[Singh09]

Hello Everyone,
This is my first ownership review on this awesome platform so please bear with me and let me know of any mistakes that i'll make so that I can learn for next time.

How all this began:
I came back from US in Feb 2013 and ever since then I was happy driving my XUV with a niggle free ownership and was very satisfied with the FE of 12 kmpl in City and 14-16 on highways but my daily running started increasing from march onwards but I really didn’t paid that much of attention to it and work kept me busy. My XUV went for its 70K service in August and that was the time when I realized that my XUV has done over 70K kms and it’s not even 3 years since we bought it. And I calculated my monthly running which came upto 2000-2200 kms a month. And I have planned to keep the XUV for atleast 5 years. So if I keep driving the XUV then it will be almost 1.5L kms plus with this rate at the end of 5 years and will give me low resale with that amount of kms on the ODO and more fuel cost for me per month.
Secondly I had bought a used Octavia last year in March for my local running with the intention to switch cars for my daily usage and I always wanted to buy one as I was a big fan of this beast. I got a good deal and bought a 2005 1.9Tdi Rider model. But my parents and brother loved it so much that I used to hardly get my hands on it. Then wedding bells rang for me this year in February hence Octavia was used extensively. But I had to sale it off due to the NGT ban stuff and again got a very good and mouth watering offer and I gave away the Octavia after using it for almost 1.4 years and we did almost 18-20 K kms in that period.
Now we were left with 2 cars in the garage (Eon and XUV) and again short of 1 car which will be used for highway trips and should be diesel. On the other hand since my usage had increased we definitely needed a diesel workhorse.

Which Car to buy:
Now the most difficult and confusing question was which car? We were left with Eon and XUV, I was using the XUV and EON was my dad’s ride for city purpose back home but we need another car for highway purpose as they regularly come to Gurgaon. So should we buy a Sedan, SUV or a hatch. On the other hand keeping my monthly running in mind, why not go for an option which solves both the problems. Hence we decided to go for a Hatch and send XUV back home to my parents and we fixed a budget of 9 Lacs OTR for our new car.

Contenders:
Now the options that we shortlisted were as following:
- Swift ZDi
- Polo Highline
- Elite i20 Sportz
- Honda Jazz
- Punto
- Dzire
- Figo Aspire

TD Report:
Swift: It’s a real fun to drive hatch with really nice pickup, it feels as if you just have to touch the accelerator and it will just run like a horse. Front seats are wide and the leg room is decent for a hatch while the rear seats and leg room are ok-ok for my liking but definitely better than polo. Interiors look nice but somehow it gives a feeling of decent cost cutting.
Polo: It was the best car of all when comes to drivability. I really loved that grunt and the suspension. The way it goes through pot holes and the stability is very good. Somehow I felt that the space management is really poor in this car. Front row leg room is okay but the second row leg room is too cramped and the boot is too huge but for the cost of rear leg room. They could have managed it in a way where they could have reduced the boot little bit and increase the rear leg room.
Honda Jazz: The engine was refined but it’s on a louder side and engine noise is easily audible in the cabin and does not match with the i20. Also I felt that the Jazz suspension is stiffer but the cabin felt roomy and really liked the ODO with blue light. But the pricing is on the higher side too hence we dropped the Jazz.
Punto: I have driven my cousin’s Punto which he bought 2 months back and the car does feel solid and very stable but the interiors didn’t appeal me and the Fiat ASS plus the lower resale value kept me away from this car.
Dzire/Aspire: Well to keep it short both the ladies in the home were against these sub 4 meter sedan thing and straight away said NO. So Happy Wife happy life.
Elite i20: Where do I start with, the looks are stunning and the interior is just awesome and very well laid out. Also the great part is the 6 speed gear box plus the overall space is very well organized which results in decent space in the first and second row with good amount of boot space as well. Drive-ability of this car is really good with superb handling. The steering feels more alive as compared to previous gen i20. Everyone liked the i20 from each aspect after taking couple of TD’s. So after struggling with choices and lot of confusion we finally made the choice and decided to go with i20 Sportz.

Booking and Delivery:
We booked the car on 7th September at Dee Emm Hyundai, Gurgaon with Rs 10000/- Actually my cousin took delivery of his Creta AT that day. So I had accompanied him and booked the car and they promised to deliver the car on 14th September. And I was happy because I was getting the delivery within a week. So I had one week for getting all the formalities done and my loan processed. And everything went smooth and Bank gave me the DD on 14th morning and I reached Dee Emm Hyundai around 3:30 PM with my family and took the delivery around 4:30 PM. The delivery ceremony was done in a nice manner with some music and pack of cookies. The ODO stood at 11 kms at the time of delivery. We headed to a fuel bunk and got the tank full and then straight away to temple to get the blessings from almighty god.

Price/Freebies/Discounts:
Ex-Showroom: Rs. 754258/-
Registration: Rs 61741/-
HSRP Charges: Rs 365/-
Zero Dep Insurance: Rs 23230/-
Handling Charges: Rs 6990/-
OTR: Rs 846584/-

And the quotation that they gave me before I actually booked my vehicle was as follows:
Pre Booking Quotation:
Ex-Showroom: Rs. 754258/-
Registration: Rs 63241/-
HSRP Charges: Rs 365/-
Zero Dep Insurance: Rs 28844/-
Handling Charges: Rs 6990/-
Essential Kit: Rs 1500/- (Perfume, Divinity, mud flaps and mats).
OTR: Rs 855198/-

Discounts:
Got the Essential kit for free (Perfume, Divinity and mud flaps). Didn’t opt for the mats as I had planned to get them from aftermarket. Got the zero dep insurance for the price of regular one. Than another RS 1500/- off after some more negotiations. And then I got them to make that OTR amount to a round figure to Rs 846000/-. So overall I was able to get Rs 9198/- as discount from them.
Freebies: 4 liter diesel coupon.

[Singh09]

Now let's talk about the car and let me update the ODO reading which stands at 8277 kms.

Engine and Ride:
The engine is quite powerful for the size of the car and is extremely refined, so much that when the car is idle you can’t even make out sometimes whether the engine is On or Off. But yes during winters when you crank the engine for the first time it is bit louder than usual but once the temperature gauge is up the noise goes down. There is little bit of lag in 1st and 2nd gear but once you get used to it you won’t have any problem, or maybe it is just me since I drive the XUV. City driving is really fun and easy for which I would thank the awesome power and torque. While driving on highways you never feel that the car is running out of power. Also the gear shifts are very smooth and you don’t need to change gears frequently in traffic.

Braking:
So far I am happy with it and the brakes have done their part very well. But since I was driving the XUV before this for about 2.5 years and the cheetah has disc brakes all over so I miss that spot on braking and that confidence I used to get from my beast. But again I am not saying that the braking is bad or not upto the mark, it does the job very well. Infact there have been 1-2 close calls when the braking plus the ABS just left me impressed.

Suspension and Ride Quality:
The ride is pretty smooth as the suspension is not that bouncy and the car goes over pot holes without making a lot of sound and without transferring the jerks and too much of undulations to the passengers. Also the car feels well planted at high speeds. I have driven it over all sort of roads and Razzo took it very well but yes don’t expect the ride quality matching the German’s.

Overall design and Styling:
I will be very honest in saying that I was sold at the looks of i20 compared to all other contenders. The design is appealing from all the angles and very stylish as well. Best part of the overall design is the front grill, taillights and the long hood. The ORVMs are of decent size and comes with integrated turn indicators.

Safety: Well the sportz model comes with driver airbag and ABS which works well. I had a close call once and the ABS worked really well and helped me maneuver the car without skidding the tires.

Steering /Clutch/Gearbox:
The steering is on the lighter side which makes the car easily maneuverable in the city and becomes heavy on high speeds but still remains on the lighter side but nothing that would give you a scary feeling. Clutch is also on the lighter side hence makes city driving easy and less tiring for your left foot under bumper to bumper traffic conditions. The six speed manual gearbox is fun to drive and the gears are butter smooth and you don’t need to shift in 1st gear while going over a speed breaker, you can just take off in 2nd gear easily.
Air Conditioner: The AC is a chiller and cools the overall cabin in no time with the help of rear AC vents which are very useful if you driving with all seats occupied.

Interior / Features:
Once you step in the car it definitely gives you a special feeling, the center console is so nicely laid out. The auto diming IRVM is a great plus while driving in night. Automatic climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, streaming and the steering control makes the driving experience fun. Internally adjustable and foldable ORVM’s are a great plus and comes handy driving in dense traffic, also the audio system comes with 1 GB memory (800 MB something for use), speaker settings etc. I mean the list goes on and everything is within reach and most of the things you can access from the steering controls which you use on regular basis. It does not give you a small car feeling or shall I say a hatch kind of a feeling once you get in the cabin. Also the quality of plastic used does not look cheap either.

Space and Comfort:
The seats are comfortable and after I got the seat covers (Autoform) installed it made the seats little bit more comfortable. Now talking about space, well this was one of the decision making factor. You have enough leg room in both the rows with ample of boot space for a weekend getaway. Also the seats are wide enough and the cabin feels roomy. But one thing I would like to add is that it requires quite a few settings and different angles before you get your comfortable driving position.
Head Lights: Well this is one thing which I really not upto my mark. I do a lot of highway driving and some are at night time as well so the light throw and the visibility is not good. So I am looking to upgrade my headlight bulbs and fog lamp bulbs as well. But yes I really like the location of fog lamps better than in XUV.

Audio Quality:
You have all the options to play your favorite music aux, usb and Bluetooth. The sound quality is not bad either; even the stock speakers do the job. But I am planning to get a woofer though just to match the music quality upto my taste.

Storage: The front doors can hold 1 liter bottle easily and the storage space under the armrest is a big plus for keeping keys, cash, mobile whatever that fits while driving or when you park the vehicle. Also there is space for you to keep your small items or maybe your valet, mobile etc.

Ground Clearance:
Now this is something which I really like because I have driven the car for 7800 kms and it has never scraped the ground, not even once. I have driven on all sorts of roads and loaded, unloaded both but it has never scraped. It goes over those big speed breakers easily and just reduce the speed and big potholes are taken care off.

Likes:
- Looks are amazing.
- Interiors and more quality interiors
- Comfort and space
- Chilling AC
- Handling and matured ride quality.
- Height adjustable seats
- Decent space for 4 adults with 1 kid or maybe 3 adults too.
- Rear AC vents

Dislikes:
- No auto locking doors
- No DTE and range
- No boot light
- You cannot scroll your contacts or recent calls from the steering controls.
- You can’t pair your mobile if the vehicle is moving.

[Singh09]

Now i'll let the pictures do rest of the talking, to start with

This was taken when we reached home after the Pooja done at Temple.







Tail lights are very well designed and gives a sporty look, Love these.

Rear Defogger, Spoiler adds to the look and that long antenna on the contrary looks weird.

Rear view camera is very well placed





Stock tires

New tires (Yokohama Earth 1) 195/60/15 and alloys.







ORVM's comes with turn indicators and really love the sleek design.







Head lamp has single bulb for high and low beam with parking bulb.

New Tires and they have nice grip on the road.

This was taken when I had reached Karol Bagh and the car was in stock condition.

Once everything was done the look completely changed, thanks to the alloys. I have been stopped and asked 3 times so far by random people asking where did I get these alloys from.

Notice the chrome lining on the window trims, that's after market as well.

Got the B pillars wrapped in glossy black as I don't like the stock plastic to start getting dull on daily bases.

Same treatment given to C pillars

Saw this chrome sil on the boot in of the display cars in the dealership and looked nice. Luckily the guy had the same stuff for half the price.

Front bumper protection. All four corners have this stuff.

Door handle chrome from after market

[Singh09]

Some random pics, stock horns.

These took place of the stock horns







Seat cover design that I chose from Autoform. The color is different though, one that matches the interior.

Simple and sober instrument cluster with white back light.


Waterfall design is very well laid out and everything is in your reach while driving.


All the audio controls.

HVAC controls.

Sporty gear knob with leather cover

Steering is on the lighter side as all Hyundai cars have. But feel and touch is really nice.

Steering controls for trip meter, change mode for your audio and to change your track or radio channels.

Steering controls for your phone, mute and volume controls.

Wiper controls

Light and fog lamps control

Headlamps adjuster

Pedals have a decent angle which don't cause pain in long runs.

Fuse box and hood open hatch

Cooled glove box. it would have been better if they provided the box under armrest as a cooler like XUV



Fuel cover lid

[Singh09]

Drive side door with controls for windows, ORVMS (Really a plus and my personal favorite)

Passenger side door with window controls. How well the dash and door merge while door is closed. Neatly done interiors is what I would say.

Rear AC vents another plus during summers.

Decent trunk space with ability to hold your stuff for a weekend trip very easily.



Passenger sun visor has a vanity mirror but cheap quality though.lol


seat covers from Autoform.



Bought these mats as well. These mats are in 2 parts and the dust settles on the lower part and does not flow away with the air. You can pull apart both the parts, dust of the dirt and put it together. I wanted to buy the 3D Mats but these mats appealed me more.


You can see how the 2 parts are attached.


Decent space under the arm rest.

Space for your mobile, keys, wallet etc.

Both the aux and usb port are placed at right place.

Child lock

Front doors can take 1 liter bottle easily.

Rear view from ORVMS and IRVM.

[Singh09]

Modifications and accessories I got from after market:
1. Tires (Yokohama Earth 1) – 195/60/R15 = Rs 24000/- (Total value for tires and alloys was 37500 and my old tires and rims went for 13500).
2. Brake pads and caliper paint = Rs 500/-
3. Autoform seat covers = Rs 8500/-
4. Floor mats = Rs 2800/-
5. Chrome handle covers = Rs 750/-
6. Chrome for windows = Rs 2200/-
7. Chrome sil on the boot door = Rs 750/-
8. Symphony horns (Bosch) = Rs 600/-
9. Got the B and C pillars Glossy wrapped. = Rs 750/-
Total Spent on Accessories: Rs 40850/-

And as of today the ODO stands at 8277 kms. I am using Fuel Monitor App on my iPhone for keeping track on my FE and I use tank full to tank full method. According to the app here is the Fuel Summary:
1. Total Fuel: 504.832 L
2. Total Cost: Rs 23,040.47
3. Total mileage: 8277.00 Km
4. Avg km/L: 18.30
5. Best FE: 19.4 KM/PL
6. Worst FE: 17.2 KM/PL

Maintenance:
My first service came quick which was around 1000 kms and I guess it was within 10 days of my purchase. And as we know that first service is only a general check up and top up. Car was neat and clean and was delivered at the given time, so not much to update on that. I guess i'll have my second service due sometime next month.

Next Upgrade:
Next I am looking to upgrade are the headlamps and fog lights. Bit confused with what bulbs should I go with or shall I get HID kit. Will let you guys know once I get it done.

Negatives:
Let's talk about some negative points to complete this review.
- Though Hyundai has got most of it's cars right in almost every segment and their cars come loaded with several features, I fail to understand why would they decide not to give you some important features like DTE, Fuel Consumption and Range. I mean they don't even give this feature in Creta,no idea about Santa-Fe.
- Another irritating thing is that you can't pair your phone through Bluetooth if your car is moving. You have to literally stop your car and then pair it.
- You cannot scroll your contacts or recent calls from the steering controls. You have to reach out to the center console knobs for that. Though that is in reach but it would have been great if they added that functionality to the steering controls as well.
- There is no boot light so if you want to keep or take out your luggage at night with no lights around you, better have a cell phone with light. lol
- The glove compartment is cooled but hellooo do I keep my documents or water bottles and soft drink cans there?
- Head lamps are not that great and I definitely need to upgrade them but then that's my point of view. Many people here think that they are adequate but couple of my other friends have the same car and they all complain about the low visibility especially on highways.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Chitta Pradhan]

Very well written review. You have covered all the areas beautifully. Elite really looks fabulous & the diesel engine is a jewel. I had a small TD of the car. The turbo lag is much less than older i20 & thus the car is now so much more driveable in the city. Refinement levels are excellent. I am sure the car will keep you happy for years. Wish you great & enjoyable times ahead with this beauty.
Have you driven a Baleno diesel by now? If yes pl draw a camparision.

[Singh09]

Originally Posted by Chitta Pradhan

Very well written review. You have covered all the areas beautifully. Elite really looks fabulous & the diesel engine is a jewel. I had a small TD of the car. The turbo lag is much less than older i20 & thus the car is now so much more driveable in the city. Refinement levels are excellent. I am sure the car will keep you happy for years. Wish you great & enjoyable times ahead with this beauty.
Have you driven a Baleno diesel by now? If yes pl draw a camparision.

Thanks buddy for your kind words and that's my first review here. And I would take a minute here to thanks GTO who helped me in covering all the aspects of the review and kept pushing me to look for points I missed, thanks buddy.
Now coming back to the topic yes the diesel engine is really fun to drive and very rightly said the lag is lower then the older version. And so far I have not driven the Baleno, will do so as and when time allows and pen down my experience with a nice comparison between both these cars.

[Aditya]

Nice review of the Elite i20, singh09.

The Elite i20 is probably the best car in its segment. It is good looking - both on the outside and inside, has fine quality, loads of features and competent engines. Among the petrol and diesel, the diesel is definitely the one to go for.

You car looks great! I love the alloy wheels that you have put on it. I'm not of fan of the red brake calipers though.

Wish you many miles of happy motoring!

[kisharchit]

Congrats SinghJi for the i20. Saw it on the other forum as well (the buying process) and I am glad you chose this car. It is a great cruiser and does the job perfectly well. Wishing you lots of happy miles!

[vinjosep]

Congratulations on the new car!

A very well written report. Like others, I too find the alloy wheels compliment the car & the colour very well.

Wish you many miles!

Originally Posted by Singh09

Dislikes:
- No auto locking doors
- No DTE and range
- No boot light
- You cannot scroll your contacts or recent calls from the steering controls.
- You can’t pair your mobile if the vehicle is moving.

What I can't understand is the logic behind missing on essentials like boot light. How costly can it be? Do you have a provision/ slot wherein you can fit the boot light yourself?

You can't pair the phone, but you can connect a paired phone while moving. Considering safety aspects, this is a good compromise IMO.

[Singh09]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Nice review of the Elite i20, singh09.
The Elite i20 is probably the best car in its segment. It is good looking - both on the outside and inside, has fine quality, loads of features and competent engines. Among the petrol and diesel, the diesel is definitely the one to go for. You car looks great! I love the alloy wheels that you have put on it. I'm not of fan of the red brake calipers though.
Wish you many miles of happy motoring!

Thanks for your wishes and compliments on the alloys buddy. And I too didn't like the petrol avatar for elite i20. Infact Jazz is more fun to drive when it comes to petrol.

Originally Posted by kisharchit

Congrats SinghJi for the i20. Saw it on the other forum as well (the buying process) and I am glad you chose this car. It is a great cruiser and does the job perfectly well. Wishing you lots of happy miles!

Thanks for your wishes bro.

Originally Posted by vinjosep

Congratulations on the new car!
A very well written report. Like others, I too find the alloy wheels compliment the car & the colour very well.
Wish you many miles!
QUOTE=Singh09;3863375]
Dislikes:
- No auto locking doors
- No DTE and range
- No boot light
- You cannot scroll your contacts or recent calls from the steering controls.
- You can’t pair your mobile if the vehicle is moving.

What I can't understand is the logic behind missing on essentials like boot light. How costly can it be? Do you have a provision/ slot wherein you can fit the boot light yourself?
You can't pair the phone, but you can connect a paired phone while moving. Considering safety aspects, this is a good compromise IMO.[/quote]

Thanks for your wishes buddy. And you are very right on the part that how come Hyundai fail to provide some essential features in today's competitive market. I don't think there is a provision to fit a boot light, not sure though will check and let you know.
Yes you can use your phone through steering controls if its already connected but let's say your phone switches off while you are driving and you put it on charge and when the phone comes back to life and you are driving it won't get connected automatically until and unless you stop the car. But if the same thing happens when I am driving my XUV the phone will automatically connect once it gets On.

[vinjosep]

Originally Posted by Singh09

Yes you can use your phone through steering controls if its already connected but let's say your phone switches off while you are driving and you put it on charge and when the phone comes back to life and you are driving it won't get connected automatically until and unless you stop the car. But if the same thing happens when I am driving my XUV the phone will automatically connect once it gets On.

This depends on the make of the phone, based on my experience.

My iPhone connects automatically (if it was the last connected bluetooth device + bluetooth is switched on on the phone). However my Blackberry doesn't. Haven't tried an Android yet. Which make is the phone you tested?

[Singh09]

Originally Posted by vinjosep

This depends on the make of the phone, based on my experience.

My iPhone connects automatically (if it was the last connected bluetooth device + bluetooth is switched on on the phone). However my Blackberry doesn't. Haven't tried an Android yet. Which make is the phone you tested?

I am using an iPhone as well and yes it connects automatically when I get in the car in morning. And it connects cause it was already connected and car was idle when you got in but what I am trying to say is suppose you are driving and your phone dies and you plug it to the charging point in and when the phone will start, it won't connect again until and unless you stop the car. Once you stop the car it will connect automatically.