Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Test-Drives & Initial Ownership Reports (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/)

-   -   White Stallion for my son - Hyundai Elite i20 (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/182650-white-stallion-my-son-hyundai-elite-i20.html)

Background

I entered into 13th year of ownership for my Honda City and it is still serving me without any issues. The Honda cars are extremely reliable, cost effective with great mileage and never disenchanted my decision to buy a Honda car. Since my son entered into 2nd year graduation, I started thinking of purchasing a vehicle for him. Nowadays, the higher CC two wheelers are common and road conditions in Hyderabad are not at all good. I have seen many accidents happened due to road conditions though there is no mistake from the riders. So, I decided not to buy a two wheeler for my son. The car is better and safer option. I thought of giving my Honda City to my son and purchase a new car for myself. But later I decided to buy a safer car for him instead of giving safety features lacking NHC. I thought of presenting the car as surprise gift for him on his birthday. I started looking for a premium hatchback.

Following are my choices.

• Honda Jazz iVtec VX - Very practical car with lot of space with good safety features and fuel economy.
• Volkswagen Polo GT TSI - Powerful car with exceptional built quality, good looks and also has good safety features.
• Abarth Punto - Most prevailing car in the segment with sporty looks and has good safety features.
• Hyundai Elite i20 Asta (O) AVN, SAB - Gorgeous hatchback in the segment (subjective), decent performance, fully loaded with convenience and safety features.

I haven't considered other cars due to after sales service of the company/ external looks.

I seriously considered Honda Jazz as I already own a Honda car and I know the reliability and cost effectiveness. I never stranded on road in my 120k kilometres journey with my Honda City. It served me with an average FE of 13.5 KMPL and highest FE that I got is 25 KMPL.

Following are the Pros and Cons of Honda Jazz.

Pros:

• Reliable 1.2 litre engine
• Good fuel efficiency
• Superb drivability in the city
• Lots of space with many folding options provided by Magic Seats
• Good safety features

Cons:

• Exterior Styling
• No VX variant in Automatic

But my wife didn't like the exterior styling at all (subjective). She felt Jazz is not looking like a car for youth/ customization friendly hence need to drop this car from the list.

Test driven the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI and it has exceptional build quality. It has powerful engine and ride quality is very good. Also it has less features compared to i20/ Jazz.

Following are the Pros and Cons of Volkswagen Polo.

Pros:

• Excellent built quality
• Powerful engine
• Exterior Styling
• Good safety features

Cons:

• Less space in rear seat
• Less convenience features
• Centre console looks outdated
• Not so good after sales support

Abarth Punto is a mean machine with highest BHP in it's segment. It has sporty exteriors. I particularly liked the Abarth decal & stripes on roof and alloy wheels.

Following are the Pros and Cons of Abarth Punto.

Pros:

• 145 BHP - Most powerful hatch
• Excellent built quality
• Exterior Styling
• Perfectly weighted power steering
• Gorgeous alloy wheels

Cons:

• Less space in rear seat
• Less convenience features
• Not so good after sales support

Fiat After sales support and feedback from friends dropped my decision to go for this car.

Test driven Hyundai Elite i20 ASTA (O) with AVN and SAB. It looks gorgeous and interiors are neatly laid out. It has many convenience and safety features.

Following are the Pros and Cons of Hyundai Elite i20.

Pros:

• Gorgeous exterior and neatly laid out interiors
• Interiors quality is segment above
• Has tons of convenience features
• Excellent safety features with ABS, 6 airbags etc.

Cons:

• Goes out of breath on inclines and load of passengers while using AC
• Few missing features like EBD, Cruise Control, ECM, DTE and Average Fuel Consumption display
• No leather seat covers provided. Can't install seat covers on front seats due to side airbags.

The performance of 1.2 litre petrol engine is not great but acceptable. The exterior styling is really good. Interiors are neatly laid out and loads of driver convenience features. Only missing features in the top end are ECM (not sure why Hyundai removed this in top end though available in lower model i20s), Average FE display, DTE, Cruise Control and Leather seats. My wife liked the exterior look and interiors very much and asked me to book the car. I also checked with my colleague Kishor Shinde (Junkishya) who owned 2 Hyundai cars and other colleagues owning i20 about reliability and service of Hyundai cars. I received very positive feedback. The safety & convenience features, exterior & interior styling and feedback from my colleagues helped in my decision to purchase Hyundai.

Though I made my decision, I did not reveal this to my wife. I booked the car (Ex. Showroom Cost: 7,89,067, Registration: 1,13,844, Dealer Discount: 20,000, On Road Price: 8,82,911) and told sales manager that I need car delivery on my son's birthday. I told my wife that I liked Jazz very much and I finalized that car. My wife was unhappy and asked me to book i20 instead. I told her that I need some time to think about the other options. Days passed and the D day arrived.

I told my wife that we are going for a test drive of i20 in the afternoon. Upon reaching Saboo Hyundai showroom at Mettuguda, I told that we are taking delivery of i20. She was thrilled and very happy. The showroom staff are very helpful and warmly received us. I completed all documentation and distributed sweets to the showroom staff.

We took delivery of the vehicle.



We went to famous Tadbund Hanuman temple in Secunderabad for completing pooja.



Reached home in the evening and handed over the keys to my son. He is extremely happy.

Exteriors

Pulchritudinous diamond cut 16 inch alloy wheels factory fitted with 195/55 R16 Bridgestone B250 tyres. The tyres are really good in absorbing the small potholes and has great grip in normal and wet conditions. The brakes has good bite and has progressive response. Till now didn't get a chance to test the ABS.


Drum brakes on rear wheels. Earlier i20 model has disc brakes on all four wheels.


Gorgeous head lamps with single barrel halogen projector head lamps and cornering lights. The projector headlights has good throw and width of light. Cornering lights has theatre lights dimming effect and they are particularly useful while taking turn into sub roads. The headlights also has DRLs at the bottom. The head lamps also has escort function which can be enabled or disabled through MID settings.


Fog lamps are neatly integrated into the bumper. They lit the front surrounding area well and provide good visibility on near distance objects.


Fascinating rear brake lights adds classy look to the rear. They look like LED lights but they are normal lights with LED style design. It has 3 pods setup on each light. Only outer pod will lit when the brake pedal is pressed. The remaining 2 pods will lit when head lights are turned on.


Only one reverse light provided on the right side of the rear bumper. Hyundai should have provided reverse light on both sides to lit the area well and should have provided a rear fog light on either side of the rear bumper instead of a reflectors.


ORVMS with integrated turn indicators. ORVMS will fold automatically when the vehicle is locked. They will also unfold automatically when the key is detected nearby.


Rear glass provide enough visibility. It has wiper with spray nozzle neatly integrated into the high mount brake light on spoiler.




Only driver side door handle has request sensor. No request sensor provided on passenger side door.


Level mismatch in internal and external shoulder line of the front doors. The internal line raised to bring it to the dashboard level and outer line sloping down as per outer shoulder line. Similar to current model Honda City.



Fuel lid. No sticker indicating the type of fuel inside the lid for petrol models. It also has cap holder for placing the cap while filling the fuel.


Wind screen washer nozzles neatly tucked under hood.


Short radio & GPS antenna.


Rear view camera protrudes outside on rear hatch door. This is the only feature which is not neatly done in the back of the car by Hyundai.


Engine bay looks spacious. The petrol engine is small and occupies less space. Diesel engine is packed tightly in engine bay compared to petrol engine.




No padding under hood. But the petrol engine is super silent and difficult to notice if the engine is turned on while idiling.


Head light bulb covers.


Components Made in Korea.



Flat bumpers at front and rear. Any impact on front or back will damage headlights/ rear brake lights / hatch door.




The boot lip is wide and high. Loading heavy luggage is a little challenge.

Interiors

12v power, USB and Aux ports. Initially Hyundai released Elite i20 with 2 12v ports but later removed one. There is no 12v power port provided for back passengers.


Gear lever great to hold and has short throw. Gear shifting is butter smooth and slots into required gear without any issue. It has leather covering and has neat chrome ring on top and chrome rectangle ring at bottom.


Wiper operating stalk has controls for rear and front wipers. Rear wiper has low and high speeds. Front wipers has intermittent low and high speeds. Intermittent speed can also be adjusted with slider switch which has 5 speed settings.


Indicators and Head Lamps stalk. Head lights can be operated by twisting the edge of stalk. If the Auto is selected, headlights and fog lamps will be switched on or off based on outside lighting condition. It has off, Auto, parking lights and headlights on position. The slider switch can be used to switch on or off fog lamps. High beam can be switched on or off by pulling the stalk towards driver. The lane changing indicator or turn indicators can be operated by pushing stalk up or down. Slight push will switch on turn indicator and pushing further up or down will switch on turn signal.


Cooled Glove Box. The rotary control will allow/close cool air into the glove box.


Boot lamp lit the boot area when the boot hatch is open. Carry bag hooks are available on both sides of boot and useful when the carry bag has items which can be spilled over. Boot lip is high. Loading heavy luggage will be a challenge. When the vehicle is locked, the hatch can be opened by pressing the soft button and the key FOB is with you.


Full size spare tyre with steel rim. Hyundai could have provided 5th alloy wheel. This will allow 5 tyre rotation without changing rims. Read in other posts that the tyre rotation and wheel balancing need to be done only in service stations as the steering position sensor need to be reset after wheel alignment is done. Tool kit is neatly tucked inside the wheel.


Luggage net hooks in boot area are particularly useful to hold items in place by using boot luggage net.


Both driver and passenger has map reading lamps and they can be switched on/off individually by pressing them. The cabin lights switch has OFF/ DOOR OPEN and ON positions. When the switch is in DOOR OPEN position, both front map reading lights and back seats cabin light will lit when any door is open. The sun glass holder has smooth opening action. Also you can see the mic is neatly integrated into this console.


Instrument cluster with MID.


AVN System with 7 inch touch screen. AC vents are neatly integrated into overall design. There is no control provided for fully closing the vent. Air direction slider need to be moved to either end to close the vent. Door lock button and hazard lights button are placed between the centre air vents. This model has speed sensitive locking system. All doors will be automatically locked once the vehicle reaches 20 KMs speed. The doors will be unlocked when the engine is turned off. Both these features can be turned on/off through MID controls.


Auto Climate Control AC. Card holder was provided below AC controls. When the ACC is turned on, though the circulation mode is set to recirculate, any foul smell outside will enter into the cabin. I think the ACC mode will take fresh air from outside though the circulation mode is in recirculate. The defogger buttons for front and rear also provided in this cluster.


Leather wrapped steering wheel with Telephone, AVN and MID controls. It has thumb contours and great to hold and operate. Horn pad is little hard to press. Steering wheel has tilt and telescopic function.


Driver side door with windows and ORVMS controls. The bottle holder can hold max 1 litre bottle.


Rear doors has child lock switch.


Steering connecting rod protruding into clutch space. Long shoes will touch the connecting rod when the clutch is pressed to the bottom.


Centre arm rest. Two bottle holders provided in front of the arm rest. Long bottles will obstruct gear operation.


Hand brake channel protruding into the storage space under arm rest. Mat was provided at base.


Headlight level adjuster and interior backlight brightness controls.


Auto headlamps sensor placed at centre of the dashboard.


Internal fuse box placed beside bonnet opening lever. Cover can be opened very easily. OBD port is placed below the fuses.


Internal rear view mirror. Visibility is okay. Thick C pillar creates big blind spot. ECM is sorely missing in this high end model. Visibility during reversing is not an issue as it is assisted by camera and parking sensors.


ORVMS Visibility is good. The mirrors can be adjusted/ folded by controls provided internally on driver side door.


60:40 split seats folding. Very useful when long items or more luggage need to be accommodated.


Rear seat belt buckle holder.


Rear doors with tweeter and speaker. There are total 8 speakers (2 on each door).


Front seat travel and maximum and minimum leg space available. Rear AC vents neatly integrated into the rear of arm rest and provide air throw for both sides. Control provided for closing the AC vent at rear. No AC vents provided under front seats. No 12v power socket provided at back.


Front seat belts has 2 step adjustment.


No grab handle provided for driver. Grab handles provided at back has coat hook. None of them are spring loaded/folded type.

MID Settings

Following are the menu options available under settings in MID.




Speed sensitive auto lock enable/ disable option.


Doors auto unlock setting.






Lane change indicator flashing setting disable/ 3 times / 5 times.




Steering wheel position warning enable.


The warning shown when engine is started while the wheel is turned.























AVN System with 7 inch Touch Screen





The AVN system has beautiful interface and very easy to operate. All onscreen options are optimized for touch operation. Touch sensitivity of the screen is not great. Sometimes you need to press onscreen buttons more than once to register click. Good quality plastic is used for physical buttons provided around 7 inch screen and they look premium. Turn knobs are with piano black gloss finish and has smooth operation.

The Up and Down buttons on top left of the AVN system are used for searching for radio frequencies, changing tracks or file or chapter. When they are pressed and held, they automatically searches broadcast frequencies, rewind or fast forward the current track (except aux input).

The PHONE button is used for operating the phone through AVN system. Before using any phone functions, the phone need to be paired with AVN through SETUP button. Once it is paired through setup, the phone will be automatically connected if the Bluetooth in phone is enabled and the car is in ignition mode. Phone calls can be made either from steering wheel controls or from the touch screen. Also the music can be played from phone. The contacts can be synced from phone into AVN contact list. It supports upto 50000 contacts. The system also supports switching the calls between car audio and phone, making conference calls and creating favourite list.


The AM/FM button is used for listening to AM/FM radio. The AM/FM modes can be selected through AM, FM touch button and frequencies can be changes with Up and Down buttons, left Rotary knob on AVN or from steering controls. The Radio support setting up preset stations.




The MEDIA button displays the following menu options. USB support only FAT file system and doesn't support NTFS.

1. USB Music - Can be used for playing music from the USB device. It supports various file formats like MP3/WMA or any standard format files between 8 Kbps to 320 Kbps bit rates.
2. USB Video - This option can be used for playing video from USB device. The system will allow to play video only when the vehicle is parked.
3. USB Photo - The photos available in USB device can be viewed or played as slide show from this option. The slide show interval can also be changed through settings. Photos also can be viewed only when the car is parked.
4. Bluetooth Audio - When the phone is paired with AVN system, the music can be played through this option.
5. iPod Music - Music can be played from iPod after connecting it to the USB port. This option is enabled only when the iPod is connected and it has some music files.
6. AUX - Music can be played by connecting the music player through AUX cable into AUX in.

The ROUTE button can be used for current route info and alternative routes. It shows the complete route with starting and ending points.


The MAP button can be used for changing the display into MAP mode. It displays the map with current location. Updates the current map with vehicle movement. The map can be viewed in 3 modes (Map Fix, Rotate Map & 3D Bird View).


The NAV button can be used for setting up a route, searching for an address/POI/GPS coordinates, saving addresses, storing POIs.


The SETUP button can be used for changing the sound balance, variable equalizer, volume settings, touch screen option selection beep, brightness, dimming mode, Bluetooth settings, Bluetooth connection, ring tone for incoming call, language, keyboard and clock.




The DISP button is used for switching on or off the display.

Modifications:

After booking the car, I started working on customizations. I explored on the web about various exterior designs and particularly liked a design by IDE Autoworks (Gurgaon based company). I contacted Ankit Prashar, who is co-founder of this company. We discussed over email about various changes I require for the design that I liked. He is very helpful and incorporated all requested changes. He did an extravagant job and highly recommend them for customized vinyl wrap jobs. I requested Ankit to ship the vinyl wraps to my address as I can't take my car to Gurgaon.

I visited 3M showroom in Rajbhavan Road, Hyderabad and took quote for wrapping the roof and ORVMS with gloss black vinyl. The owner and staff are very friendly. Owner explained about various 3M products and also gave demo on sound proofing mats installed in his car doors. These are recently introduced to the market by 3M. They did a fantastic wrap job. They charged Rs.9,254 for the roof wrap. After this, got the racing stripes (received from IDE Autoworks) applied on the car by an outside person. He charged Rs.1,000 for the job.

Thanks a ton for Kishor (Junkishya) for lending his SLR and guiding me in SLR operation for taking below photos, Ankit from IDE for incorporating all the changes that I requested in the racing stripes design. Also my thanks to the 3M Somajiguda, Hyderabad for the neat wrap work done on the car.

Below are the photographs taken after this customization.























Got 3M Underbody treatment & Silencer treatment done at 3M Rajbhavan Road, Hyderabad. They charged Rs.5142 for this work.

Before Silencer Coating


3M Silencer Coating Used


After Silencer Coating


Underbody Coating


Wheel well coating


Purchased 58x car Ceramic Coating set C through Ali Express. Price USD 87.72 (Approx Rs.6,140). The set has the following items.

• 9H Ceramic Crystal Coating: 50ml
• Nano Cleaner Polish: 50ml
• Plus Shine Coating: 30ml
• Windshield Coating RAIN: 15ml
• Ceramic Wheel Coating W8: 10ml
• Microfiber Towels: 3pcs
• Applicator Pads: 5 pcs
• Suede Cloths: 5 pcs

Applied one layer of ceramic coat (DIY). I followed the below process.

• Wash the car thoroughly.
• Clean the surface by wrapping wet suede cloths on applicator and dripping it with 4-5 drops of Nano Cleaner for cleaning half of each panel.
• Apply the Ceramic Coating by wrapping wet suede cloths on applicator and dripping it with 4-5 drops.
• Wait for 5 minutes and wipe the surface with clean micro fiber cloth.
• Apply Plus Shine coating on top of this after 2 hours.

Beading effect after applying one layer of ceramic coat.

http://youtu.be/YePhwjIXRg0

Purchased Maxpider Kagu 3D mats at Fast Tracks Car Decors, Ministers Road, Hyderabad. Price Rs.6,500.


Purchased Leather Neck Pillows with Memory Foam from Ali Express. Price USD 33.99 (Approx Rs.2,350).


Purchased Leather Cover for Key Fob from Ali Express. Price USD 7.89 (Approx Rs.530)




Purchased Aluminum Air Neck Valve Caps from Ali Express. Price USD 4.99 (Approx Rs.340).

Initial Ownership Experience:

Interior & Exterior Build Quality

The car build quality is great. I didn't observe any uneven panel gaps on exteriors. The doors shut with good thud though they are not in league of European cars. The door seal rubber quality is good. The chrome around front bumper air dam looks great. All doors including hatch door locks into place properly. The bonnet also closes very firmly.

The plastic quality used in interiors is great. The dashboard has soft touch feeling and all switches used on doors, steering wheel, control stalks and dashboard have premium look and operates with solid click. All interior panels are fitted tightly and doesn't have any uneven gaps. The interiors quality is segment above. There are no rattles heard inside the cabin. The cabin is well insulated from outside sounds.

The front seats are very comfortable with good lumbar and thigh support. The driver seat can be adjusted for height and reach. The steering also can be adjusted for reach and rack. With these options, the comfortable driving position can be easily achieved. The rear bench is wide and offers good support. It will easily accommodate 3 passengers. The 285 litres boot is good to hold 4 cabin size bags and 2-3 small bags. The back seats can be folded for accommodating more luggage. I am 5'11" and with driver seat adjusted to my comfortable position, I could easily accommodate myself at rear without rubbing my knees with the front seat. The head room at rear is not sufficient for the people above 6 feet. All necessary controls are placed in convenient positions and can be easily reachable for driver.

Steering

Leather wrapped steering wheel is great to hold and it has balanced weight. It is light at lower speeds but weighs well with the increase in speed.

Stability

The car is stable and held its line during high speed cornering. It has very balanced and well tuned suspension. Minimal body roll observed during cornering. The 16 inch tyres holds the road firmly and brakes has good bite. The car stops in straight line during hard braking.

Engine

The engine is very refined and super silent. You will not hear the engine sound when all doors are closed. I check the instrument cluster some times to check if the engine is off or running. The engine has good torque in lower gears and easy to drive in bumper to bumper traffic. But it goes out of breath when it is loaded with passengers, AC turned on and moving on an inclined road. The highway overtaking also need to be planned as you will not get sudden surge of power when you press the pedal at higher RPMs.

Brakes

The brakes are progressive and has good bite. Didn't get a situation to test the ABS. Wider 16 inch tyres also help in braking.

Clutch

The clutch is light. The knee will not strain in excessive operation in bumper to bumper traffic. It has smooth movement. However when you deeply press the clutch pedal to the floor, the shoe will touch the steering connecting rod.

Gear Box

Butter smooth gearbox. Gear nob is good to hold and has short throw. The gear shift liver moves easily and slots into correct gear. Reverse gear also slots into place without any issue. The reverse camera and sensors will be activated once the gear is slotted into reverse. The projected path based on steering input will be displayed in the AVN system. The sensors related display will be displayed in the MID.

Music System

The music system provided in this car is excellent. It has total 8 speakers (1 tweeter and 1 speaker on each door) and their clarity is very good. Music can be played from USB device, AUX port and through phone by connecting through Bluetooth. The system plays all standard types of music files with bit rates ranging from 8 KBPS to 360 KBPS. I played Bahubali movie songs in VLC format and it played in crystal clear clarity. However this top end model doesn't have 1GB built-in memory that is provided in lower end Asta/ Sprotz models.

Fuel Efficiency

I have done 3 tank fills till date. I got 11.5 KMPL in city and 16.5 KMPL on highway. The average is calculated in brim to brim fill method. These figures are with 100% AC on. The petrol tank holds more than 60 litres when it is filled till brim. When we took the delivery of the car, the dealer gave Rs.500 complimentary petrol coupon which I reimbursed in the petrol bunk beside the showroom. I got around 7 litres. I went to my regular petrol bunk which is around 7 kilometres away and filled petrol till brim. It took 55.5 litres to fill the tank till brim.

City Driving Experience:

Driving Elite i20 in city is very easy. The car has well balanced EPS and it is light in lower speeds which allows to steer easily in the traffic. The clutch pedal is also light and will not pain your knee while doing excessive clutch operation in bumper to bumper traffic. The suspension is well tuned (not too soft or hard) and all little potholes are absorbed well. NVH levels in cabin are low. The cabin is well insulated from outside noises. We can't notice if the engine is running when it is idiling. The engine has good torque and will pull easily in lower gears. However, with AC on and driving on inclined road with good load in the car, frequent shifting to lower gears is required. The engine goes out of breath with these conditions and moving in 1st gear will become hard on inclined road. The fuel efficiency in city conditions is good. I got 11.5 KMPL in city with brim to brim filling method.

Highway Driving Experience:

Went to my native place for Sankranthi festival. This is the first time I took the car on highway. Driven for 1000 KMs without pushing it hard. Maintained the speed between 80-90 KMs per hour as the vehicle didn't cross 1000 KMs. The car was very stable on highway and held it's line during high speed corning. I didn't hear much engine noise as we never crossed 3000 RPM. The cabin is well insulated and other noises at higher speeds also didn't seep into cabin. Over taking need to be planned as you will not get sudden surge of power at higher RPMs from engine when you press the gas pedal. Projector headlamps and fog lamps are really good and they lit the surrounding area well. I got 16.5 KMPL on highway with full time AC in ACC setting.

1st Service:

1st service was done at Saboo Hyundai, Nacharam. The car clocked only 632 KMs. But since 2 months completed since purchase, I booked appointment for the first service. They didn't charge anything for service. I opted for 5 years extended warranty for which they charged Rs.16,514. As part of first service, they top up engine oil and other consumables and torqued all bolts and nuts.

Hey,

Congratulations on the your car. The Elite i20 is one of the best packages available in India. It looks very good and boasts of exemplary quality. The comfort, features and safety equipment available make it very hard to overlook the car while purchasing a B2 segment hatchback. I only wish there were more potent petrol engines on offer.

Coming back to your car, I love the black roof and though I'm not a fan of racing stripes, I must say, your car looks very good.

Wish you many miles of happy motoring.

Congrats on the new buy.

Many people tend to go overboard with the modifications in their car. You are definitely not one of those people. I like the black roof, the racing stripes and the other mods which you have done. She really looks unique.

Wish you happy miles ahead.

Thanks Aditya for your wishes.

Thanks AYP for your wishes.


I was member of Team-BHP since 2006 and frequently go through Weird and Wacky jobs thread for fun. I don't want my car to appear in that thread :).

This model comes with side airbags fitted in the front seats. in the event of side impact, the airbags will be deployed from the seats. The manual states not to put any seat covers which may obstruct the airbag deployment.

I am planning for custom seat covers and use velcro at the side of airbag deployment instead of stitches. Any other thoughts from forum members? I searched in the web but didn't find any local seat covers which are side airbag friendly.

I remember reading about airbag friendly seat covers in the Ecosport official thread. A quick search on that thread might yield some results.

If you absolutely want seat covers, you'd need to go to a high end place like Stanley who have experience with seat airbags. A velcro flap, if misaligned can end up being completely unopenable, even by an exploding airbag.

I suggest you enjoy it without seat covers and simply get an interior detailing done every three months or when you feel it is dirty. It will save you money, look better and fully utilize the safety features.

You are right. What I am planning to do is, get custom seat covers with airbags side open and have have 2-3 straps on that side with one inch Velcro to hold the seat covers in place. I am hoping that one inch Velcro will not have that much strength to obstruct airbags deployment.

I'm interested in seeing what you end up with but do note that this sort of open and loose seat cover will be aesthetically poor and may move around a lot leading to discomfort. And you'd still need some care to orient the velcro correctly so that the airbag successfully "splits" the two flaps.

I'm all for a little DIY but I've a feeling that the full Stanley treatment or doing nothing at all are the best options in your case.

Keep us posted on what you decide.

I will visit Stanley shop in Hyderabad this weekend and get their quote. I will also visit other custom seat covers stitching shops to see if they have done any similar work on other cars. I will keep you posted on this.