18th May 2016, 07:53
| #1 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Kolkata
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| Cerberus Hyundai - 6 years, 9 months and the i20 journey continues  I have been following Team-Bhp from the last 5-6 Years and fortunately became a member back in 2012. I always wanted to write a review but then again often had this thought that will I be good enough in penning it down and used to take a step back. Now, finally I have decided to Pen down my thoughts as more than the writing style, what matters to us folks is the car and our journeys with it. So, here is my journey with my 6 Years Nine months old i20 1.2 ASTA aka Cerberus Hyundai. PRELUDE We stay in a joint family and being the only son for years I have been one of the most pampered kid at home. My Chachu (Uncle) has always loved me the most, he got his first and only bike in 1995, a Suzuki Samurai, after which there was no one to stop us! A long bike ride to our Paan wala became the everyday ritual and soon the bike was replaced by a 1997 Maruti 800. That's when my love for cars began. I still remember, my Dad used to get me a new hot wheel toy or a toy car every weekend, the trend of Need For Speed had just set in and I had simply became addicted to it. I was never into extra curricular activities like Football, cricket etc. It was just me and my cars. Every time I used to go out, I would read out the car names passing us, see them adore them and wish to drive them one day. In those days, my favorite cars were the Hyundai Santro Zip Plus (because we had 1), Tata Indica and Matiz. Among sedans, City Type 2 (Again because we had 1) and Mitsubishi Lancer. In the Early 2005s, I started buying Autocar magazines and that's where I started learning about cars, features, engines and other bits and slowly I became my family's very own auto expert. The craze kept on increasing and by the time I was 16, the urge of learning to drive had crossed it's limit. My family didn't wanted me to start driving at an early age and wait till I turn 18, tried convincing them but none agreed but being an immature kid, a complete maniac and seeing others drive I somehow convinced our chauffeur to at least teach the basics. Being Already "A Gaadi ka Keeda" (That's what everyone in my home used to call me) I knew the position of pedals and other bits and within a couple of days, I started driving and soon in a week I had become quite decent at it. One fine day, while my dad was out for his morning walk he spotted me behind the wheels and understood that I cannot be stopped now. Hence, he decided to get me a learner's license when I turn 17 and get me a car after I get my driver's license. In the mean time, board examinations were knocking on the door and I had become quite serious regarding my academics hence didn't used to get much time but I used to regularly drive our 2004 Hyundai Santro Xing XS. THE SEARCH BEGINS Fast Forward to early 2009, Examinations were over and the "Car Ka Keeda" was back. I used to stay all day out driving our Hyundai Santro Xing XS or the Getz Prime 1.3 GLS and both were daily drives in the family. My chachu realized, I am an avid auto enthusiast and will stop at nothing. The Love for cars was increasing and it's time to get me a ride. Initially, my father suggested me to take our Santro Xing or buy me an Alto as he was still not confident about getting me a new ride. Our Xing had already clocked around 90,000+ kms and I wasn't too keen on using it. In the mean time, while taking the delivery of our Getz Prime I got to know about the launch of Hyundai i20 in December, 2008. I saw it's pictures over the internet and instantly fell in love with it. Soon, fortunately our business flourished further and both my Guardians were extremely happy and decided to get me a new ride. After a couple of days we went to Saini Hyundai to check out the Hyundai i10 as it was the next best upgrade from Santro, the car was well equipped, got the new 1.2 Kappa motor and was extremely easy to drive in the city driving conditions (Highway driving for me was prohibited at that time). Moreover, it looked quite sophisticated at that time with the all beige interiors and wood trims around, also it was quite compact having similar dimensions to Santro. I always liked the i10 and knowing that Shahrukh Khan is it's brand ambassador, always wanted to own one too but then we saw the Verna. My uncle winked me and we decided to go for a test drive and well we both were left quite impressed by the engine but the lack of equipment and average design were deal breakers. Also, there were rumors around that a facelift was coming up soon. As I could feel the budget increasing my head inclined towards the City, we had already owned a Type 2 which made me quite confident that he may get convinced to get the new City. Took his permission and decided to take a look at it first, I was mighty impressed with it's design, highly functional yet premium interiors and the i-vtec engine. I wanted to book the car at that very moment! Next day was at the dealership with uncle and he too fell in love with it but was quite skeptic due to it's sheer length and width. Soon the sedans were instantly cancelled due to parking space constraints and being my first car giving me a sedan wasn't the best option. After a couple of day, on 7th June, 2009 chachu finally went in to book the Hyundai i10 1.2 Asta in Deep Ocean Blue and saw a Silver Hyundai i20 waiting for delivery. He got the brochure, checked out the car inside out and called me up instantly. Within 20 minutes, I was at the dealership checking out the vehicle, loving every bit of it. The price difference between i10 Asta and i20 Asta too was of around Rs.90,000 and we were getting a lot of car for that money hence i20 it was in the Diamond Black shade booked and confirmed with delivery in 20 days. Yes! We loved it so much that we didn't even bother to take a test drive.  THE WAITING In just 10 days of our booking the vehicle, we got to know that i20 was getting quite popular in the market and the waiting period for the same were increasing drastically. Within few minutes, our sales executive called up to inform that our car is going to take around 35-40 days to be delivered as the production of black i20s were done only on orders and that the demand was already high in all the states. The Punto had already launched, the Honda Jazz was coming in next week. I waited patiently for a couple of weeks but then decided to give both Jazz and Punto a try. Honda Jazz After a week, called up Pinnacle Honda and got the shock of my life hearing the price tag of Jazz. I instantly knew if I told my elders about buying a 8 lakh Hatch which isn't even decently equipped, I will be kicked out of the house. Still, I decided to go for a test drive and check out the vehicle. What I Loved:-
What I didn't Like:-
Fiat Punto Next up, went to check out the Punto in the nearby Fiat showroom. What I liked:-
Skoda Fabia Both the Fiat and Skoda dealerships were located in the same building, I had actually forgot about Fabia but then while walking out of Fiat dealership saw a couple of delivery ready Fabia in white and black. So, decided to give it a look too. What I liked:-
What I didn't like:-
Final Verdict & Why I sticked to i20 Thanks to the long waiting period, I ended up having second thoughts and checked out all the products I wanted to in that range. Am glad it made me much more confident with my choice. The i20 felt like a jack of all trades and a master when it comes to equipment and safety (only car to offer 6 airbags). It was also the cheapest out of the lot and came with the basic safety features on the Asta variant (ABS + EBD & Multiple Airbags). The design is pretty good! Quite decent to drive in city, costs just Rs.10,000 more over 6 Lakhs where as Jazz was way too expensive retailing at 8 Lakhs, Fabia didn't deserve that high price tag of 7 Lakhs due to the poor 1.2 MPi motor and lack of equipment. Punto even though great to drive lacked the quality and had messed up ergonomics. Poor fuel efficiency and after sales service made things worse. Infact, after having a conversation with my family we all felt i20 was a much better package overall and made perfect sense for me. On 14th August, Chachu got a call from Hyundai that our car is here and we can give it a check so that it can be sent for Registration. I was on cloud 9, jumped and howled, literally lost my mind dancing around, quickly grabbed the keys of Xing and within 10 minutes I was at the dealership looking at my Diamond black baby shining in the sun. Price Comparison:- (Prices of the cars except i20 are rounded) Hyundai i20 1.2 Asta (On-road Kolkata) - Rs.6,10,000 Fiat Punto 1.4 Fire Emotion (On-Road Kolkata) - Rs.6,70,000 Honda Jazz 1.2 Base With Alloys (On-Road Kolkata) - Rs.7,90,000 Skoda Fabia 1.2 MPi (On-Road Kolkata) - Rs. 6,95,000 THE DAY ARRIVES - 19th AUGUST, 2009  At around, 6 PM, we reached the dealership and saw the car being prepared for delivery. The final payment cheque was paid, Some free accessories like Teflon coating, floor mat, idol were taken and the car was ready to be driven to the temple for a customary Puja. The delivery ceremony with customers and sales executives clapping and a couple of confetti guns bursting behind was completed and off we were for the rituals and coconut breaking ceremony. Later, It was already 9 PM, got the tank full and went straight to home as everyone were waiting for the new family member to arrive. A quick look by everyone at home, all extremely happy, I decided to take it for a short spin as it started pouring down too. Driving in rain has always been a bliss! Overall, had a pleasant dealership experience and a super smooth delivery. Our sales executive and his team were quite efficient bunch of folks. All the paper work, loan formalities etc. were taken care of and completed on time. The required documents were collected by them from our home and office itself. Except the delay in delivering the car (I won't blame the dealership for that) everything went quite well. Initially, the Sales team used to call me up for sharing my experience with the car and if I am satisfied with it too. Even during my booking period, I used to call my SE every second day to get a update on the car and he would talk to me extremely calmly and used to answer all my queries. My family after a point of time got irritated with the frequent follow ups I was making, lately, haven't purchased any Hyundai car from that dealership so cannot comment on the current experience but then my experience 6 years back was wonderful. Would definitely rate them 9/10. THE INITIAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE It was my first car hence I was extra careful while driving it, maintained ample distance from other cars. Honk at every turn and drove it extremely sedately. Even though I used to drive our Type 2 City, I was quite scared driving Cerberus for a couple of days. You know the fear of scratching your new machine. I quite liked the OEM System provided! The bass was effective, mid range was nice and there was no cracking even with full though it could have been lounder. What I liked the most was my car had all the sources to play music, be it CD Player, Aux or USB it had them all and additionally it had steering mounted controls too which worked like a charm. The acceleration was quick, steering was light, clutch operation was smooth, gearbox was slick and soon I got the hang of it's dimensions too. Driving it in the traffic had become a breeze and soon it felt like I am driving the Santro Xing itself, just that this was bigger and better than it. The gearshifts were short and precise, braking was strong and it was my first car with ABS hence I felt even more confident while braking it. Even at high speeds the car used to stop without any drama. The best thing about it was it's refinement level, like I often used to look at the RPM needle to realize if my the car is still ON or in the ignition mode. The suspension was soft and handled rough patches quite decently and had pliant ride, my mom and grand mom appreciated it's back seat and found it way better than our City too! Maybe it was the new car effect. Though the high bumps and big potholes did filter into the cabin but overall the setup was absolutely perfect for city driving conditions. One of the most impressive aspect about the i20 I felt was the space on offer, one of the most spacious cars in it's segment. It was par Fabia though lesser than Jazz but way more than Swift, Punto and the likes. Ergonomically it was spot on! Everything automatically fell into place. I keep my seat a little reclined while driving for better comfort and even with that the person sitting in the back is quite comfortable. The front seats are extremely comfortable with good cushioning and back support though I didn't really like the adjustable headrest. It just felt a little hard. The only downside I felt was the thick A Pillar, not being used to such thing, it created quite a huge blind spot which was a little bit troubling initially though with time I saw most of the cars had this issue. SOME CONVERSATION WITH FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS Friend - Dude! You finally got a new ride but I heard i20 isn't that good of a ride. Read it's review, stated poor performance and average fuel efficiency. Me - It's right outside, check it out! Friend (After looking at the car) - Holy Mother Of God man! Is this even for real? You have USB and buttons on steering in the car. How much did you pay for it? What's this temperature control? My Octavia is way more expensive than your car and I don't have any of this! I am quite sure the drive too would be decent enough, these publications misguide consumers a lot. Friend 2 - Duh! I told you not get a Hyundai again. You are soon going to open up a Hyundai dealership. Did you realize it's your 5th Hyundai? Me - So what? It suits my requirements hence I got it! You need to check it out bro before commenting. Friend 2 (After checking it out) - Bro, Want to exchange it with my Swift for a couple of days please? Cousin - So, i20 haan? You had the option of better products! Me - Bro, it's a hatchback hence I got it plus it's damn well equipped with all the creature comfort and looks stunning at night. Cousin - The way you are talking is as if your car has some features of Mercs n all! Me - Yes it does! Cousin - *Laughing Out Loud Taking the key fob from my hand* Oye! Where is the key? IT CHANGED MY LIFE When I got Cerberus, I was just a teenager who loved cars. Now, it's a different feeling altogether. This car made me realize my Passion, my love for cars and how much I was into them, May it be when I sleep, at work or even sitting on my lavatory bowl !! It made me believe that cars aren't just a mode of transport, it's a WAY OF LIFE Throughout my life, I will owe it to Cerberus for who I am today. It introduced me to the World of Automobile, helped me interact with numerous automobile enthusiasts. Infact, 90% of my friends are car guys and I met some of my closest friends back then because we all used to drive an i20. This car has also helped me in forming up my Start Up concept altogether. Some First Moments With It  I know it sounds a little awkward and weird penning these down but then I just feel that cars are living entities, they are not mere machines. It has a heart, it needs food and it breathes. We have developed a relationship with cars. My first Highway drive was done in the Cerberus, that feeling of driving on the highway. High Speed, adrenaline rush, the cool breeze coming in. What an amazing experience. This was the day, I actually felt connected to my car and truly learnt and understood it. My first challan was cut driving the Cerberus when I broke a signal as was getting late to pick up my girlfriend. What a day it was! Requesting the cops not to do it and then settling the fine at as low as Rs.50. The first scratch - I was just driving in my lane when a car speeding in it hit the rear view mirror and left dents. One of the sad days, I still remember that Swift's plate. My First Day At College - Instantly, when I parked the car at our college front gate. One of the senior student (One of my closest friend now) approached me and asked me to move the car as it was his parking spot. Seeing a senior, I got a little scared but then I decided to pull back. After the college, while going home we were driving together and we kind of did a time trial thing. Next day I parked at the same spot, he came over to me "Nice driving last afternoon! I didn't knew i20 had the potential to do that!" and we hit it off. What I loved About It
What I DIDN'T LIKE
AFTER-SALES SERVICE EXPERIENCE  I purchased my car from Saini Hyundai, Kolkata and till now the experience has been quite good. The bill is always lower than the estimated price, service is top notch and most of the spare parts have been readily available. The folks at Saini has always successfully rectified even the smallest of the problem I faced. The best part I have always liked about them is the folks are quite quick at their job. I get regular calls from them regarding the condition of my vehicle plus service reminder and follow up too. The only thing I didn't like was they way they drive in service center is pretty rough! I mean even though nothing happens but why to put someone else's car on risk being aggressive behind the wheel? ISSUES FACED AND PARTS CHANGED The Air conditioning system is simply not upto the mark, in extreme sunny days the car doesn't cools down properly and needs maintenance time to time. I make sure, getting the gas filled every 6 months and cleaning all the filters etc. every 2-3 months or it starts giving cooling problems. Recently, after 54,000 kms the compressor had to be repaired and got the condenser changed. The Following Parts have been changed:-
ACCESSORIES The stock Headlamp bulbs were replaced by 90/100 Phillips Bulbs with a Relay kit. I am still using the Stock Head unit, had added a Convex Active Subwoofer 3 years back and last year changed the speakers too. My Current Setup is:-
Had installed Red Interior LEDs, Now removed. Beige Leatherette Seat Covers, Still using the same. Fitted when Purchased. German Style Number Plate. Black Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel Cover and Dual Floor Mats Garware Window Tints 50% Side Glasses and 20% Front. CURRENT DRIVING EXPERIENCE Performance - The Acceleration has weakened a little as it's service is due, though still performs like a charm. The 1.2 Kappa has enough grunt for both city driving conditions and highway cruising. The car is still capable of doing high speeds on the highway without a fuss and I do have fun pitting it against cars of higher segments. Handling - I have always felt that the handling i20 is more of a neutral experience and predictable. It's an extremely stable vehicle at high speed, lane changing is not a problem. The steering weighs up well, only downside being it has an artificial feel to it. On sharp turns, the car does fishtail at high speeds, takes them well at around 70-80 kmph. Braking - I have experienced numerous Braking incidents and can vouch for i20's brake, the bite is sharp and the car stops without any drama. The ABS kicks in the right time and there is no twitching of the car due to the sudden braking. Though currently, braking has become weaker as Rear tyres needs replacement and brake oil needs a top up. Ground Clearance - I would say it's pretty decent, Water logging is quite a common problem in Kolkata during Monsoon and i20 performs rather well when driving through water logged streets. It takes the average speed bumps with ease though does scrap when fully occupied. Sometimes, if not driven carefully I do end up scrapping while crossing monster bumps. Electrical - Everything works as good as new though the steering mounted audio controls does doesn't work at times, restarting the car fixes the problem. AUX In Port has got a little loosen up from inside, the USB Works fine. All the switches in Cerberus were illuminated but the steering mounted Audio Control has lost it's illumination and the same has got dim in Power Window Switches. Build Quality - It's obviously no German but the build quality is pretty amazing! A year back, an all new Vento hit the rear left door of my vehicle. Got a minor dent whereas the Vento girl ended up breaking the Fog lamps and bumper. It doesn't have the Thud but does gets the "Thunk" which is pretty acceptable to me. The car still has factory paint quality except the rear bumper has left fender, have been repainted. The quality is pretty good, still has that luster though needs polishing time to time in order to sustain it. Didn't came across any orange peels yet! The first generation i20 is a well engineered car, panel gaps are consistent throughout. Interior Quality - The fit and finish is absolutely wonderful, buttons works like a charm and has that longevity feel to it. The leather quality on the steering wheel is pretty decent though the leather quality on the gearbox needs a change, the upper area of the gear knob had chrome effect but has lost it now. Though the other chrome accents throughout the interiors are still in good shape! Overall leather quality provided is above average. Hyundai has used hard plastics all around the cabin which is pretty decent, though I have got a few scratches now on the dashboard. If anyone knows can it be removed? One thing I would like to mention is perfect thumb contours! It's absolutely right for me though a few friends n my uncle does wish they were better. Maybe it's because I have long fingers and a small palm, I get better grip. Space - I will stick to my statement above, even after nearly 7 years with the car I still feel space is quite impressive for a hatchback. It's mainly driven by me though got to try it's backseat at times. A friend who is 6'3 was driving the car while I sat behind, the chair as expected was all the way back and I still had sufficient legroom to keep my legs though it didn't have much movement but still it was decent. I felt the rear seats could have been a little more reclined, though the cushioning is decent and headroom is fantastic. Just hope, Hyundai could have used lighter shade in the rear, it's no Swift or Punto like experience but the dull rear colors does takes out that airy feel and why no door pockets Hyundai! The floor hump isn't a problem and three decent sized adults in the back can be quite comfortable even in longer journeys. What I love the most about it's cabin is the number of storage space available! Loads of storage areas in the cabin, it has literally become a khazaana. Actually, my friends loves it the most, they get to keep all there make up stuff where ever they want though often shouts due to lack of vanity mirror. The boot space too is pretty decent, even with a subwoofer installed a decent size suitcase and bag suits in easily. The space is sufficient for my mother's weekend grocery shopping. SUMMARY Kms Clocked - 57,000 and Counting Fuel Efficiency - Current 10 kmpl (City) & 14-15 kmpl (Highway) Max Achieved - 13.5 Kmpl (City) 17.5 (Highway) Lowest Achieved - 5.5 kmpl (City) 9 (Highway) Tyres - Running on Stock size, Apollo Accelere tyres from the first day. The front Tyres were Replaced at 52,000 kms. The rear tyres are still stock. The Spare tyre needs a Replacement. Kms Driven Monthly - Approximately 750 kms though used to clock more than 1000 kms initially. Cerberus is driven only in the city, from the last couple of years have stopped taking it to the highways as have better alternatives. Everyday Run - 30 to 40 kms in Moderate traffic Pictures I guess I have bored you folks enough with the talking! Time for Some Pictures:- Early Morning Drives A Day Keeps The Doctor Away!  Highway Runs With Friends  Random Shot!  With Elder Brother  Jugaad!! Thanks to Cabbies   Last edited by YashD : 20th May 2016 at 13:48. |
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20th May 2016, 14:20
| #2 |
| Team-BHP Support   Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay
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20th May 2016, 15:06
| #3 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Haryana
Posts: 152
Thanked: 204 Times
| re: Cerberus Hyundai - 6 years, 9 months and the i20 journey continues Let me be the first one to congratulate you on the ownership. Wish you lots of fun miles ahead.  The review is to-the-point and very well written. You have summed up your experience nicely. You really made a good decision by going for an i20 in 2009, just because of the airbags if nothing else. Do post some pictures of the interiors and keep this thread updated. The car looks gleaming in black, and the last picture just nailed it. I scrolled back and took a second view three or four times.  A related read : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...urers-too.html Last edited by biggrin : 20th May 2016 at 15:06. Reason: Link |
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21st May 2016, 00:18
| #4 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Kolkata
Posts: 555
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| re: Cerberus Hyundai - 6 years, 9 months and the i20 journey continues Quote:
Will be surely updating the thread with interior shots soon and well Black was clear choice. I feel a car looks the most sophisticated and premium in this shade even though it's a dust magnet I never had a problem maintaining it. Moreover, I feel scratches and marks are more visible in the lighter shade. So, the darker it is the better and it's quite sad to see that most of the manufacturers have decided to give up black though am glad Hyundai decided to retain it in the Elite i20, makes it look HOT! | |
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21st May 2016, 00:23
| #5 |
| Newbie  Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Kolkata.
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| re: Cerberus Hyundai - 6 years, 9 months and the i20 journey continues Wonderful long term ownership report.  Congratulations!All the points has been covered really well and pictures are really nice. I've seen your black beauty and there's no doubt she still looks absolutely stunning. I wish you many more happy miles with your Cerberus Hyundai. |
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21st May 2016, 10:10
| #6 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Haryana
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| re: Cerberus Hyundai - 6 years, 9 months and the i20 journey continues Quote:
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21st May 2016, 11:00
| #7 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Kolkata
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| re: Cerberus Hyundai - 6 years, 9 months and the i20 journey continues Quote:
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29th June 2016, 06:24
| #8 |
| BHPian Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Kolkata
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| Re: Cerberus Hyundai - 6 years, 9 months and the i20 journey continues Been quite long since I updated the thread, was just searching my laptop for some pictures and bumped into the 2012 Team Bhp Monsoon Meet snaps of Kolkata attended by Cerberus and me.     Update on the wheel:- The car was giving battery trouble for quite sometime so finally decided to get it changed. Took Exide's quotation, was costing somewhat around 4.5k where as got the Amaron Flo for 3.7k. The car has been driven for more than 400 kms in the last few days and it's working absolutely fine. The front headlamps have become dirty and is loosing the shine. The company says it cannot be cleaned and needs to be replaced. I am thinking of adding new bulbs as the current set isn't good enough. |
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30th June 2016, 00:08
| #9 |
| Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Beans Town
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21st September 2020, 09:24
| #10 |
| Newbie Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Kolkata
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