
of all good comfort and quality and reliability which most users will prefer.
in ur test u have mentioned the steering being really light and not gud at high speeds. Remember the
last generation honda city which had an underpowered engine and a steering which was exclusively
made for city use and it was a success. I20 provides the best interior space (more than even fabia)
thanks to its largest in class wheelbase at 2525 and one of the biggest glove box i saw in any car.
Seats provide gud support and r very comfortable and boot is also very spacious. Its gud for a
sensible person who wants gud quality, reliability, performance coupled with economy(since its
petrol), gud after sales service, have lots of space for ur family or friends for weekend outings,
which is high on safety(abs,ebd, 6 airbags,etc) and last value for money.
but for me who is using a verna crdi abs and i10 magna , i will be waiting for a i20 crdi abs when i
buy my own car. U see the verna belongs to my dad (90k + km in just 2 years & planing to buy
transform crdi) and i10 to my sister.
Sachin
Jan 29, 2009
12:03 PM
Hai shaheer,
am frm hyundai india, the crde engine will come in the mid of the year. The engine is not 1.4 ltr it
is the same verna engine
Wongchuk Atuk
Jan 29, 2009
12:35 PM
Wow sachin, that is really good news, if true.
the verna crdi engine in the latest i20 package would be a fantastic proposition and if priced below
7 lac, i'd jump for it, for sure...
i currently own a 3 year old baleno, time to buy a new car and it's difficult finding a diesel car
with a similarly thrilling drive at 7-8.5 lacs. The best option was the getz crdi/ verna crdi, but
i20 with the same engine would definitely be my first choice...
Jadoo
Jan 29, 2009
06:49 PM
The car looks cool. The very first view will leave you mesmerised. It's the best looking hatch
among the current lot of cars. Performance, features are ok. Space is good. Overall the car is
very good, but only the pricing looks on the higher side.
hyundai has opted for 1.2 litre engine to save on excise duty cut which amounts to 8% reduction in
duty (if i'm right). But i feel the same thing has not been passed on to the customer. Should've
been priced atleast 40k less and the company can look forward for huge volumes.
as for the performance oriented customers, hyundai can offer a higher displacement petrol engine
and these kind of customers are not much bothered with the pricing. As for the average indian, the
current engine is enough, since 90% of the driving will be within the city only.
offering different engine options is the norm in europe and other western countries. The same thing
should be followed in india too. Or else a fantastic product may fail just for the lack of
choice.
@ jishnu sasidharan
the main reason for swift diesel sales is not economy, but the engine. The 1.3 mjd engine is very
responsive and fun to drive. The performance of diesel swift is better than petrol. And added
bonus to the driving pleasure is the mileage factor. But this hatch lacks in interior space and to
some people the shape is not appealing.
@ sachin
nice to hear from you that i20 will get a verna's diesel option which was expected. But pricing has
to be right to get the volumes. Most of the indian car companies price diesel engines by atleast
20% more than the petrol cars. This is purely milking the cow. But unlike a decade back, now the
price difference between petrol and diesel is about 20% only ( earlier it was 40-50%). In any case
even verna diesel will qualify for excise duty reduction since it is less than 1.5 ltr. So, i
expect hyundai to realise the potential for more volumes than more profits. If there are more
volumes, the profits will automatically trigger.
Amit
Jan 30, 2009
12:18 AM
Hi,
i was a bit curious when hyundai did not launch the i20 with the crdi engine available with the getz
and verna....Well well....It seems hyundai does not manufacture the crdi engine here in india and
its imported here....That may substantially increase its price in the range of the likes of skoda
fabia. Unless they can somehow launch the diesel version in the range of rs. 6 lakhs (which should
be very very unlikely, considering prices of getz)...I will put my money on the swift....
