[.sourov]

Excellent review GTO!


Hyundai at this price point should not have missed even small things like spare alloy wheel, height adjustable seat belts and thin tyres. A person who buys a hatch in this price bracket will not be eager to upgrade the tyres, but the features list is so long he might miss these easily.


The 1.2 variant though underpowered brings the numbers for Hyundai in this country and I feel its very hard for them to let it go.

[itwasntme]

Excellent review GTO.

One suggestion is to also gain access to a bare-bones base variant of each car under review and highlight what is missing in them as compared to the snazzy top variant!

Am not asking for pictures of the base model but a detailed list of what the base variant LACKS such as:
Interior detailing (chrome on dashboard, interior handles etc.)
Dual tone seat fabric replaced by vinyl/single tone seat finish
Doorpad inserts,
Detailed MID
Seat height adjustment
One-touch down and anti-pinch on windows
Single folding or 60:40 split rear seats
LHS ORVM
Remote boot opener etc.

I agree some of these are cosmetic such as the drab dash of the base Polo but others are not. Great examples are remote boot opening, seat height adjustment and LHS ORVMs. The first is essential now for security checks both at work and leisure trips while the second is essential for short drivers, and the third is a 'given' now for most urban drivers (E.g. Figo LXI doesn't come with a LHS ORVM as standard)

[fuel_addict]

Excellent comprehensive review GTO. The feature list of the i20 is a never ending one. It can go on and on. Makes the other cars look quite bare naked in comparison.

The diesel i20 is by far the choice of car here but at the asking price for the Asta variant, I'm not sure it'll have too many buyers. All wheel discs, 6 airbags, mirror folding and auto headlamps/wipers are fantastic features to have in a hatch - at a premium of course. The lack of MID, distance to empty and spare alloy wheel are shocking. No bottle holders on the door pads is another shocker.

Overall, the new i20 is feature packed. Only time will tell if the steering rattle issues have been fixed. The handling and dynamics of the i20 have always stuck out like a sore thumb. Looking at the design, I do not expect that to have changed.

[sgiitk]

I also heard that the i20AT averages only 8kpl at best in town!

[riturajsharma19]

Excellent review deserving 5 stars. Such a chic looking hatch - wish it was dynamically more sound! Also hope the infamous steering rattle issue has been fixed once and for all. I recon some compromises could have been made with the equipment levels to afford larger 15" wheels that it deserves.

[dkaile]

Great Objective review as always GTO.

But somehow I feel that this new i20 has lost some of it's bling compared to the previous version. It is more subdued in styling and more European in taste. That may be a good thing overall but maybe not to some Hyundai loyalists who buy it for their snazzy styling. Overall the feature list impresses a lot but somehow I feel that Hyundai should shift from the blue lighting concept to incorporate maybe a full colour display in it's MID's. It has always been known to introduce many first in class, and this may be a good thing to do so to enhance its appeal even further.

[Nvgtr6776]

Was wondering why you left out Skoda Fabia from the list of competitors/comparisons. Is it that the rest can never hope to match upto Skoda quality levels or is it that its futile comparing a low volume car? Would appreciate a reply. Also I found it strange to see that Micra featured in the list of competitors. I believe it falls a bit short on size and equipment to be included in the list of super hatches.

[akash_m]

GTO, can you give a verdict between new i20 1.2 and polo 1.2 engines? Since you have extensively test driven both the cars, which is an overall performer (city+highway)?

Especially so because you mentioned that the polo's 3 cylinder engine surprised you by its city drivablility..

[S_U_N]

@GTO: Very detailed review and nicely complements Sid's review.

Originally Posted by GTO

[b]

A surprising omission in an otherwise loaded car. No height-adjustable seat belts for the i20:

This is an extremely important safety feature for short people. I am surprised too, to find this missing in a 'fully-loaded' car.

Imagine an emergency braking scenario with the seat-belt going through the neck region on a short person in the front seat.


Coupled with the other two points you mentioned: low seating and high-mounted dashboard, it probably means this is not the right car for such short people.

[Vizay]

Excellent review GTO.
For those who were searching i20 review in TBhp for years. At last it's here.

And your review makes me feel better about what I own. (though it was older version and misses few added features of newer version)

Originally Posted by ravib

Last year, before buying I was really searching for a review from GTO for pre-face lift i20 model.
Now that wish was fulfilled for the new i-gen i20

Thanks for great review GTO. I could visibly notice you have mentioned many positive points compared to negative points for the car.

-Ravi

+1 Ravi. Was searching all over before buying one in Nov11.
Also, +1 on the fact that there are more positives on this review. To the detail like parcel tray bush to avoid rattle. Too good.

Official review rocks

[PSOPS]

Indeed One of the best reviews and most detailed one that I have gone through. This is the best clarity one can get before buying a car.


Hyundai s getting really serious about India and they have done everything possible on this car which a preium hatch could have. But I doubt how many takers would be there for the really costly Top End.

It would be a tough decisions for a guy to buy the car and they would take a long time to decide on the variant to choose. He would be stuck as to how much can he stretch to take all the options in the car. If he is ready to go for the true top end @ 7.44 Lakhs would not a Skoda Rapid also make sense?.But given a chioce I feel there would be many takers who like to have a feature and feature loaded car.

Overall a Superb Car. Loved it

[Kimified]

Brilliant review indeed. I own a 6 speed Diesel Asta Nov 2010 model and have been extremely satisfied thus far. Its run 25k kms and I have not faced a single major issue yet. Yeah, I have had some minor niggles here and there. Nothing more. If i was in the market now for a diesel hatchback, I probably would end up buying this again The quality is what strikes you. I had a Swift before and the i20 is miles ahead in terms of quality.

The only thing I crib about time and again is the THUD sound i get from the front suspension when you go over bumps. Its really scary the first time you hear it, it sounds as if the entire suspension assembly gave up on you. I have got used to it now. I miss the bottle holder too. Can't quite understand why they could not have included it in the refresh model.

The service costs have remained almost a constant thus far. Around 5k for the second and the third service. Its due for a 4th service this week.

I have a RD tuning box and its such an awesome mile muncher on highways. Can cruise at 140kmph without any stress on the engine in 6th gear. In P2 mode, it puts a grin on your face with the acceleration too. The refinement levels are simply brilliant. The steering and the turbo lag are something you have to get used to.

Overall, Great engine / Good boot and interior space / loaded with useful features. The diesel variant is the most practical all rounder in the market. When i brought it, they used to give the alloy on the spare wheel too.

PS : Noticed that the Head unit has changed. The previous one was a standard 2 din size one. So, it was easy to upgrade to a 2-din aftermarket unit. I have the Pioneer 4390 on mine. Now, they seem to have changed the layout and its a bit tougher to get the fitting right.

[deetjohn]

Excellent review as always GTO. Awesome detail.

Love that fully loaded IVRM, head lights and the glove box. The latter is spacious, robust and designed very well. The one in the Swift pales in comparison. Good heavens Hyundai didn't consider the very tacky LED DRL for us.

Hyundai has been the features king in India. They put a lot of stuff in the car and market them well too. But Hyundai keeps fiddling with variants. I recall the Magna CRDi had 4 disc brakes + ABS when it first came out.

Originally Posted by GTO

Yes, a urethane bush & modified steering rack have been added to take care of the steering rattle issue.

Thanks for the information. I hope the this one stays rattle free. A close friend has the old i20 and the rattles were annoying. Credit to Hyundai that they replaced the part 3 times under warranty. The car which was running on 195/55/R15 went back to the stock size upon Hyundai' insistence though. And my friend is now very cautious over broken roads and speed breakers. The car is running fine.

Maybe that's why Hyundai didn't bother with a 15" for the facelift. Perhaps the extra bit of rubber helps.

Wish they could have done something about the high speed dynamics + steering feel this time around. Not asking for a corner carver but a little more predictability would have made the Diesel a lot more desirable.

Also, I feel Hyundai could have given the interiors a facelift too, the entire dashboard and the door pads. The dash is quite boring to look at now.

[supertinu]

Thanks for the great review GTO and amazing pictures as always.

I must say looking at the addl features between i20 D Asta and my Figo TDCi titanium, the price diff almost seems justifiable to me .

One of the key issues I had with i20 was the backseat comfort. Long drives for backseat passengers was always a back breaking experience. From the pics its not very obvious, has the rear seat incline changed or the same? If not then thats an area where i20 should have done some improvement albeit sacrificing bit of boot space.

[teknicsand]

Test drove the i20 diesel this morning. First thing you'll notice is the super super light steering. You could operate it with just one finger. The sales guy said it becomes heavier as the speed increases, but I doubt it.

The most impressive part of the car to me was the engine. Having owned and driven the Viva Crdi for more than 7 years, the refinement of this diesel engine is in a different league. Turbo lag is noticeable but I didn't find it too much of an issue as I'm used to driving a diesel. Power delivery is definitely more linear compared to the older Crdi engines. That doesn't mean there is any lack of power though. It responded to the pedal instantly. Rolled the windows down to listen to the engine noise, and it does not sound like a diesel at all. Mighty impressive.

Unfortunate that they haven't made ABS + airbags standard for a premium hatch like this. Only the Asta & Sports versions get them. And boy, do you have to pay a price for it. Asta costs a whopping 9.13L OTR in Bangalore, while the Sportz is 8.59L OTR. Question is, IS it worth the price?