Hyundai i20 Test Drive and Video Review

appuchan · 23rd January 2009, 10:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by AadiAtPlay

Dumb question:

Why are we talking about Fiat Linea? Should not the i20 be compared to the Palio or Vista the up and coming Grande Punto ?

if you talk Linea then we should compare with Verna?

My budget was 10 lacs and intend was to buy a car which gives me the best bang for the buck given my scenario. So naturally I tried all cars below that range. I found i20 to be a good replacement for both Santro and Verna.

Note that i20 has a long wheelbase, more than Verna, and is wider than ANHC. The track width is also big at 1505 mm (more than Linea) which makes it a very stable car on the road even at high speeds.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swift8847

@appuchan: Congrats for the new car buddy.

Test drove the i20 a couple of days ago. Its indeed a good family car.
Amazing features. I test drove the asta version. As already mentioned there is a warning tone if the front passengers do not wear the seat belts. The car is extremely comfortable to drive in and around the city.

One thing which disappointed me was the pick up in the second gear. There were four of us in the car and I floored the pedal and I felt the response was not what I expected.

...

Pickup is nothing great but felt much better than Linea which refused to move with just 3 people on board. Once Linea reaches about 2200 rpm, its better, but then, you have to reach... I am a petrol head, do not like revving the car every time I want to get it moving and I drive 80% in the city.

sam_boy · 23rd January 2009, 10:53

Test Drove i20 Asta yesterday @ the Advaith Outer Ring Road showroom, Bangalore. Well its smooth like a piece of butter, the features are nice. The music can be controlled from the driver seat, the electronically adjustible mirrors and many more. Very comfortable for drivers who are more than 6ft tall. Having said that I too agree that pickup in the second gear was poor and according to my better half the back seat was not confortable as it is too low. So IMHO the backseat will not be comfortable for aged people and people with knee pain ( now a good percentage of aged people are having it) are not going to appreciate it much. Boot space is enoromous. You can easily take tons of luggage. Features are very innovative and hard to find in any other car of this segment. After I completed the TD my 21 days old i10 felt a bit stiff to me :( ... Hope it will also become makhhan ( butter) after the 1st servicing.

ashish22 · 23rd January 2009, 11:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by appuchan

I have finally booked my i20 after lot of deliberations. I was planning to get an automatic but I was very disappointed by ANHC. Linea was another option, but again it was a diesel and too expensive for its engine (same range as Verna CRDI). I was not sure even the petrol will be a VFM considering the engine and size of the car.

So it was i20 finally after more test drives and a long drive (50kms). Delivery is scheduled on 13th Feb. This will replace my 8 year old Santro.

Btw, I have not seen any TD reports or booking news in TBHP about i20. Did anybody book it or all are after Linea?

congratulation appuchan you've made a good choice.
Just curious to know why were you really disappointed by auto ANHC. Is it because of the price or sluggishness?

AadiAtPlay · 23rd January 2009, 11:17

Well ok now i understand, will go and see the i20 then, I tried buying the i10 but when the Palio MJD came along i felt i10 was a complete rip off for the indian customer, mind you export variants are still VFM, in terms of safety.

I had compeletely written off the whole i series as over priced.

The Grande Punto interiors should be the same as the Linea, power may be better more in the leauge of the Palio MJD or better.

appuchan · 23rd January 2009, 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashish22

congratulation appuchan you've made a good choice.
Just curious to know why were you really disappointed by auto ANHC. Is it because of the price or sluggishness?

Build quality, interior finish, poor NVH control, lack of standard equipments such as alloys, ACC, CD player and finally complaints about the car from my neighbor who owns it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pradkumar

Congrats first!

How is the boot size? I have two kids and tons of luggage when I do some long trips. Post some pics of the boot.

Thanks,

Pradeep

For a hatch, the boot size is decent at about 295 ltrs. Moreover the back seats are 60:40 split-folding. But if you have "tons of luggage", then this may not be the right car.

I dont have the car yet, it will be delivered only by mid feb.

uneet · 23rd January 2009, 12:45

Hello Appuchan,
Congrats on your new buy.
I want to ask you one question. Dis you also look at Skoda Fabia as an another option in the same segment?
If yes, than what was the difference between the two.

Awaiting comments.
Uneet

VSG12777 · 23rd January 2009, 16:10

Hi Appuchan

Congrats on booking the 1st i20 on Team BHP !! Fantastic choice. I read through your description of the test drive and the controls, interiors etc and enjoyed it. Especially the comparison with the ANHC and the Linea.

Look forward to your ownership review and lots of photos.

Are you planning any upgrades to the car like wheels / tyres / leather interior / stereo system upgrade etc ?

I saw and explored the i20 Asta here in Chennai at an Auto Show which was held between 16 Jan and 19 Jan and it was superb. The only thing I wasn't too happy about was that there was no fabric on the doors or doorpads. It was plain.

Our 10 year old Cielo GLX has height adjustable seat belts and luxurious velour for the seats and doors, but the i20 costing above 6L on road without fabric on the doors was a bit shocking. Also, the height adjustable seat belts have been left out on the Indian i20. It's there on the UK version. Can't believe Hyundai has left out this low cost but nice feature after including superb features like 6 airbags, passenger air bag switch off, seat belt warning lights for all seats, electrically foldable side mirrors and so on.

Which variant have you booked ? Asta or Asta (O) ? The Asta O was quoted at 6.53L on road in Chennai, while the Asta was quoted at 6.28L on road. Price difference appears to be only for the extra 4 airbags in the Asta O. No other difference in features.

But this is not a small car ! It's verrry wide. 1710mm width - this is wider than the older Mitsubishi Lancer, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Getz, Opel Astra, Cielo etc. No wonder it's so spacious inside.

Well congrats on booking your car once again. Hopefully I should be able book one around the end of 2009 if things go well. My wife and I were bent on getting the Getz 1.3 GLX as we just fell in love with this car after driving the Getz 1.5 ltr 3 door automatic hatch in Melbourne for a week before we came back to Chennai for good in Sep 2006. What a car that was. We drove it at 110 kmph on the freeways there and never felt the speed. Superb really.

One question: Suppose we get Stanley Boutique to do up the complete interiors of the i20 in nice Nappa Leather (I was told at the Stanley stall at the recent Chennai Auto Show this would cost around 40-45k for any car, including steering wheel, door pads, hand brake lever, gear knob and seats), would they put leather on the doorpads too ? I am asking since originally there is no fabric on the i20 doors.

Look forward to seeing your car and your replies soon !!

Warm regards,
Venkat

appuchan · 23rd January 2009, 16:41

I have booked Asta without option pack. Not sure about accessories yet. Stanley may be a good idea, but I don't really want to inflate the price much beyond 7 lacs, since I have to buy a sedan sometime in 2009-10.

Comparing with UK/Europe version, many features are missing in Indian i20. This includes, Sun roof option, CRDI and 1.4 Petrol engine, ESP, 15"/16" wheels, active head restraints, rear disc brakes, black/grey interiors, chrome front grill cladding, leather steering wheel, gear knobs, fabic finish on door handle, polished metal finish to central console... etc... but then, thats how these companies treat us Indians even when both these cars are made in the same plant.

Regarding size, as I mentioned, its no small car. Wider than ANHC, longer wheelbase than Verna and wider track than bigger cars like Linea and comparable to Civic.

Dose · 23rd January 2009, 18:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by VSG12777

Also, the height adjustable seat belts have been left out on the Indian i20.
Hopefully I should be able book one around the end of 2009 if things go well.

Astute observation, VSD12777. I, too, noticed the lack of height adjustable seat belts. They should have included it since the driver seat is also height adjustable.

The EuroNCAP crash test results should be out before the end of 2009. I hope they are decent.

psn · 24th January 2009, 01:12

Hi, this is my first post on this forum, I have been reading your posts and wanted to share my experience of the new i20. I am crazy about cars and have been saving for one since last 3 years.I think finally 2009 should be the year that I buy it. My search started with the new Honda City, then Fiat Linea and lastly,i20. Have tested is for more than 10 kms now on all types of road conditions and here is what i think about i20.

It looks stunning with those uber cool allow wheels, with those beautiful lines on the side which merge into the rear bumper..those gorgeous rear lights. Like Shirsh said on overdrive show you’ll love it when it comes towards you and you’ll love it when it leaves you. The interiors are better the previous Hyundais with very tight lines. Everybody knows that the car is feature rich so will not harp on it. On the downside though, I am doubtful of the quality of sound from the music system as the higher frequencies were rather inaudible, but maybe that’s because I had the radio on and not a CD. The steering wheel feels very nice in your hand though I would have preferred palm rests on it as the rim is a ‘little’ too thin for it to be called meaty. On the magna version, you get the same steering wheel as that on i10.

On the engine front, after having read most articles since its unveiling in Paris Motor Show I had great expectations, and was highly disappointed to see that they only launched 1.2l. I would have preferred 1.4 also as an option as I truly believe that in India there is a neiche segment of people, and I am one of them, who are waiting to buy an affordable perfect car and agree to pay that ‘little’ extra for it. However, if you read test drive reports on autocar.co.uk, they do say that 1.2 is their recommended engine on this car and the 1.4 only makes a slight difference. So coming back to my actual drive, with no expectations I took the drive and to me surprise its not bad at all. There is an apparent lack of power below 1500rpm and once you cross that mark there is a very good linear power delivery across the band till 4000 mark. However, at this mark I could hear the engine complaining, and I am guessing its because the engine had only done 400 kms and the run-in had not been done(the dealer is coming tomorrow i.e 24th Jan again as the car has been serviced, to give me another drive..hehe). At higher speeds I felt the steering does not weigh up and has very little feedback, and it had some understeer also, which made keeping it in between lines on turns difficult.

On the comfort front, the front seats are comfortable but do not expect them to be like those in the New Honda City. I am 6 ft tall and with my adjustments I could not fit on the back seat. The rear seat is also very upright which may make long journeys for the rear passengers slightly uncomfortable. The reclining seat of the Getz is a phenomenal option and I was expecting it to be in this car too. This basic and practical point has been omitted by the engineers of Hyundai.

To sum it up, the car according to me is not perfect. The engine is slightly underpowered.. Its slightly cramped in the rear.. it doesn’t have the fit and finish of the Fabia but is far superior to swift, it is not as slow as Fabia but not as thrilling to drive as Swift. It treads the in between line beautifully and the best part is that there is a high VFM factor. I am contemplating buying it. My only problem is, what if after buying it they launch a 1.4l 100 bhp i20 at just a slightly higher price. I will have a huge post purchase dissonance. Wouldn’t want it to happen when I have been saving for a car since last 3 years. L

akshay4587 · 24th January 2009, 01:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by sam_boy

6.6 Lacs on road for a 1.2L engine, thats price is too high for me ... I will defnitely prefer a Ford Fiesta Or a Swift Dzire any day ...

They are giving you chasis,body and a lot of creature comforts too

Elito11 · 24th January 2009, 10:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by psn

My only problem is, what if after buying it they launch a 1.4l 100 bhp i20 at just a slightly higher price. I will have a huge post purchase dissonance. Wouldn’t want it to happen when I have been saving for a car since last 3 years. L

If you can..wait till june 09. Both the 1.4 petrol and diesel are going to be out by then, not to mention the Grande Punto Diesel.

cheers

appuchan · 24th January 2009, 10:35

I doubt if they will come with the 1.4 option considering that most TDs don't report big difference in performance and the cost will be higher at least by another 50k. CRDI will be out sometime soon but may be with a lower trim level to maintain the price at about 25-50k range above the current Asta model.

Even CRDI is not going to be a scorcher like the current Getz CRDI. Currently they are exporting two power options for CRDI 1.4 lt engine.

1. 74bhp @ 4000rpm with 220 Nmft 1750-2350rpm
2. 89bhp @ 4000rpm with 220 Nmft 1750-2350rpm

Btw, I happened to see one comic report of Hyundai i20 launch. Looks like a literal translation from some other language. Completely weird.

PS. I noted that all articles on this site are of similar language... some crazy guys

Gangsta · 24th January 2009, 11:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by appuchan

I doubt if they will come with the 1.4 option considering that most TDs don't report big difference in performance and the cost will be higher at least by another 50k. CRDI will be out sometime soon but may be with a lower trim level to maintain the price at about 25-50k range above the current Asta model.

Even CRDI is not going to be a scorcher like the current Getz CRDI. Currently they are exporting two power options for CRDI 1.4 lt engine.

1. 74bhp @ 4000rpm with 220 Nmft 1750-2350rpm
2. 89bhp @ 4000rpm with 220 Nmft 1750-2350rpm

Btw, I happened to see one comic report of Hyundai i20 launch. Looks like a literal translation from some other language. Completely weird.

PS. I noted that all articles on this site are of similar language... some crazy guys

wrong info man.
look at the torque figures. same engine displacement of the same company with different BHP figures giving same Torque at same max RPM.

It's i20 UK website who have this information. Many sites had just copied the same info from the site and they don't even think of this silliest mistake done by the hyundai and other sites.

kpzen · 24th January 2009, 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by appuchan

I doubt if they will come with the 1.4 option considering that most TDs don't report big difference in performance

Till now in terms of performance, all diesel models by Hyundai have successfully run circles around its petrol variant.

Quote:

Originally Posted by appuchan

1. 74bhp @ 4000rpm with 220 Nmft 1750-2350rpm
2. 89bhp @ 4000rpm with 220 Nmft 1750-2350rpm

Those figures are doubtful. Unit of torque is also wrong.

23rd January 2009, 10:53	#32
sam_boy BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: OD10 -> KA-01 Posts: 226 Thanked: 157 Times View My Garage	Test Drove i20 Asta yesterday @ the Advaith Outer Ring Road showroom, Bangalore. Well its smooth like a piece of butter, the features are nice. The music can be controlled from the driver seat, the electronically adjustible mirrors and many more. Very comfortable for drivers who are more than 6ft tall. Having said that I too agree that pickup in the second gear was poor and according to my better half the back seat was not confortable as it is too low. So IMHO the backseat will not be comfortable for aged people and people with knee pain ( now a good percentage of aged people are having it) are not going to appreciate it much. Boot space is enoromous. You can easily take tons of luggage. Features are very innovative and hard to find in any other car of this segment. After I completed the TD my 21 days old i10 felt a bit stiff to me :( ... Hope it will also become makhhan ( butter) after the 1st servicing.
	() Thanks

23rd January 2009, 11:17	#34
AadiAtPlay BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 89 Thanked: 0 Times	Well ok now i understand, will go and see the i20 then, I tried buying the i10 but when the Palio MJD came along i felt i10 was a complete rip off for the indian customer, mind you export variants are still VFM, in terms of safety. I had compeletely written off the whole i series as over priced. The Grande Punto interiors should be the same as the Linea, power may be better more in the leauge of the Palio MJD or better.
	() Thanks

23rd January 2009, 12:45	#36
uneet BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Delhi Posts: 101 Thanked: 29 Times	Hello Appuchan, Congrats on your new buy. I want to ask you one question. Dis you also look at Skoda Fabia as an another option in the same segment? If yes, than what was the difference between the two. Awaiting comments. Uneet
	() Thanks

23rd January 2009, 16:10	#37
VSG12777 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: CHENNAI Posts: 208 Thanked: 41 Times	Congrats on the 1st i20 at Team BHP !! Hi Appuchan Congrats on booking the 1st i20 on Team BHP !! Fantastic choice. I read through your description of the test drive and the controls, interiors etc and enjoyed it. Especially the comparison with the ANHC and the Linea. Look forward to your ownership review and lots of photos. Are you planning any upgrades to the car like wheels / tyres / leather interior / stereo system upgrade etc ? I saw and explored the i20 Asta here in Chennai at an Auto Show which was held between 16 Jan and 19 Jan and it was superb. The only thing I wasn't too happy about was that there was no fabric on the doors or doorpads. It was plain. Our 10 year old Cielo GLX has height adjustable seat belts and luxurious velour for the seats and doors, but the i20 costing above 6L on road without fabric on the doors was a bit shocking. Also, the height adjustable seat belts have been left out on the Indian i20. It's there on the UK version. Can't believe Hyundai has left out this low cost but nice feature after including superb features like 6 airbags, passenger air bag switch off, seat belt warning lights for all seats, electrically foldable side mirrors and so on. Which variant have you booked ? Asta or Asta (O) ? The Asta O was quoted at 6.53L on road in Chennai, while the Asta was quoted at 6.28L on road. Price difference appears to be only for the extra 4 airbags in the Asta O. No other difference in features. But this is not a small car ! It's verrry wide. 1710mm width - this is wider than the older Mitsubishi Lancer, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Getz, Opel Astra, Cielo etc. No wonder it's so spacious inside. Well congrats on booking your car once again. Hopefully I should be able book one around the end of 2009 if things go well. My wife and I were bent on getting the Getz 1.3 GLX as we just fell in love with this car after driving the Getz 1.5 ltr 3 door automatic hatch in Melbourne for a week before we came back to Chennai for good in Sep 2006. What a car that was. We drove it at 110 kmph on the freeways there and never felt the speed. Superb really. One question: Suppose we get Stanley Boutique to do up the complete interiors of the i20 in nice Nappa Leather (I was told at the Stanley stall at the recent Chennai Auto Show this would cost around 40-45k for any car, including steering wheel, door pads, hand brake lever, gear knob and seats), would they put leather on the doorpads too ? I am asking since originally there is no fabric on the i20 doors. Look forward to seeing your car and your replies soon !! Warm regards, Venkat
	() Thanks

23rd January 2009, 16:41	#38
appuchan BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bangy Posts: 644 Thanked: 27 Times	I have booked Asta without option pack. Not sure about accessories yet. Stanley may be a good idea, but I don't really want to inflate the price much beyond 7 lacs, since I have to buy a sedan sometime in 2009-10. Comparing with UK/Europe version, many features are missing in Indian i20. This includes, Sun roof option, CRDI and 1.4 Petrol engine, ESP, 15"/16" wheels, active head restraints, rear disc brakes, black/grey interiors, chrome front grill cladding, leather steering wheel, gear knobs, fabic finish on door handle, polished metal finish to central console... etc... but then, thats how these companies treat us Indians even when both these cars are made in the same plant. Regarding size, as I mentioned, its no small car. Wider than ANHC, longer wheelbase than Verna and wider track than bigger cars like Linea and comparable to Civic. Last edited by appuchan : 23rd January 2009 at 16:44.
	() Thanks

24th January 2009, 01:12	#40
psn BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 91 Thanked: 176 Times	Hi, this is my first post on this forum, I have been reading your posts and wanted to share my experience of the new i20. I am crazy about cars and have been saving for one since last 3 years.I think finally 2009 should be the year that I buy it. My search started with the new Honda City, then Fiat Linea and lastly,i20. Have tested is for more than 10 kms now on all types of road conditions and here is what i think about i20. It looks stunning with those uber cool allow wheels, with those beautiful lines on the side which merge into the rear bumper..those gorgeous rear lights. Like Shirsh said on overdrive show you’ll love it when it comes towards you and you’ll love it when it leaves you. The interiors are better the previous Hyundais with very tight lines. Everybody knows that the car is feature rich so will not harp on it. On the downside though, I am doubtful of the quality of sound from the music system as the higher frequencies were rather inaudible, but maybe that’s because I had the radio on and not a CD. The steering wheel feels very nice in your hand though I would have preferred palm rests on it as the rim is a ‘little’ too thin for it to be called meaty. On the magna version, you get the same steering wheel as that on i10. On the engine front, after having read most articles since its unveiling in Paris Motor Show I had great expectations, and was highly disappointed to see that they only launched 1.2l. I would have preferred 1.4 also as an option as I truly believe that in India there is a neiche segment of people, and I am one of them, who are waiting to buy an affordable perfect car and agree to pay that ‘little’ extra for it. However, if you read test drive reports on autocar.co.uk, they do say that 1.2 is their recommended engine on this car and the 1.4 only makes a slight difference. So coming back to my actual drive, with no expectations I took the drive and to me surprise its not bad at all. There is an apparent lack of power below 1500rpm and once you cross that mark there is a very good linear power delivery across the band till 4000 mark. However, at this mark I could hear the engine complaining, and I am guessing its because the engine had only done 400 kms and the run-in had not been done(the dealer is coming tomorrow i.e 24th Jan again as the car has been serviced, to give me another drive..hehe). At higher speeds I felt the steering does not weigh up and has very little feedback, and it had some understeer also, which made keeping it in between lines on turns difficult. On the comfort front, the front seats are comfortable but do not expect them to be like those in the New Honda City. I am 6 ft tall and with my adjustments I could not fit on the back seat. The rear seat is also very upright which may make long journeys for the rear passengers slightly uncomfortable. The reclining seat of the Getz is a phenomenal option and I was expecting it to be in this car too. This basic and practical point has been omitted by the engineers of Hyundai. To sum it up, the car according to me is not perfect. The engine is slightly underpowered.. Its slightly cramped in the rear.. it doesn’t have the fit and finish of the Fabia but is far superior to swift, it is not as slow as Fabia but not as thrilling to drive as Swift. It treads the in between line beautifully and the best part is that there is a high VFM factor. I am contemplating buying it. My only problem is, what if after buying it they launch a 1.4l 100 bhp i20 at just a slightly higher price. I will have a huge post purchase dissonance. Wouldn’t want it to happen when I have been saving for a car since last 3 years. L Last edited by aah78 : 24th January 2009 at 01:26. Reason: Text format tags removed. Please don't Copy-Paste from a Word Processor. Use Notepad! Thanks!
	() Thanks

24th January 2009, 10:35	#43
appuchan BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bangy Posts: 644 Thanked: 27 Times	I doubt if they will come with the 1.4 option considering that most TDs don't report big difference in performance and the cost will be higher at least by another 50k. CRDI will be out sometime soon but may be with a lower trim level to maintain the price at about 25-50k range above the current Asta model. Even CRDI is not going to be a scorcher like the current Getz CRDI. Currently they are exporting two power options for CRDI 1.4 lt engine. 1. 74bhp @ 4000rpm with 220 Nmft 1750-2350rpm 2. 89bhp @ 4000rpm with 220 Nmft 1750-2350rpm Btw, I happened to see one comic report of Hyundai i20 launch. Looks like a literal translation from some other language. Completely weird. PS. I noted that all articles on this site are of similar language... some crazy guys Last edited by appuchan : 24th January 2009 at 10:38.
	() Thanks