[p'arth]

Dear BHPians,

I am pleased to announce arrival of my new Hyundai i20 Asta (Petrol), in Coral White color. Named it Picasso as I feel its a piece of art and not just a car. Booking was made on 25-Jan-2012 (which happened to be my 5th wedding anniversary) and took delivery on 10-Feb. though car had arrived on 7-Feb itself; however I took some time to arrange the finances. Car manufacturing date is 30-Jan-2012 as confirmed by Wildon. Following are the details of how I arrived here and the short ownership experience so far.



Background

I have been driving a Maruti Suzuki Alto Lx since 2007. Also I have been keenly following new car launches in India almost since 2008. Thanks to team-bhp portal, I hardly had the need to go out and search information on any other portal. I have also test driven many cars that were launched since 2008 onwards. However the 2008 facelift of Swift Zxi used to be my dream car for quite some time which I wanted to buy due the safety and equipment level in the car that surpassed many 10 lac sedans at that time. However, by end of the year 2008, the i20 was launched and it literally shook the entire hatchback market with the levels of luxuries and equipment. It created the premium hatchback segment with a top end price surpassing many sedans. It made the Swift Zxi look underrated but the high price of the i20 was also a major deterrent for many in 2009, including me.

Over 2009 – 2011, I closely followed all new launches of hatchbacks and sedans under 10 lacs. 2010 was the hatchback year while 2011 was the sedan year. Polo, Punto, Figo, Beat and Micra were significant hatchback launches that I closely read and followed while in sedans it was the likes of Linea, Vento, Sunny, Rapid, Fverna and the very recent City CE that held my interest. Even existing cars like Fiesta and SX4 also were on my radar during certain times of this period. I also went through the famous debate of sedan or hatch, multiple times during this period.

The intention to buy a new car was always there from 2008 but there was a lack of urgency or a lack of a significant event to trigger a new purchase. Alto was serving me well and was giving me no major reason to go for a new car except for the heck of it. Alto’s amazing fuel efficiency and size was almost like driving a 2-wheeler, take it anywhere in the crowded city, any number of times without bothering about fuel, park it anywhere in the tightest spots, almost a zero overhead vehicle.

In Oct-2011, I had to travel abroad for 3 months and there was no one to drive my Alto back at home. Finally it was this trigger point that concluded in selling the car and then paving way for buying a new car when I returned from abroad in Jan-2012. My Alto (2005 model) had clocked almost 70K Kilometers on the road. It fetched a decent price of INR 1.3 lacs.

My needs in the new car

My needs in the new car were very simple and straight forward. Still taking a decision of finalizing that ‘one’ car was very complicated. To summarize the needs were:

1. Daily commute of 20 kms (home to office) and weekend commute of 40 kms to city centers since I stay in the outskirts of the city.
2. 90% city driving and 10% highway runs probably twice a year. With Alto I did not prefer to do long distance drives although it was certainly capable.
3. 90% time only front 2 seats occupied. Maximum comfort and space required here. Back seat comfort and space can be average but not worse.
4. Simple and easy to be driven around in the city by wifey
5. Airport runs once per quarter during which it should accommodate few bags
6. Should have maximum safety features
7. Should have maximum bells and whistles
8. Decent FE if not the best
9. Decent quality of interiors if not the best
10. Decent A.S.S if not the best
11. Decent exterior looks if not the best
12. Price ~ 8.5 lacs OTR
13. Available with short notice period, less than a month
14. Decently powerful and stable to pull 4 adults if required at moderately high speeds of 100-110. I don’t drive beyond that and am a sedate driver. So I am ok if the car does not corner well or gives that solid feedback, or stays planted over 120 kmph.

Based on the above needs some of the conclusions that became apparent were:

1. A petrol engine should suffice unless there is an exceptional diesel
2. Both hatchbacks and sedans were options but only premium hatchbacks and non-taxi sedans

Options Considered

As a mentioned above, between the year 2009-2011, I was interested in most new launches at some point of time. However here I’ll just talk about the final shortlist that was considered during the runup to finalizing the i20. These were:

1. New Swift Zxi Petrol – The launch of yet another facelift of Swift brightened my eyes. However I have to reject it because of high waiting periods (4 months), boot space comparable to Alto and lowest headroom in rear seat. Otherwise an excellent car with super power, economy, equipment and safety features.
2. Ford Figo Titanium Diesel – The petrol in Figo just doesn’t sell. That’s not because the petrol is so bad but also because the diesel is so good. The almost petrol like drivability, economy, good cabin space, maximum safety and satisfactory equipment levels made me consider this. However got rejected due to no A.S.S. center with 20 kms of my house or office and certain interior parts quality questionable.
3. Honda City CE – When I came to know about this getting launched at the price point mentioned, I almost decided to book it. Called the dealers from abroad, in early Jan-2012 but do dealer was willing to give a date of arrival. Answers were as vague as Feb end to April end. I could not risk so much time as I wanted the car before 15-Feb in any case. Also I kept hearing that CE is more of ‘me too have a presence’ at 6.99 lacs but is not a variant where Honda will earn. Hence Honda may not be serious on volumes in this model. Hence this was dropped. If I would have not sold my Alto, then I could have waited for this car and would have been writing a City CE review.
4. New Swift DZire Bootcut – Had almost finalized the i20 and paid booking amount (details below) when got a call from Maruti dealer on 1-Feb that a new 2012 bootcut DZire Zxi (White) was immediately available. I had never considered the DZire Bootcut as an option because I knew it would have few years waiting period. However I was surprised by this call (maybe it was a cancellation) and immediately started looking into this as an option. The positives were:
   • All new DZire Bootcut – One of the first owners.
   • It’s a Sedan
   • Great FE
   • MASS reliability
   • Good power

But then why did I finally reject it? It’s because:

• It’s a sedan on paper but in reality, hardly. The 316 litre boot space is only 70% practical. On both sides the intrusions of wheel well create undefined shape. Also the ‘U’ shaped hinges obstruct the bags. Net-net you can hardly accommodate a large bag in it. Compared to this, the boot space of i20 is 295 liters but is more practical – no intrusions, remove the parcel shelf and you can accommodate 2 large suitcases standing. Half fold the seat and you can move all you household baggages. Full fold the rear seat and you can move your house. No such luxuries in the DZire.
• The rear headroom is still on the lower than average for the segment (probably my height and I usually sit with my lower back planted all the way back).
• The looks are better than the uncut Dzire but still it’s not a piece of art – which I felt the i20 is – hence the name Picasso.
• Its 50K more costly that i20 and I don’t get anything extra over it except a better FE.

So the real 2 contenders were the City CE and DZire Bootcut Zxi. City CE rejected primarily on availability and DZire on reasons mentioned above.

Selecting the Picasso

So why did i20 Asta win the battle. The reasons - if you compare to my needs above, it ticked most items right:

• Maximum comfort and space in front seats
• Can accommodate many small bags and 2 international sized suitcases without seats folded down
• Should have maximum safety features
• Should have maximum bells and whistles
• Decent FE, not the best or worst
• Excellent quality of interiors
• Decent A.S.S with a service center near my office and many others in < 20 kms range
• Price was definitely < 8.5 lacs OTR
• Was available with short notice period, 2 weeks precise
• Decently powerful and stable to pull 4 adults if required at moderately high speeds of 100-110. I don’t care about outright 0-100 acceleration
• Good looking exterior shape and build
• In addition to meeting the above needs, what I liked about the car:
• The NVH is excellent. Car is dead silent at idle
• Smooth ride at slow speeds, generally at what we get to drive in city conditions.
• Good straight clear front vision. The A pillars impact slightly.

However no decision in life is perfect. If we take a decision it’s because it has more rights than wrongs. Some of the non-favorable aspects of purchasing an i20:

• Costly service and spares from Hyundai. Don’t have a personal experience of this yet.
• The facelift is getting launched soon. Will depreciate the resale value of my car, though I’ll try to keep the car for around 5 years. Also not sure what additional features will come in the facelift that I ll miss. However if the facelift will look like the FVerna minus the boot, then I will not regret so much. I like the present exterior design and lines better that the fluidic one which is too “Chinese” if I can say.
• The only real equipment missing in the car is real time consumption analytics. Alternative is to put a Scan Gauge – yet to explore this option.

Other than these I can’t think of many downsides of the car. There are some neutral points which I am ok to live with but could have been better:

• Brown and beige interiors. I prefer black and beige and even better all black.
• Wheels could have been 15 inchers in Asta variant atleast.

Booking, Pricing & Delivery Experience

I booked the car at Kun Hyundai dealership. Reasons being its showroom as well as service center is close to my office and home compared to other dealers. Also the salesperson, Vijay Reddy, was flexible to talk about discounts and accessories upfront. I did compare the final deal with another Hyundai dealer but they were not able to match it. Hence finalized booking at Kun Hyundai.

The booking was made on 25-Jan-2012 for Coral White i20 Asta (Petrol). Booking amount paid was INR 10,000. Salesperson promised delivery between 10th and 15th Feb which was acceptable to me. Cancellation charges INR 1000 only.

Overall the booking experience was good. Salesperson was proactive in getting receipt and filling the booking form. I did not get to point out anything that was not done.

Pricing

The OTR price was 6,91,xxx inclusive of 3rd year extended warranty. The final deal offered was:

• INR 15,000 cash discount
• Following Accessories:
• Matting and Mud flaps
• Sun Film, Garware
• Fabric Seat Covers
• Reverse Parking Sensors

Not sure if this was a best deal but amongst the dealers in my city, this was the best I could extract. However I didn’t had much choice on type of sunfilm, color of seat covers or type of parking sensors for that matter. Even if most basic ones, these accessories would have reasonably costed INR 15,000 combined, I believe.

So net-net an INR 30,000 equivalent discount on OTR. Probably its petrol and a facelift upcoming, otherwise i20 never used to see a lot of discounts. Also the facelift might be another INR 30,000 costly with no discounts. So I tend to gain INR 60,000 to square off resale value dip compared to the face lifted version.

Delivery

Even though sales person had promised availability between 10 and 15 Feb, I got a call on 7th that the car has arrived. I was surprised as I was expecting further delay beyond 15-Feb as generally salespeople tend to oversell. I got the VIN number from the sales person and confirmed with wildon that it was 30-Jan-2012 manufactured.

It took me 3 more days to arrange entire finances, as I decided against taking a loan. I was complacent thinking that car will arrive only after 15th and I will have sufficient time to arrange finances. However this surprise pulled me into action. On 9th morning I made the full balance payment by cheque and requested delivery on 10th. Salesperson tried to convince me that the cheque will not clear in 24 hours especially since I had given SBI cheque whereas the dealership account was ICICI.

Another surprise came as the cheque got cleared in less than 24 hours. On 10th morning I called up sales person to inform that cheque is cleared and prepare the vehicle. I got a time for 4 PM on the same to come for delivery.

I could not visit the dealer stockyard for a pre-inspection as recommended by team-bhp because it was very far on other end of the city and I was unable to spare time. Also I didn’t had the logistics to go there and I did not get support from the sales person (the only item where I did not get support).

Reached the dealership at 3.30 PM with wifey, the team-bhp checklist and box of chocolates for my salesperson. Completed all formalities required for temporary registration. Sales person explained me all documents, extended warranty, service options etc. then we proceeded to inspect the car. All accessories were fitted except sunfilm, which will be installed after permanent registration as recommended by sales person. Checked all exteriors for any dents, scratches, paint jobs etc. Then checked all interiors, all equipment and instruments and lights with the help of sales person. There were no issues that I found anywhere. The odometer showed a run of 45 kms (mostly from stockyard to dealership). There is some 8-10 kms of test run done in the plant premises also.

Sales person was amused the see the check list and I gave him to read. He agreed it’s quite detailed and announced it to fellow sales persons – “aajkal internet par sab milta hai”. I told him to keep this copy and it will help him prepare future cars for delivery better – since most likely many more buyers will be coming armed with this same check list in future. He didn’t keep the list (hurt his ego a bit) but he quickly memorized the site name.

This was followed by official handing over of car keys and a chocolate box, and photo session for memories. The TR number stickers were pasted and we were ready to take off. Received a 5 liter petrol coupon of nearest fuel station and the first stop was to re-fuel. As expected the tires were inflated to 45 psi, got these reduced to normal pressure.

Overall a good delivery experience. There was no real opportunity to complain about.

[p'arth]

Initial Review

Have driven the car for just over 400 kms in the last 10 days and I know it’s too small to make detailed reviews. However I’ll pen down my initial observations and continue to update the thread with more details. It might be possible that I contradict some of my initial views after driving for some more time.

Exteriors

• Front: A large bonnet area and wide air dam gives the car a good front stance. Chrome treatment to the fronmt grill is a nice additon in the last facelift. It isnt an overdose (like I feel it in Etios). The front lamps and fogs complete the front picture to perfection.



• Sides: The side profile makes the car look longer than it is. There are two prominent lines that gradually flow at a gentle elevation from front to back almost meeting at the fuel lid.The handles and ovrms are neatly placed and there is no awkwardness in its placement.The windows are of decent size however the rear one is slightly higher for the rear passenger.



• Back: The back is quite clean without much clutter, just a single line of depression. The bumper is big especially around the corners and has some moulded design . The slanting H logo is integrated into the boot handle. Clear lamps at the rear look good and the fogs are integrated into it. There is a high mount stop light as well.



The overall build quality is reasonably good. I dont know if its built like a tank from inside but the car certainly provides the feedback of not built flimsily. The fit & finish in terms of exterior body parts and paint quality is top notch. Everything left and right is equally in sync.The are no unnecessary gaps anywhere.

Interiors

• Equipment & Features: The equipment list is maxx in this car for the segment. Don’t think there is too much missing from equipment point of view. The only item I can think of is real time consumption analysis – Real fuel efficiency, average fuel efficiency, distance to empty etc. Sibling has an additional feature of heated ORVMs and dual power outlet which i20 does not have. Significant features are the ACC, 2 way steering adjust, 3 way seat adjust, auto-ctrl ORVMs, BT connectivity, Cool Glovebox and the key fob.



Driver door has all the controls for power windows up-down, electric adjust and electric fold. Only driver window is auto down. Only 4 the up-down switches are back lit.



• Interior design & quality: The interiors are top notch in quality. Everything inside feels rich and upmarket. There are no uneven gaps or anything loose. The plastics are nice to touch and feel. I am not a fan of chocolate brown interiors, would have preferred a rich black and beige combination.



The brown and grainy dash is highly reflective during full sunlight.



• Interior space and comfort: Interior space is decent especially for front benchers. There is generous leg room, head room and shoulder room. Driver legs do not hit the dash. For the rear benchers, seating 3 is only slightly an issue. The middle hump is not so pronounced as in Polo. With my driving seat adjusted to my height (5’9), there is enough leg room behind. Under thigh support and head room is also fairly decent while shoulder room is compromised only with 3 sitting behind. Net-net I found the cabin space to be very similar to the FVerna.





The IRVM is not wide enough to provide full width coverage of rear glass. Day and night mode available. The ORVMs provide better coverage probably due the convex nature:





• Air conditioner – As reported by many, AC is not a chiller. After having parked the car in full sunlight, the AC takes its sweet time to cool. However this isn’t a deal breaker for me because both I and my wife aren’t comfortable with sudden low temperature inside with high temperature outside. The prolonged time to cool helps the body acclimatizes gradually. As reported by many, the direction of the vents is not ergonomic as it chills the hands on the steering. The ACC controls work well though.



• Music System: I am no audiophile by any standards but I like to hear a lot of music while driving. A good music system was a must have in the car. And I must admit that i20 has a decent OEM HU with 4 + 2 speakers. Both USB stick and iPod plays like a charm. Yet to try out the cd player (will have to buy one music cd). FAT formatted the usb stick and the systems plays automatically on connecting. iPod can be connected via Aux as well as USB. Via USB the ipod can be controlled through the cars buttons. Via Aux, ipod can be used and car buttons don’t work. I didn’t get a remote for the music system. I20 owners can confirm (I thought only the ash tray was discontinued)



• Seating: Front seats are extremely comfortable. I am not built heavily hence the seats do not wrap-around me exactly. I found the perfect driver seating position quite early. Driver seat is height adjustable and has enough travel - not a pseudo adjustment. The front seats forward/backward movement is also good. With my seating position, there is enough leg room at the back. Rear seats are slightly low complared to the height of rear window. However the windows are large and there is no claustrophobic feeling. Rear seats can split 60:40 and offer decent thigh support.



• Storage: The car has good storage places. The space between 2 front seats has storage areas in front and behind the gear stick. It also has 3 cup/bottle holders besides the hand brake. Below the music system is a closed compartment. The glovebox is huge - it can fit in a full sized laptop. The inclination of the glovebox is more horizontal and less vertical - so if a tall person is sitting in front passenger seat he ll have to bend a lot to see what kept in the remotest corner of the glovebox. Btw the glovebox is also cooled (I would not say chilled). Front doors have wide map pockets, however would have liked that these had bottle holders as well.





Switch to on-off cooling inside glove box:



• Pedals: The placement of all 3 pedals is uniform. Dead pedal is a boon especially it helps counter the long clutch.



Drive

• Engine: The engine is super silent at idle. It is also super refined. Have not revved beyond 3k so far as it is on break-in period. Except for the rev needle its difficult to figure out if its running at idle. Power is adequate for city use. It pulls linearly with ease as long as kept in the right gear. Have experienced overtaking at speeds up to 80 kmph and has been easy – never had to downshift to overtake even while driving at 2000 rpms – just a dig more on the accelerator and overtaking gets completed. Yet to experience on highways. I have driven my father’s Ritz to quite some extent and when compared to the Kappa engine of i20, I would rate the K12 a notch higher in performance and power – which is true on specs as well. When I asked the salesperson about the drive precaution to be taken during first 1000 kms, he said nothing is required; this is a modern petrol engine. However when I read the manual it said to take 2 main precautions – Not to continuously drive at same speed for prolonged period and not to idle the engine for more than 3 mins. Surprisingly sales person also mentioned that there is no need for oil change at first service. I20 owners can confirm this.



• Gearshift: Gearshift is butter smooth. All gears engage correctly including reverse. Clutch is light but a slightly longish travel. Takes some time to get used to. I liked the chrome treatment to the gear lever. Creates an upmarket feel. The gear change indicator works well – it advises based on current speed and revs, on when to change up or down. However does not take into account elevation.

• Fuel efficiency: Will comment about this later. Have not yet measured this. Salesperson boasted “Saar 12-13 in city with complete AC toh minimumich aayega”. Yet to confirm. I usually drive with 99% AC on.

• Suspension & ride quality: Suspension setup is on the softer side. At city speeds of upto 40 – 50 kmph and on smooth roads, the car simply glides. There is no tyre noise and almost a feeling of smooth float. If music is off, you can feel dead silence. However driving at higher speeds on undulated roads, the ride is very bouncy. Feels like a boat on high waves.

• Handling – Handling and cornering is not the strength of this car. You have to slow down considerably while cornering or during steering left or right at even medium speeds. Driving straight is its forte. If you encounter a pot hole ahead at hig speed then rather than steering around it, it’s better to go over it – that would be less painful.

• Ground Clearance – GC of 165 mm is sufficient if driven carefully. I have yet not experience full load driving over large speed breakers, but with 2 adults I have not scraped any of the monstrous speed breakers at low speeds. On slowing down the suspension does not travel much and therefore scraping can be avoided.

• Steering – Steering is light and weighs up at speed, but not enough. At low speeds its more video gamish and discreet – that means the steering turns in subtle phases that can be felt. At slightly higher speed like > 30 kmph it becomes more continuous. Yet to get the steering rattle issue in my car. Hope I don’t (finger crossed). I inquired about this issue from the sales person and he said that its no longer an issue. He said the reason for the rattle was that people made steering adjustments while the car was in motion. Steering is leather wrapped but is not contoured. It has controls for audio and bluetooth.



Steering adjust lever:



• Braking – Braking is good but haven’t tried its full potential. Hope I don’t get to try it.

• High speed stability – Yet to discover it.

• Tires – Apollo Accelerares are good tires. Very less noise on flat, even roads. The width is sufficient and the alloys as well look good. Could have given 15 inchers on Asta.



Spare is a same sized steel wheel:



Boot Space

Boot space is huge at 295 litres. But all of that 295 is usable unlike in the DZire Bootcut as I highlighted previously. The boot has a slightly higher loading lip but that is not much of a concern. The shape of the boot is like trapezoid – a regular figure – and hence more practical. There are no intrusions. There is a small boot light.



To give you a sense of space in the boot, you can accommodate 2 international sized bags in standing position with parcel tray removed. Alternatively the boot can absorb 1 international sized bag and 2 cabin bags or 4 cabin bags of the size shown in the pic. Highly practical boot I say – and yet to fold any of the seats.



Accesories

As part of the deal I got the following accessories:

• Matting and Mud flaps - The matting is of carpet type cloth. There are hooks provided to keep the mat in place. The driver mat has double thickness just below the pedals - as this area will wear out fast. Nice thought I say. Mud flaps are black in color and not body color. No matting for boot was provided. Saleperson says it does not come.



• Seat Covers - I opted for fabric seat covers since in art leather the back gets sweaty during summers and the shirt get wet behind. The seat covers are ok types and nothing great in quality. The color matches the beige part of interiors.

• Reverse Parking Sensors - Again these are basic ones. There is a display unit mounted on top of the IRVM which show blue, ornage and red lights depending on the distance from obstacle. The sensors also beep discreetly in orange and continously in red zone. I told the salesperson to paint the sensors in bumper color but he said that the effectiveness reduces.

• Sun Film - Yet to install this. Probably will do it during first service. Dealer has given me Garware and he claims that is the only bulk stock he has.

I did not opt for any further paid accesory so far.

[p'arth]

Few More Features in the Car that are Useful

• Vanity mirror is provided on passenger side:



• Passenger side air bag can be switched on-off:



• Bonnet open lever:



• Boot has a small lamp:



• Bluetooth mike is button shaped and positioned over the drivers head:



• The cabin light in centrally placed:



• Headlight throw control switch:



• The Multi-information display. Display can be switched off if the glare affects night driving:



• Grab handles are auto-foldable type:



• The blue lightening is quite cool at night with most controls back-lit



Conclusion

Well friends, that is all I have for the time being. I would be happy to answer any of your queries. Would try to keep updating the thread with more information as I drive. It might be that my ownership thread is the last amongst owners of the current i20 version .

[suhaas307]

Note From Team-BHP Support Team: Thread moved from Assembly Line to Test Drives & Initial Ownership Reviews section. Thank you for your valuable contribution.

[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by p'arth

1) iPod can be connected via Aux as well as USB. Via USB the ipod can be controlled through the cars buttons. Via Aux, ipod can be used and car buttons don’t work. I didn’t get a remote for the music system. I20 owners can confirm (I thought only the ash tray was discontinued)

2) Surprisingly sales person also mentioned that there is no need for oil change at first service. I20 owners can confirm this.

3) Suspension & ride quality:

4) Yet to get the steering rattle issue in my car. Hope I don’t (finger crossed). I inquired about this issue from the sales person and he said that its no longer an issue.

5) No matting for boot was provided. Saleperson says it does not come.

Congratulations. White looks great. Very good detailed report.

Here are the replies for your questions:

1) i20 doesn't come with a remote for music system.
Only volume control on steering works with AUX option. You can also stream the music from your phone to the head unit through bluetooth using the AUX option.

2) Oil change will be done only at second service. Please ask the SA to enable the auto door-lock feature during your first service.

3) You may hear loud THUD sounds when negotiating speed breakers or potholes at relatively higher speeds. No need to get scared as its common in all i20s.

4) The steering rattling issue cannot be predicted. It has surfaced in the cars of many members in the forum. I have driven my i20 for around 17K km and no issues related to steering rattling until now. Mine is a May 2011 model.

5) There are no mats for boot. Your floor mats looks good. Did showroom guys provide them? I got some el-cheapo mats which are already torn.

Its a good buy. You'll definitely enjoy the Picasso. Wishing you many more happy miles with it.

[p'arth]

guyfrmblr,

Thanks for your clarification on various points.

I was told about streaming music via bluetooth but havent tried it yet. With so many options to source music, I feel the usb is the simplest.

What are the symptoms of steering rattle? Is it loud and noisy? Are there any physical vibrations? Want to know the symptoms so that when it happens I know that this is it.

The mats were provided by the dealer and he claims these are genuine i20 accesory and are expensive compared to plastic or rubber mats.

[athanedar]

Wondeful narration. You have quiet good writing skills.
I own a white i20 Magna May 2009 model. I have completed 30K kms till now and never had steering rattles.
If you face this issue then you will definitely know it is steering rattle because of the physical vibrations.
One more thing which people have complained about i20 and I also agree with them is the AC cooling issue. It takes its own time to cool but I have found a workaround. Use the automatic climate control and set the AC at 18 degrees. You will definitely feel that AC cools fast.

[kalpeshc]

How can MID be switched off if not required?

[p'arth]

Originally Posted by athanedar

Wondeful narration. You have quiet good writing skills.
I own a white i20 Magna May 2009 model. I have completed 30K kms till now and never had steering rattles.
If you face this issue then you will definitely know it is steering rattle because of the physical vibrations.
One more thing which people have complained about i20 and I also agree with them is the AC cooling issue. It takes its own time to cool but I have found a workaround. Use the automatic climate control and set the AC at 18 degrees. You will definitely feel that AC cools fast.

Thx athanedar. Dont have much writing background though. Will keep track of these steering rattle symptoms if it occurs. Good to know your car has not got it, hope it remains like that. Will also test our your recommended cooling method.

Originally Posted by kalpeshc

How can MID be switched off if not required?

There is button on the music system labeled 'DARK' . This switches off the MID without affecting the music.

[DudeWithaFiat]

Originally Posted by p'arth

However when I read the manual it said to take 2 main precautions – Not to continuously drive at same speed for prolonged period and not to idle the engine for more than 3 mins.

Surprisingly sales person also mentioned that there is no need for oil change at first service. I20 owners can confirm this.

P'arth, Congrats on the new car. Nice pictures of the interiors. You sure know how to use the cam while writing a car review

The part where it says not to idle the engine for more than 3 minutes, is it a precaution to be taken only during the initial run-in period or something that has to be followed through the life of the car? I am asking this since one of my best friends has an i20 (era) petrol which has run about 17k kms till now.

[mayankjha1806]

Congratulations, i20 is one of the best looking and at the same time loaded car in this segment. The internal dash quality and the rest of the car feels premium once you sit inside. We never drove i20 but had a chance to sit in one and the ride feels absolutely well planted and stable even over not so good roads.

Don't worry too much about the expensive repairs, do take good care of her and she should serve you for long long time.

[arup.misra]

Congrats P'arth on your new ride. i20 is one of the few premium hatchbacks that looks good both exterior as well as inetriors. Besides the fully loaded features can easily be compared to any C-segment sedans.

Do keep updating your ownership thread. Wishing you loads of trouble free years.

[arrowaby]

Congratulations on your new purchase! Welcome to the i20 club. Its an amazing car and gives a very Good Driving experience. Just as You said the gear shift and pedal response is like hot knife on butter. The design and front seat experience is luxurious! Happy Driving!Try using your Bluetooth to pair it with your phone while Driving. Works amazingly. Also the ipod works like a charm on the company fitted speakers.. Try fitting a glovebox lamp From the showroom. You'll get the details for the same on my thread. Its cheap and very useful during the nighttime.

[S_U_N]

Very detailed review of i20 after a long time.
Congratulations!
And for the following:
>>The brown and grainy dash is highly reflective during full sunlight.

Use polarized sun glasses. You won't see any glare.

[AutoIndian]

Congratulations on the new car P'arth. Wonderful review supported by great pictures, I must say. Don't know if this is the TBHP bug, but even owners like you have started writing such engrossing reviews, which the TBHP mods are now famous for. Keep it up buddy

All the pros about the car that you have mentioned goes to show why the i20 is the best selling premium hatchback in our country today (rattling & other issues like handling not withstanding). It ticks all the right boxes, which 95% of the car buying populace looks for. Keep this thread ticking with your experience in the coming days, with lots of pictures of course.