[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by vishnurajanme

Can anyone guide me on antenna replacement of the elite? I would like to go for a shorter stubby antenna. I checked ebay. Couldn't find the sparco antenna in black color. Any alternatives for the same?

Hey vishnurajanme, first off congrats on your pick and please post an ownership review at the earliest.

If my memory serves me right, the antenna on Elite is very similar (probably same) to the one that was on I-gen. My bro has the I-Gen and he changed the antenna to a shorter one form a local accessory shop.

All you need to do is find the one with the right threads, which can be screwed into the antenna holder, unless ofcourse you specifically want something from Sparco.

[predatorwheelz]

Originally Posted by vishnurajanme

Can anyone guide me on antenna replacement of the elite? I would like to go for a shorter stubby antenna. I checked ebay. Couldn't find the sparco antenna in black color. Any alternatives for the same?

In case you've seen the i20 Active, it comes with a conspicuously shorter and stubbier Antenna. The threads should be same and it should be a ready-fit to the normal Elite i20. Call your service advisor and ask if he can arrange a replacement. Keep us posted too.

[Jebs]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

In case you've seen the i20 Active, it comes with a conspicuously shorter and stubbier Antenna. The threads should be same and it should be a ready-fit to the normal Elite i20. Call your service advisor and ask if he can arrange a replacement. Keep us posted too.

Excellent Idea Man! I'll be taking delivery by next month. I'm also planning for the SPARCO antenna only, but now I'll talk to my SA to get this done. I already discussed about the headlights swap.

[ckranjan]

Originally Posted by Jebs

Excellent Idea Man! I'll be taking delivery by next month. I'm also planning for the SPARCO antenna only, but now I'll talk to my SA to get this done. I already discussed about the headlights swap.

Can you please post a little more about the headlight swap. Is it possible to swap the active projector ones? cost of the projectors etc.

Thanks

[Jebs]

Yes, it can be swapped by paying 30K extra. He's unsure about taking back the existing one's. That's where I put on hold.

[k_ajay]

Owners of Elite i20 diesel. Can you share how the driving experience in highways is? Is this car able to do and hold high speeds on the highways? I understand from the (fantastic) review that the wallowy boat feeling are now gone and suspension+handling combo has been improved to a more neutral feedback/feeling.

While knowing that the Elite i20 cannot match the handling of the, say, Fiats or Germans (Skoda, VW), can one still be happy with this car on the highways. The only thing one may miss in an elite i20 is the handling and confidence when one takes corners at high speeds, is that it?

(specifically asking highways as I've read enough about how this car is a breeze to drive in daily rush our traffic).

TIA!

[predatorwheelz]

Originally Posted by k_ajay

Owners of Elite i20 diesel. Can you share how the driving experience in highways is? Is this car able to do and hold high speeds on the highways?

I've had the Elite i20 five months now, and done the following trips:

1. Delhi - Rajasthan Marwar region (about 2200 kms door to door)

Link to travelogue:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...er-marwar.html

2. Delhi - Lucknow - Delhi (about 1100 kms)

Link to travelogue:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...mein-hain.html

3. Delhi - Dharamsala - Khajjiar - Dalhousie - Amritsar - Delhi (about 1300 kms door to door)

Travelogue not written yet


The car has seen all kinds of highway conditions already. Driving with 2 passengers as well as driving 5 up with full luggage. Driving through bright sunlight, driving through dense fog (en route to Lucknow) at night, as well as non-stop rain (Amritsar to Delhi). Driving highways, mountain roads and crowded Lucknow lanes. Given all that, the following are my impressions:

1. The car does and holds high speeds wonderfully well. On smooth Rajasthan roads I've held 100+ speeds for hours. Its a typical CRDI engine where the torque enables quick overtaking, by just pressing the accelerator and not requiring downshifting.

2. Contrary to common perception, the steering does not get too light at highway speeds. There is always enough feedback at any speed.

3. The brakes are above average, though I recommend anyone doing highway to buy ABS for peace of mind.

4. The stock headlights are quite powerful to be doing night drives. We drove through blinding fog at night en-route to Lucknow, and I personally didn't feel any problems.

5. The suspension is firm enough to travel with a full load. Its a matured suspension package where you can also take corners at high speeds without feeling nervous

6. The front seats are quite chunky and figure hugging, and there are a range of adjustments available to suit yourself to a long drive. However some people find a lack of lower back support on the driver's seat. In really long (10 hour plus) drives I too find myself a bit numb.

Can't find anything to add. You may also read SS-Traveller's impression of the car when he co-drove with me to Lucknow.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post3634550

[vishnurajanme]

Originally Posted by k_ajay

Owners of Elite i20 diesel. Can you share how the driving experience in highways is? Is this car able to do and hold high speeds on the highways? I understand from the (fantastic) review that the wallowy boat feeling are now gone and suspension+handling combo has been improved to a more neutral feedback/feeling.

While knowing that the Elite i20 cannot match the handling of the, say, Fiats or Germans (Skoda, VW), can one still be happy with this car on the highways. The only thing one may miss in an elite i20 is the handling and confidence when one takes corners at high speeds, is that it?

(specifically asking highways as I've read enough about how this car is a breeze to drive in daily rush our traffic).

TIA!

If you want to cruise, this is the car!
If you want to race, get a polo.

Polo owners will find it more easy to handle a polo under racing conditions when compared with an elite.
As street racing is of little importance in Team-bhp, I am stopping this talk here. If we are mature drivers, we will surely enjoy driving the elite. It's steering has improved a lot compared with the old i20. But it has an supernatural feedback. The steering will be ultra light, but when you cross 90/95, suddenly the steering becomes hard. It is not so progressive. It does not sway a lot under high speed cornering, but still it is not up to the mark of the polo. I think, polo being a small car packs this advantage.

The elite i20 satisfies me a lot. I was a petrol head, and the i20 crdi is my first ever diesel car. It does not provide that turbo attack that the swift will deliver, but it catches speeds pretty much easily, just like a petro car. The turbo kicks in so fast.

It is perfectly drivable in citys and highways.
In the citys, till 1850 rpm, it behaves like an alto, and after that it is like a honda city (I am talking about petrol cars)
The goodness is, till 1850, it is an alto. Means, it is indeed perfectly drivable.
It indeed provides a better ride quality than the polo (personal opinion) Takes potholes much better. The boat like nature of the old i20 is far gone.
But high speed cornering is still a bit of issue with the i20.
It has some negligible body roll compared to the polo.

Apart from that this car is the best. Especially for highway cruising.


One added short comparison: Not going

Germans
Build,Handling&Acceleration (9/10)
Value for money, Equipments, Space (7/10)

Italians:
Build&Handling (10/10)
Acceleration (7/10)
Value for money, Equipments, Space (8/10)

Koreans
Build&Handling (9/10)
Acceleration (9/10)
Value for money, Equipments, Space (9/10)

Finally it is a matter of compromise

[k_ajay]

Hi predatorwheelz,

Thanks very much for your detailed response. I read briefly the first travelogue and will continue reading them shortly.

100+ speeds is quite the norm these days (Alto and Indica cars are doing 100+ steadily on highways).

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

I've had the Elite i20 five months now, and done the following trips:

The car has seen all kinds of highway conditions already. Driving with 2 passengers as well as driving 5 up with full luggage. Driving through bright sunlight, driving through dense fog (en route to Lucknow) at night, as well as non-stop rain (Amritsar to Delhi). Driving highways, mountain roads and crowded Lucknow lanes. Given all that, the following are my impressions:

1. The car does and holds high speeds wonderfully well. On smooth Rajasthan roads I've held 100+ speeds for hours. Its a typical CRDI engine where the torque enables quick overtaking, by just pressing the accelerator and not requiring downshifting.

2. Contrary to common perception, the steering does not get too light at highway speeds. There is always enough feedback at any speed.

3. The brakes are above average, though I recommend anyone doing highway to buy ABS for peace of mind.

4. The stock headlights are quite powerful to be doing night drives. We drove through blinding fog at night en-route to Lucknow, and I personally didn't feel any problems.

5. The suspension is firm enough to travel with a full load. Its a matured suspension package where you can also take corners at high speeds without feeling nervous
........

Hi Vishnurajanme,

Thanks for your feedback. Glad to see very positive feedback of the i20 (and good on Hyundai to remove the nervous handling people were scared of).

Of course, I don't want a racer car [i have a booking for Polo TSI though; am I confused? ], but I want one that can hold good high speeds on the highways. Since I am escalating the risk by doing very high speeds, it is also important then that the car performs well in such a situation (with handling, brakes, safety, etc). Doing high speeds is important if one wants to cover ground quickly, over long distances (while opting road travel). I did Blr-Mum-Blr in 2011 once in my 1.4 Petrol Fabia and absolutely loved it. Safely did very high speeds during both onward and return journey (with my family). I am just keen to know if the diesel i20 can help do the same for me.

(I won't be attempting any corners at 80-100 with this car though, for sure).

Also, shouldn't the Build&Handling of Koreans by 8/10? [Just asking].. Smiley!!

Finally it is a matter of compromise

For the i20, Hyundai says, 'Un Compromise. Heh!

Originally Posted by vishnurajanme

If you want to cruise, this is the car!
If you want to race, get a polo.

Polo owners will find it more easy to handle a polo under racing conditions when compared with an elite.
As street racing is of little importance in Team-bhp, I am stopping this talk here. If we are mature drivers, we will surely enjoy driving the elite. It's steering has improved a lot compared with the old i20. But it has an supernatural feedback. The steering will be ultra light, but when you cross 90/95, suddenly the steering becomes hard. It is not so progressive. It does not sway a lot under high speed cornering, but still it is not up to the mark of the polo. I think, polo being a small car packs this advantage.

The elite i20 satisfies me a lot. I was a petrol head, and the i20 crdi is my first ever diesel car. It does not provide that turbo attack that the swift will deliver, but it catches speeds pretty much easily, just like a petro car. The turbo kicks in so fast.

It is perfectly drivable in citys and highways.
In the citys, till 1850 rpm, it behaves like an alto, and after that it is like a honda city (I am talking about petrol cars)
The goodness is, till 1850, it is an alto. Means, it is indeed perfectly drivable.
It indeed provides a better ride quality than the polo (personal opinion) Takes potholes much better. The boat like nature of the old i20 is far gone.
But high speed cornering is still a bit of issue with the i20.
It has some negligible body roll compared to the polo.

Apart from that this car is the best. Especially for highway cruising.


One added short comparison: Not going

Germans
Build,Handling&Acceleration (9/10)
Value for money, Equipments, Space (7/10)

Italians:
Build&Handling (10/10)
Acceleration (7/10)
Value for money, Equipments, Space (8/10)

Koreans
Build&Handling (9/10)
Acceleration (9/10)
Value for money, Equipments, Space (9/10)

Finally it is a matter of compromise

Also, what is the opinion of the folks here, for a better highway car (that can do high speeds).. Tata Zest Quadrajet vs Hyundai Elite i20?

[predatorwheelz]

Mod Note : Post deleted. Team-BHP strongly discourages unsafe driving practices that put yourself and other road users at risk. Please do NOT post about illegally high speeds on public roads.

We advise you to read the Forum Rules before proceeding any further.

[vishnurajanme]

Originally Posted by k_ajay

Also, shouldn't the Build&Handling of Koreans by 8/10? [Just asking].. Smiley!!

Oops, Typo Err, I am not biased.

Koreans: Build: 9/10, Handling: 8/10
Together 8.5, I rounded off it to 9

But seriously, The build of the i20 is on par with the Germans or even the Italians. Ride one too see. I am not talking about the doors and all, (I still find it very difficult to close the door of my friend's punto) but quality is great. Both interiors and exteriors.

Also, what is the opinion of the folks here, for a better highway car (that can do high speeds).. Tata Zest Quadrajet vs Hyundai Elite i20?

I wont comment anything that is Tata originated. I have not driven any tata product. None of my friends own too. But Zest and i20 will be two classes according to me. It will be more logical to compare a honda amaze with the elite i20. I actually cancelled the amaze booking and took the i20. I have driven both, but amaze diesel is more linear compared with the i20, drives like a petrol car. But the interiors. Horrible man. It is two classes below the i20. And feels like a little innova when revved. One can actually hear all the strokes of the engine very clearly.

Take my word, in the i20, you will almost forget what speed you are driving at if you miss out the speedo. Very stable, silent and vibrationless when compared with amaze, polo and the swift. When the speed increases, i20 will score more points. Sheer refinement of the engine aids this. You will find 100 just after you put the 6th gear in about 2000rpm, 120 in 2500 etc,

Mod Note : Team-BHP strongly discourages unsafe driving practices that put yourself and other road users at risk. Please do NOT post about illegally high speeds on public roads.

We advise you to read the Forum Rules before proceeding any further.

[k_ajay]

Thanks predatorwheelz and Vishnurajanme, for your feedback. I got to quickly make note of them.

Sorry that you had to receive the mod notes though. Your feedback is being considered strongly for my next purchase. While my Fabia gets serviced this Saturday, my friend and I are going to try an extensive TD of the crdi i20.

The only put off on this car can be the waiting time (currently quoted at 2 months). [the Polo TSI I've booked is also against a waiting time of 2-3 months).

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by k_ajay

Also, shouldn't the Build&Handling of Koreans by 8/10? [Just asking]

There are different models across different car manufacturers, we must always remember that when trying to classify them according to quality otherwise it becomes generalizations. I own a Hyundai Getz facelift version & in almost every parameter be it tactility, steering feedback, space or power it beats a manual petrol Polo evidently. The Getz has a kerb weight of 1066 kg while the Polo petrol is about 1020 kg for a body that's about 4 inches longer. Hyundai has an army of designers from Germany, France, Italy (for exteriors+structural engineering) & America for interiors. They are no less than any luxury car manufacturer with heads of design from BMW/Audi currently working for them as also drive-tune specialists recruited from BMW M division and Lotus. In short they are in a hurry to shed whatever misconceptions people have about their expertise in building a machine & they are increasingly getting noticed as the latest i10 and i20 have already received many awards in Europe.

Now for the other side of the story, India as a market hasn't evolved in terms of preferences in the automobile sector. About 70+% of them are concerned about the size/value they are getting for the money spent, i.e they consider visual heft as value, then there are about 25% concerned with maintenance costs, resale & fuel economy due to which they buy popular brands. This leaves about 5% people who look closer into aspects like build quality, driving dynamics and fit & finish. Every car company in India makes cars inferior to the same models abroad, this is either due to making cost cheaper or to cut down weight or to increase profitability. VW while their structural engineering is good, they started off here offering absolutely models with zero features, only now they have learnt their lesson & they are giving better value. Hyundai too similarly are no doubt shedding safety features/stronger panels/dynamics to enable better pricing for the buyers. The i20 made in India for example cannot be exported to Australia due to lack of 6 airbags & other benchmarks, while the i20 made in Turkey has been deemed more than fit.

Similarly Americans claim the factory in Mexico that manufactures VW cars make inferior models to the German factory (Mk6/7 Jetta have been flogged in U.S for consistently declining quality compared to Mk5). The Indian plant exports Vento to nearby countries like Indonesia, Malaysia etc, but the European plant scrapped plans for that model. Vento is also sold in Russia & China. This clearly shows that there is some variation in quality depending on the country. The European Swift according to GTO's post if I remember, is far better than the one in India.

Not all Italians make great driving cars or even well-built cars, as one can see here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automot...ustry_in_Italy there are about 60 Italian origin manufacturers who have wound up till now. Fiat of course is the biggest success story from Italy thanks to their early acquisitions of Ferrari, Maserati & Alfa Romeo. Italian cars used to suffer from a reliability problem in the early days and are still stereotyped for it. Fiat though is among the top league as far as build quality goes (Punto/Linea are noticeably better built than Polo/Vento)

To end a long post, the reason why I wrote all of the above isn't to blame/praise any brand, each have their own issues/advantages. Its just that the build quality/fun-to-drive aspect of any model depends more on the price-range or country they're built in, rather than the brand name- the scenario has changed. The CEO of VW Martin Winterkorn himself was stunned when he sat in a Hyundai i30 in an auto-show, under distress he scolded his fellow engineers saying "our steering adjust lever rattles, why doesn't theirs?" This doesn't mean of course that we'd get the same spec i30 in India, if at all.

[vishnurajanme]

Originally Posted by k_ajay

Sorry that you had to receive the mod notes though. Your feedback is being considered strongly for my next purchase. While my Fabia gets serviced this Saturday, my friend and I are going to try an extensive TD of the crdi i20.

Sorry not accepted Actually I want the mod to just see ur post first. You quoted a high speed mentioned question

Originally Posted by k_ajay

The only put off on this car can be the waiting time (currently quoted at 2 months). [the Polo TSI I've booked is also against a waiting time of 2-3 months).

Pssst, Dont tell anyone. I got my Elite i20 Crdi Sports(O) after a booking period of 1 WEEK. I am from kerala. This is the main reason I changed my mind for elite i20. First I thought of taking the Honda Amaze. But now I realized my decision was ultra good

NOTE FROM T-BHP SUPPORT: Avoid replying in bold and within the quoted post. Please read the Announcements carefully before proceeding. Thanks.

[ckranjan]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

The CEO of VW Martin Winterkorn himself was stunned when he sat in a Hyundai i30 in an auto-show, under distress he scolded his fellow engineers saying "our steering adjust lever rattles, why doesn't theirs?" This doesn't mean of course that we'd get the same spec i30 in India, if at all.

The steering adjustment lever in i20 also doesn't rattle. Point is whatever quality improvement they are doing is definitely filtering down to Hyundai India too. Its all about commitment. i20 launched in India first. That i think is sadly missing in many European car makers despite having very good products in their portfolio.