[GTO - Touring]

It is disappointing to see Hyundai repeating the same mistakes that sealed the Getz' fate for good. Big hatch, inflated price tag & lacklustre engine (for the price). C'mon, 6.5 lakhs OTR (and 7+ lakhs fully-loaded) for a 1.2 liter engine? What were they thinking? Hyundai has so obviously stuck with the 1.2 for tax benefits.....sad part is, the customer doesn't seem to be getting any of those savings!! No test-drive yet, though we can safely presume that its not going to be a stonker on the highways. Effectively, you have an engine that's competent within the city only. What's the use of all that boot space then? And a big hatch with limited rear bench space? I fail to see the point of a BIG hatch that can't carry 4 - 5 adults in comfort. Nor perform well on the highway.

After the superbly placed i10, I'd have thought that Hyundais management is finally back to the good ol' days. Sadly, this is not the case. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Fabia team handed over a little of whatever they were smoking to the i20 cubicle.

P.S. Some of its diesel competitors would match the i20 in acceleration. And leave it for dead in mid-range. If you have to live with a 0 - 100 time of over 14 seconds, might as well do it in diesel economy!

[jassi]

although, i have owned a hyundai for almost 4 yrs now, I am starting to see that their cars are quite pointless - or as Jezza puts it "they are money sucking leeches who make cars with no soul"
Useless engines or missing abs and crappy handling when they plonk in a good engine (crdi getz) and to top it all they are now overpriced. I don't think I will be buying a hyundai or any korean car anytime in the future - european or japanese for me.
Having said that the only redeeming factor for those interested in buying the i20 is its looks

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by jassi

Having said that the only redeeming factor for those interested in buying the i20 is its looks

And features!

i20 has it all (except as you guys say, a plonker of an engine). For people like me (performance doesnt matter as 80bhp shud be good enf for city drive - as is my case 99% of the time) it is still a good buy I guess.

[drkunaldas]

imho
i20 is a good looking hatch. slightly overpriced. about the drive, ride, handlig it is prematyre as no TD is available. i think hyundai is trying to follow honda's premium image strategy by overpricing its cars. they may be trying to price their cars 10% less than honda. jazz is to be out soon. but market conditions will decide. may have the same fate as the getz.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by joslicx

extreme the only problem is that bigger engine owuld have meant no excise benefits passed on to customer (meaning almost 50-60k more in ex-showroom price) That would have pushed it into Aveo/Dzire range and people in India wont buy a hatch when a sedan is available for similar price!

You should blame the govt and not Hyundai for just a 1.2 engine.

I wouldn't have said a thing if that excise benefit was passed on to the consumer but alas it hasn't been.
The point is that its made here in our country so that it can be priced cheaper outside, not here! Premium hatch and Hyundai, that will mutually exclusive anywhere outside India.

[theMAG]

I wonder if it would have been so much a task for them to put that 1.5L CRDi motor in the i20. All-in-all, another wasted effort from Hyundai then.

[Fountainheader]

As expected the C&B Show proves why it can be rated as the worst Auto show ever.

Siddharth talks for hours about the bulge here, the line there, the hood line inspired from the Nissan, the grille very much Honda-ish and all other exterior nonsense. And when it comes to engine and performance, he puts forth screwed up govt policies and all that jazz!

I'd never ever watch that show again!

[raul]

Just saw the show, they barely show the car, just frontal shots like in ads with stock shots and fast glimpses, I don't see how that helps anyone or give viewers a better idea of the car and interiors. All accompanied by banal chatter, no opinion or anything approaching expert criticism. A pretty pointless review if you ask me, just an excuse for activity.

But from the reviews trickling in it does appear folks feel the i20 is slightly overpriced and underpowered. Hyundai needs to consider a better engine.

[prashanthyr]

I've seen both the latest generation Jazz and i20 here in the UK. If the Jazz is priced right (max 10% over the i20), then the Jazz will eat the i20 for breakfast, simply because of a. Badge b. Looks - personally for me better than i20 c. Perceived performance (even if Honda launches with a 1.2 litre engine like here.

Originally Posted by Fountainheader

As expected the C&B Show proves why it can be rated as the worst Auto show ever.

Siddharth talks for hours about the bulge here, the line there, the hood line inspired from the Nissan, the grille very much Honda-ish and all other exterior nonsense.

It is quite frustrating isn't it. The MSM never speaks the truth because they are interested in getting the advertising money. For reviews it is better to rely on online sources where owners can talk freely. And test drive yourself when one gets the chance.

These "experts" on TV and magazines are useless.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by theMAG

I wonder if it would have been so much a task for them to put that 1.5L CRDi motor in the i20. All-in-all, another wasted effort from Hyundai then.

If they had done this. They may as well have shut down production of Getz and the Verna.

The i20 will eat both the Getz and Verna alive. It's just a little shorter in length compared to the Verna but has more interior space and almost as big a boot as the Verna. The flat floor in the rear means it's more comfy.

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by theMAG

I wonder if it would have been so much a task for them to put that 1.5L CRDi motor in the i20. All-in-all, another wasted effort from Hyundai then.

Its a 1.4L diesel. There's a LHD demo car in N.Delhi and hence not the 1.5 from Verna.

vid: safer too. A thing I would vote for.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by vid6639

If they had done this. They may as well have shut down production of Getz

That's actually not a bad thing. Between the i10 & i20, the Getz looks like a lost child. Plus, it isn't exactly selling like hot cakes either. I say : Give it the boot and plonk that awesome 1.5 diesel into the i20!

[reppy]

I TEST DROVE IT!!!!

Ok so let me organize my thoughts and write this:

1. Acceleration: Through the gears, it feels good and progressive. I found the 2nd & 5th gears to be underpowered. 1st and 3rd are good. I went to the dealership in my Swift VDI (ABS). Obviously, VDI-ABS can easily beat the i20. But after I drove back from the dealership and drove around the VDI in a more energetic manner, I found that the Swift felt more "nervous". The overall effect of driving the i20 was more muted than the VDI, yet in control.

2. Ride and Handling: Great! The ride IMO was as good, if not better than the VDI, and the handling too - I drove it in full morning traffic and on the expressway - and the i20 never felt like it was out of control. The speedo was disconnected so I don't know what speed I went up to, but it was definitely more than 120, and I was pushing the car quite fast to change lanes on the expressway at that speed - it did not make me feel out of control. The steering feels slightly tight at very low speeds, and loosens up very well as you pick up speed.

3. Build Quality - Try this - open and close the doors of a Swift, or even an Accent at the dealership, and then try the i20 - you'll know what you're paying for - it has that almost-Skoda-like "thud-clump" sound. You'll notice a big difference in thickness of doors also.

4. Comparison and Verdict: Versus the VDI, the i20 was nowhere close to that rush you get when the turbo kicks in. But versus any other car in the same category except the Swift ZXI, I think this car is faster. It definitely is much better than the Fabia 1.2. I've driven the Swift ZXI a while back, and I know that the ZXI was quicker, but the i20 was no slouch. It was good enough even for highway runs. It feels out of breath sometimes of course, but it never feels so bad that you're yelling at the car for more pick-up. Overall - adequate but without the fun factor of the Swift.

5. Other points - Electric folding mirrors are truly practical - I squeezed through traffic and used it twice during the 15 min test drive.

[indivic]

Originally Posted by reppy

The steering feels slightly tight at very low speeds, and loosens up very well as you pick up speed.

Should it not work the other way around ?