Hyundai i20 (1.2P, 1.4D & 1.4 AT) : Official Review

[silverado]

The first time i was in i20, i felt the suspension was noisy and clunky as GTO mentioned, also the seats are quite low, and shorter people will not have a good view from rear seats.

I personally like the interior colour scheme, but somehow feel the blue colour used for MID does not match the interior colours, dark orange would have been better.

Designwise i feel the straight bonnet line upfront causes visual imbalance to the design.

Dear GTO, there was no mention of INDICA VISTA in your chief competitors list.

[ravib]

Last year, before buying I was really searching for a review from GTO for pre-face lift i20 model.
Now that wish was fulfilled for the new i-gen i20

Thanks for great review GTO. I could visibly notice you have mentioned many positive points compared to negative points for the car.

-Ravi

[suhaas307]

The Getz is what started it all, when it was launched. It started the premium-hatch segment, which was later pioneered by the Swift.

But it's the i20 that brought to the table what no other car could. And what was that?

Providing customers with a wonderful combination of good engines, good engineering and design and a long list of features/equipment that was previously unheard of in the hatchback segment. All this at a tantalizing VFM price-tag.

So what's happened now? Where has the VFM factor gone? Pity.

[swarnava.m]

Sorry for back to back posts.. But I there is this question in my head whenever I read any review of a recent car, although I am sure this would seem like a noob question to many.

Looking at the design of the entire panel where the OEM head unit sits, how on earth is an after market HU supposed to fit there? Won't this mean disassembling the entire fascia, as well as the panel below it that contains some buttons? Plus, with the USB and AUX ports at the bottom, how are these integrated onto the new HU? Same goes for the steering audio controls, and the bluetooth controls if the HU is BT enabled?

Sorry if this post is in the wrong section, but I went through the pictures very minutely and could resist asking..

[Turbokick]

As expected, a brilliant and comprehensive review by GTO. Attention to detail is as good as the car's equipment level

i20 (CRDi in particular) has got it all what an premium hatchback owner wants : Great engine,quality inside out, loaded with features and safety. Its a good all rounder that does most of the things well and that is what needed.

I am sure the car isn't too different from the car it replaces (keeping the minor updates aside), and critically the major issues like steering and AC seems to be addressed (finally).

I was one of the previous i20 crdi sportz potential customer who booked the car only to cancel it thanks to Hyundai's dishonesty in recent times.

I would thank the Teambhp family for making me aware of all the issues that i20 crdi had including the expensive maintenance.

If Hyundai has addressed this , then i20 is a great car to own for sure. Hope they try to keep the service/spare costs in check.


I would like to ask you, how would you compare cars like new dzire and sunny with the i20 ?
If you keep the snob value and boot space (incase of sunny) aside, do you think i20 is a better purchase for same price ? (CRDi in particular.)

How would you rate the CRDi when compared to new Swift/dzire's DDiS in terms of driveability,performance and refinement?

[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

So what's happened now? Where has the VFM factor gone? Pity.

Hey I think you missed out the equipment list before making this statement. A reverse cam, auto dimming IRVM, rain and light sensors, parking sensors, 6 airbags and what not? And you don't consider that as VFM at 6.5L ex Mumbai for the 1.2L petrol?? I guess you are expecting too much out of Hyundai. Please point out another hatchback or any sedan at this side of 15L which is equally equipped?? The car is making VW, Skoda and even Honda seem rude for offering really stripped cars comparatively.

And you still think it ain't a value for money offering??

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by GTO

No chance. There isn’t a doubt that the 1.2L engine is too puny for a car of this size & weight. Show the i20 petrol any high-stress situation (e.g. highway overtaking) and the result is disappointing performance. Expect to really work the engine when climbing up inclines with a load of passengers. Highway performance is nothing to write home about. Try overtaking a fast-moving target on the expressway and you’ll feel like you have hit a wall. The problem is amplified when you are carrying passengers & holiday luggage.

The Swift, Brio & Jazz feel distinctly sprightlier on the highway.

All the cars in the segment are 1.2 petrols so I'm surprised the i20 with its VVT enhanced motor is still coming up short. Maybe its carrying excess weight??

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

Hey I think you missed out the equipment list before making this statement. A reverse cam, auto dimming IRVM, rain and light sensors, parking sensors, 6 airbags and what not? And you don't consider that as VFM at 6.5L ex Mumbai for the 1.2L petrol?? I guess you are expecting too much out of Hyundai. Please point out another hatchback or any sedan at this side of 15L which is equally equipped?? The car is making VW, Skoda and even Honda seem rude for offering really stripped cars comparatively.

And you still think it ain't a value for money offering??

@ 6.5 lakhs ex-showroom, what are the features/equipment you get? Sure, it's value for money when you consider the features. But that's only the features/equipment we're talking about. I believe the 1.2 in the i20 could be better. Or they could have offered these features at this price-point on the 1.4. that would have been better value, IMO.

Not to mention the 'higher' service-costs.

And I was merely referring to the top-end diesel variant which would hit the 9 lakh + barrier in a city like Bangalore.

[DexterMorgan]

Brilliant reveiw GTO! Thank you!

I like the way you compare each specification/feature with other cars from the same segment (or sometimes level above or below). It gives a certain perspective to potential buyers and helps them compare and understand which car excels or lags behind in which department.

I noticed you had flat tire while on the test drive, aren't the stock tire tubeless? Sorry couldnt find that info in the reveiw.

The elaborate equipment list in this car puts my TSI to shame

I am too fond of gadegtory and gizmos in cars, especially when it comes as a factory-fit and i would say, there is nothing more one would like to add on what is already provided. Great job Hyundai!

[shivasuma]

Excellent Review GTO. I own one of the first i20 diesels, bought in sep 2009. I have done 30K and am happy with it. It does most jobs expected out of it. Its a jack of all trades. Couple of things I would like hyundai to work on is the steering and suspension. But the same light steering is better for city driving which is what most people prefer.

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by GTO

Chief Competitors of the Hyundai i20

Ford Figo

• Average backseat legroom. Not in the league of, say, an Indica Vista

Fiat Punto

• Rear bench space. Cosy interiors by big hatch standards. Not an Indica Vista
• Service network not a match of say, Maruti or Hyundai

Good review GTO !

Guess you should have added the Indica in the competition list since you quote about Indica and it too is of the same segment right?

[condor]

The 1.4D looks to be one to go for ! Good to see lots of nice-to-have features in the car, and definitely the 6th gear.

While the rear seat back-rest angle cant be changed much, the rear a/c vents can be managed with an extension to point up-wards.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by GTO

Hyundai has given the i20 a new face, and also addressed some issues of the older car. Yes, a urethane bush & modified steering rack have been added to take care of the steering rattle issue.

One of the "fixes" they tried(and changed) was the (design of) urethane pad/bush & yoke spring. Inspite of the design changes in the yoke spring & bush, it was evident that it wasn't really the cause of the rattle. The rattle exists because of a major design defect in the rack/column and Hyundai fellows have admitted this off the record.

After court's order, when they changed the steering rack( fourth time) and column( third time) in my i20 last month( the new rack & column are the ones that are being installed on the new facelifted i20), they were not willing to give any guarantee that the issue has been solved or will not recur. All this was done under warranty. I shudder to think of the day when the warranty expires.

[KiloAlpha]

Originally Posted by GTO

...
The 14" wheels look rather small for a car of this size, and I'm surprised Hyundai isn't giving the top-end variants 15" wheels (a size that the Swift ZXi / ZDi get). ... the small 14" wheels and relatively thin 185mm tyres. 195/60 R15 footwear would have led to a more planted stance, and made the i20 dynamically richer too ...

Nice review! I am already evaluating options for an upgrade from my Figo (a year down the line!), this review was extremely helpful.

Just one thing irritated me no end, though. The correct upsize from stock 185/65R14 would be 195/55R15 and not 195/60R15.

[vkochar]

A Fantastic Review. Rating it 5 stars. Easily one of the best equipped and handsome hatches available in the country.

The diesel is expected to see its sales double very soon due to the insane petrol price hike yesterday.

I am seriously contemplating getting one albeit the lowest base version of the diesel since it is much more VFM sans all the brilliant equipment.

A true highway muncher specially for frequent short highway runs in between cities.

I have a friend who does the Agra - Delhi highway run in this twice a week which relates to 1000 km's highway running every week and he gets 18 + on diesel. The AC is a blast and the driving is almost 80% similar fun like my Old Verna.