[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by //M

However, there are a few features that are seriously missing like the fuel efficiency indicator, rear wash wipe, etc.

Note that it does have rear wash/wipe.

Fuel efficiency (both realtime & average) and auto-locking doors are what i missed the most.

Also, the fairly large gear-shift indicator appears and disappears (compared to other cars where the current gear indicator stays constant, and only a small arrow appears or disappears). This made it seem like a light on the MID kept flashing randomly in my peripheral vision. Quite irritating, until i got a little more used to it.

cya
R

[//M]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Note that it does have rear wash/wipe.

cya
R

Thanks for pointing that to me, Rehaan.

Sorry for not being clear with my previous post, what I meant was the wiper is there only on the top trim Asta, while we are used to see a wiper in most hatchbacks in the past decade or so.

[Rocketscience]

Excellent review s2 , the new i20 like it's sibling appears to be a very tempting package , looks excellent , the interiors are build really well and that long list of features , i drove the diesel variant recently and it was much more fun than my City D for sure , the refinement levels are simply outstanding , this is the diesel engine i'll pick over VW's 1.5 , the refinement more than makes up for the marginal difference in performance.
Even i remember once telling a Hyundai salesman that i want to test drive the diesel variant and that i already own the petrol no point test driving it again , he told me it was the diesel only and i was surprised , it really is that good .

I did'nt pick the verna over city just because of that high speed nervousness i hated in my i20 , also it has started to look old now , had the elite i20 launched back then , i would have seriously reconsidered my decision.

[F150]

I am not sure why were are trying to be gentle on the design of the new i20 ?

I was expecting to read - Quirky design - not to everyone's liking in the What you wont like section.

The new i20 is an ugly duckling from the front and the side, the concept was very good but the execution is very poor.

The silver accents on the headlights were straight lines on the concept and have been made droopy.

In the comparison with old gen i20 I was expecting to see the image of i20 refresh not the old one. You may argue this is new generation but we should compare it with the outgoing model.


Good review nonetheless.

1.2 L petrol is downright disappointing and Hyundai doesn't have any other engine that can replace it.
Equipment has been removed but the price remains the same, very surprising indeed.

There are no segment first features any more..

[Stratos]

Excellent review!

Knowing other Hyundai cars and also the last generation i20, I am sure Hyundai must have done a great job in terms of quality and reliability.

But on the other hand, if I was paying an on-road price of almost 9.5 to 10 lac rupees for a diesel hatchback, I would expect it to have the missing features, if not all, at least the important ones like full-MID, 4-wheel disc brakes, height adjustable seat-belts and 6-airbags. Plus, at a time when projector headlamps and DRLs are being introduced in the small car segment, I fail to understand their omission in case of the Elite i20.

[chaudharysaab]

Nice Review Sir. However it is really shameful that features like ABS and Airbag are still not considered as "Standard" for such premium small cars.
But i am sure companies like VW will keep on teaching other companies importance of safety features.

[DRIV3R]

Nice and detailed review. Love the interiors and the gizmos on offer, as expected in a Hyundai.

Dynamics & steering aren't to an enthusiast's tastes. Swift, Polo etc. are more fun to drive

In my books, the Punto and Figo are the benchmark for steering feel, feedback and response, followed by the Swift and Polo.

Notice how the rear windscreen washer is cleverly hidden away in the high mounted stop lamp cluster:

Most of the hatchbacks have it the same way, no?

When was the last time you saw a car with an option to simultaneously enable airflow to all three places?

I am not sure, but the Punto has this option since inception. (the ones with ACC)

[Vasuki]

Excellent review. Thanks for it. This is i20's third version, I presume. If many safety features like six airbags are missing compared to previous version, why this facelift / launch? Also missing Disc brakes and DRL is a strict no no in this premium class. Is it costs less compared to previous one?

Originally Posted by S2!!!

The Elite i20 gets an electrochromic (auto dimming) IRVM. If you're being followed by a car with its high beams on, the mirror will dim itself. Here is some trivia - the i20 has the feature but Hyundai's flagship 35 lakh SUV - Santa Fe doesn't:

BTW Hyundai Xcent also has the same feature, don't know about Grand though.

[Mr.Beat]

Team-bhp is getting better with each car launch review. This one is so detailed that even the SE's of Hyundai might refer to know more about their own car. Hats off for the details.

Coming to the car itself, it looks a fantastic package and whilst some or the other feature will always be missing , reducing the no of airbags on the top model was a poor decision on the part of Hyundai. I am sure this car will be a worthy successor for a 7-8k per month doing car replacement. The styling, features and price point all seem to be good. Although just like a profit oriented company, it's obvious Hyundai wants you to buy the top end Asta variant.

[Amarendranath]

Excellent review S2 ! Rated the thread a 5-stars

The car looks stunning, I'm totally impressed by their design language. Thanks to your review, i failed to notice that the tail lamps were not LED's. I was under the impression that they were LED's. One feature that really hit my sweet spot is the ORVM's automatically folding outward while approaching the car. The only gripe about this car is the lifeless steering. If only it was tuned like that of the polo. It would been a killer combination.

Hyundai should not have removed few features. I feel this is how they market their cars. I believe the I20 Asta will be introduced with an automatic and all the missing features. The Sante Fe manual variant does not have all the features but the automatic does. I feel the same would repeat for all the Hyundai cars starting with the I20. It would be interesting to see all the future projects Hyundai is working on.

[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Do i regret purchasing the Xcent SX(o) automatic for parents?

No, for five reasons - 1. Elite i20 automatic is yet to hit the market 2. Long turning radius of the i20 would have made U-turn into our garage impossible and 3. Claustrophobic rear seat 4. They are happier with their 'sedan' ownership. 5. The driving position of the Xcent/ Grand i10 is much more suited to elderly people compared.

Honestly, I am not a fan of sub 4m sedans but the Xcent is a brilliant package nevertheless. What you pointed out about ingress/ egress being better in the Grand i10/ Xcent compared to the Elite i20 is absolutely true. In the Elite i20, you sit lower and also the dash is on the higher side. Save for the variants with a driver's seat height adjust, shorter drivers will struggle in the Elite i20 as the all round visibility isn't something to write home about.

Originally Posted by F150

I am not sure why were are trying to be gentle on the design of the new i20 ?

I was expecting to read - Quirky design - not to everyone's liking in the What you wont like section.

The new i20 is an ugly duckling from the front and the side, the concept was very good but the execution is very poor.

While the Elite i20 may not appeal to all, very few will find the design quirky. In flesh, it definitely looks a lot better. However, looks are subjective at the end of the day

Originally Posted by F150

In the comparison with old gen i20 I was expecting to see the image of i20 refresh not the old one. You may argue this is new generation but we should compare it with the outgoing model.

True. But we thought it would be a good idea to show how the i20 has evolved over the years.

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

In my books, the Punto and Figo are the benchmark for steering feel, feedback and response, followed by the Swift and Polo.

True. But we didn't mention these as both the cars have hydraulic steerings, hence, are in a different league altogether. From among the EPS units, the Swift and Polo are the better one in terms of feel and feedback.

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

I am not sure, but the Punto has this option since inception. (the ones with ACC)

Wasn't aware of this

Originally Posted by Vasuki

Also missing Disc brakes and DRL is a strict no no in this premium class. Is it costs less compared to previous one?

The problem with Hyundai is that they introduced these segment first features in the older i20 and deleted them in the Elite i20. Hence, these seem like a glaring omissions which everyone is sitting to take note of. Hyundai's justification to removing the safety option pack of curtain and side airbags, disc brakes, etc is to keep a check on the cost, lack of demand and to reduce the number of variants on offer (for logistics).

[rohansachar]

Thanks S2 for the review, very well detailed! Was looking forward to it.

Agreed on the bit of removing multiple feature, however it is also important to note the price has also not gone up. Granted the option of additional airbags & sun roof especially would have been really nice, however the current Asta variant seems to be a very well packaged product.

Thanks again!

[_raVan_]

Excellent review S2! 5 stars to the thread.

Hyundai definitely has a winner in their hands, but at the same time, disappointed that they still have not included the Fuel consumption information in the i20. Adding to the shortages, I wonder why did they remove the rear discs. Maybe the Asta (O) variant didnt sell as per expectations, then again, the offer of 6 airbags was nice to have.

Anyways, kudos to the Hyundai team to bring out another good product and to deflect from their soft suspension setup enough for people to say this does not wobble like a Hyundai!

[StepUP!]

Thank you S2 for the detailed review!

If Hyundai calls it "Elite", I fail to understand omission/absence of of auto locking doors, DRLs, curtain airbags, sunroof, passenger airbag omission from lower variants, voice commands, cruise control, rear armrest etc

I got to see i20 on road. I didn't recognize it's new i20 from front. Though the rear has been modified substantially.

Somehow this fluidic design has becoming monotonous for me. I feel Punto Evo, elite i20 and next gen Figo (Ford Ka) have very similar headlamp design.

Good to see Hyundai is improving on steering and handling of the car. I feel they have totally ignored Petrol market. They could have added a small turbo like Zest to it's petrol engine which could have made it powerful enough. With days passing the difference between diesel and petrol prices is reducing and petrol market should not be ignored.

Certainly elite i20 fails to garner excitement levels of Zest for me. And makes it look terribly overpriced in front of Zest.

[RavenAvi]

Truly, the already ultra-high benchmark set by each Team-BHP official review is raised higher by the next subsequent one. I can only sum it all up in one emotion - mind-blowing review, S2!

The "Elite" i20 is almost a complete package. The side and rear profiles make the i20 stand out in a sea of cars. And the list of features at one's disposal shame cars from at least 2-3 segments up. Granted, a few notable ones from the earlier generations have been removed, but then, how many takers were actually there for the Asta (O) trim in the first place? I am sure the mass market preferred a lower/higher-trim diesel hatch at that price point.

As for the DRLs, if I remember correctly, the previous-gen "fluidic" i20 didn't have it during it's launch as well. The DRLs were added a few months later. Maybe again, we might see them in the Elite version a few months down the line, if there is enough demand.

I am particularly fascinated by the stuff which Hyundai has given in the central ODO display of the car. It looks similar to the one which comes in the Skodas/VWs. Not surprising, since there is a distinct German touch to the Elite i20. Wish they had given that very useful Fuel-Efficiency indicator.

I am still on the fence about the front looks - the headlamps look too garish and angular, and the central grille looks outlandishly big. Maybe a smaller, squarer grille would have been better. The lower chrome insert in the headlamps looks chic but the long, stretched bar above the headlamp looks out of place.

Good to know that the suspension and riding comfort have been considerably tweaked in the Elite i20. Not too surprising, since during the testing phase, the car was seen more than once being tested with the Swift, Polo, Punto, and the likes. Definitely a lot of feedback regarding the positives of each hatchback in it's segment went into the evolution of the Elite i20. And the result is there for all to see and feel.

Wish they did something about that dead-as-a-dodo steering though. And let's hope this EPS unit is not prone to sudden failures/oversteers, as is being reported in this thread.

Plus, this was a great chance for Hyundai to rectify two major issues of the earlier-gen i20s - the under-powered 1.2L petrol engine and a diesel AT. A car of this size and weight demanded the 1.4L petrol. When Hyundai can offer it in the Verna at a lower price AND also offer it with the AT trim of the earlier-gen i20 as well, I can't see why they can't provide it in the Elite i20, since it is badged and presented as a premium hatch.

Also, the 1.4L diesel packs enough punch both power-wise and torque-wise to be a fantastic highway runner, so they could have paired an AT box with it, just to give a second option to the buyers who would be looking at the Zest diesel AT. Since the Sportz (O) trim doesn't make too much buying sense at only 25,000-30,000 rupees below the Asta, they could have utilised the Sportz (O) with the diesel AT option. That could have kept the costs comparatively lower and at a better price point. And let's admit it, an Elite i20 Sportz (O) diesel AT with all those features on offer, much better premium looks and finish, and the Hyundai badge, would have been a very tempting proposition for the buyers/enthusiasts.

Some points for Hyundai India to ponder over, if they are reading this.

Rating the review a superbly-deserving 5-full-stars!