Hyundai I20 Asta Initial Ownership Report

tifosimagic · 14th March 2009, 14:52

After consulting this forum for a while - for various advice, I'd like to contribute.
We got our silver Hyundai I20 Asta a couple of weeks ago, but I only returned to Bangalore yesterday, and got to drive the new car today

The car costs 6.6L OTR in Bangalore, and we added leather seats, and a rear parking sensor.

Initial observations:

Exterior - subjective. In lighter colors, the car looks pretty big, especially when viewed from the front. I think its nice, sporty looking with muscular arches, but I can imagine that it could look dated soon. Very, very solidly built.

Interior - Everything is well put together. I like the dark brown beige combination of the dash, all the buttons are well finished. The interior, imo, is luxurious - feel like a segment above atleast.

Comfort & Space - The front seats are comfy. The backseat is OK, there's enough legroom, but rear passengers don't get a good view out of the car - it feels a tad claustrophobic. I'm used to higher, upright seats (like in a Mahindra Scorpio). The boot is much bigger than the smaller hatchbacks like Swift, I10 etc.

The Drive - The steering takes a little getting used to, but I think its excellent. Really really light at low speeds, easy to manouver while parking, and firms up nicely while driving. The gearshift is smooth, which is a good thing, because it seems like you do need to change often. I haven't taken the car at high speeds, but at low speeds, the car is really quick, provided you are in the right gear.

The car is extremely, extremely smooth for the most part, except the suspension feels harsh on some bumps. I haven't quite figured it out yet - on some bumps the car just glides, on others the bumps feel really jarring.

Finally, compared to tall small cars like Santro, I10, the visibilty while driving is not very good. The car is also much wider, wider even than the Fabia and City. The parking sensor for the rear cost around 4000, and is definitely worth it!

I've attached some pictures of our car - I hope they show up.

So far, we're liking the car. I do think with something like an I10, you get 90% of the car for 75% of the price. You pay a premium for the build quality, a few features, the ride and handling, and looks. But we wanted the feel and quality of a bigger car (and considered the SX4, City...) and would rather not have a boot.

BenjiRoss · 14th March 2009, 16:58

Nice looking muscular hatch.
Glad you like it.
Where is the parking sensor display?
Keep us updated!

anilkalvani · 14th March 2009, 17:18

Conratulations on your new ride. I liked the interior brown beige combo too. The Electrically foldable ORVM's must be a cool feature to use, not present even in cars a segment higher. Enjoy your car and keep on giving your feedback on how the car pulls with the 1.2 kappa.

joshguy · 14th March 2009, 17:24

Congrats on your new wheels!!!

The i20 is a good looking car and i cant belive that hyundai designed it

Let us know your experience in long drives handling too.By the way how much did the seat cover cost??

abhinav.gupta88 · 14th March 2009, 18:17

Aha, Just what i was waiting for . An ownership review of the i20. Give us more details about the buying process , discounts etc.

I have seen one being fitted with ICE and damn the space etc seems just amazing.
Even the fit and finish of the dash is pretty good by Hyundai Standards.

A deisel version and this car would be a killer.

Congrats on the buy. Waiting for more pics and some details about functionality of the long list of features.

Dippy · 14th March 2009, 18:23

Congratulations on your i20. The first one on the forum I think. Its a good looking car too. I would like to know your comments on the engine. How underpowered does it feel?

aaggoswami · 14th March 2009, 19:23

I think the car is quite big and heavy for the Kappa mill. I would like to know more about FE and performance of this machine. Moreover check for the suspension irregularity as it looks like its different speeds at which bumps are approached that makes the difference here. Note that I20 is not stiffly sprung, so as long as city driving is concerned, the ride quality will be nice.

Attach more pics of the car if possible and also were freebies offered on this car ?
What much did the accessories cost ?

ajmat · 14th March 2009, 20:04

Saw one today with 17" wheels, it looked hot, Shame about puny engine

Rudra Sen · 14th March 2009, 20:14

This probably the best fluid lines design from Hyundai. I like the look. As Ajit says with bigger wheels, it looks really hot.

MuraliR · 14th March 2009, 20:22

Congrats on your Car - it is a good choice.

Fountainheader · 14th March 2009, 20:55

Congrats on the i20. The 1st one on the forum with pics

My BIL is looking to buy one. So would be great if you update this thread regularly

vasoo · 14th March 2009, 20:59

Great to see a ownership report finally. My friend who got the car is yet to drive it! Poor chap is stuck in some assignments and unable to reach Bangalore.

Please post more pictures and write in detail about your driving experience. We did drive the car for 50+ kms in Jan and did find it pretty good for both city and highway. It may not be a spirited car but good enough for a 60:40 driving pattern in city and highways.

Volt · 14th March 2009, 21:08

@tifosimagic: Congrats on your new ride. IMHO the i20 looks more 'European Supermini' than Korean.

Please keep us posted on details like price, dealership experience etc. Also a lot of members (me included) are waiting to hear from you on the responsiveness of the engine.

sharma_sanjeevi · 14th March 2009, 21:39

Hi tifosimagic,

Congrats for the purchase, very good choice of color, in this color the car really looks bigger as well as the Silver color is easy to maintain.

Do keep us updated on the peformance and the other aspects of the car, also do treat us with some more pictures of the beauty

joslicx · 14th March 2009, 22:11

Congrats dude. Quite a good looking car.

I also booked one (Asta version only) for myself today. There is a waiting time of 4-5 weeks. The dealer has promised me delivery by last week of April. Lets see.

I didnt get any freebies/discounts whatsoever! What about you?

14th March 2009, 14:52	#1
tifosimagic Newbie Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 12 Thanked: 0 Times	Hyundai I20 Asta Initial Ownership Report After consulting this forum for a while - for various advice, I'd like to contribute. We got our silver Hyundai I20 Asta a couple of weeks ago, but I only returned to Bangalore yesterday, and got to drive the new car today The car costs 6.6L OTR in Bangalore, and we added leather seats, and a rear parking sensor. Initial observations: Exterior - subjective. In lighter colors, the car looks pretty big, especially when viewed from the front. I think its nice, sporty looking with muscular arches, but I can imagine that it could look dated soon. Very, very solidly built. Interior - Everything is well put together. I like the dark brown beige combination of the dash, all the buttons are well finished. The interior, imo, is luxurious - feel like a segment above atleast. Comfort & Space - The front seats are comfy. The backseat is OK, there's enough legroom, but rear passengers don't get a good view out of the car - it feels a tad claustrophobic. I'm used to higher, upright seats (like in a Mahindra Scorpio). The boot is much bigger than the smaller hatchbacks like Swift, I10 etc. The Drive - The steering takes a little getting used to, but I think its excellent. Really really light at low speeds, easy to manouver while parking, and firms up nicely while driving. The gearshift is smooth, which is a good thing, because it seems like you do need to change often. I haven't taken the car at high speeds, but at low speeds, the car is really quick, provided you are in the right gear. The car is extremely, extremely smooth for the most part, except the suspension feels harsh on some bumps. I haven't quite figured it out yet - on some bumps the car just glides, on others the bumps feel really jarring. Finally, compared to tall small cars like Santro, I10, the visibilty while driving is not very good. The car is also much wider, wider even than the Fabia and City. The parking sensor for the rear cost around 4000, and is definitely worth it! I've attached some pictures of our car - I hope they show up. So far, we're liking the car. I do think with something like an I10, you get 90% of the car for 75% of the price. You pay a premium for the build quality, a few features, the ride and handling, and looks. But we wanted the feel and quality of a bigger car (and considered the SX4, City...) and would rather not have a boot. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 16:58	#2
BenjiRoss Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Tamilnadu Posts: 1,066 Thanked: 1,330 Times	Nice looking muscular hatch. Glad you like it. Where is the parking sensor display? Keep us updated!
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 17:18	#3
anilkalvani BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Bandra West, Bombay Posts: 633 Thanked: 89 Times	Conratulations on your new ride. I liked the interior brown beige combo too. The Electrically foldable ORVM's must be a cool feature to use, not present even in cars a segment higher. Enjoy your car and keep on giving your feedback on how the car pulls with the 1.2 kappa.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 17:24	#4
joshguy BANNED Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,379 Thanked: 109 Times	Congrats on your new wheels!!! The i20 is a good looking car and i cant belive that hyundai designed it Let us know your experience in long drives handling too.By the way how much did the seat cover cost??
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 18:17	#5
abhinav.gupta88 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Delhi , India Posts: 4,092 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	Aha, Just what i was waiting for . An ownership review of the i20. Give us more details about the buying process , discounts etc. I have seen one being fitted with ICE and damn the space etc seems just amazing. Even the fit and finish of the dash is pretty good by Hyundai Standards. A deisel version and this car would be a killer. Congrats on the buy. Waiting for more pics and some details about functionality of the long list of features.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 18:23	#6
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,557 Thanked: 2,459 Times	Congratulations on your i20. The first one on the forum I think. Its a good looking car too. I would like to know your comments on the engine. How underpowered does it feel?
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 19:23	#7
aaggoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Vadodara Posts: 4,982 Thanked: 2,930 Times	I think the car is quite big and heavy for the Kappa mill. I would like to know more about FE and performance of this machine. Moreover check for the suspension irregularity as it looks like its different speeds at which bumps are approached that makes the difference here. Note that I20 is not stiffly sprung, so as long as city driving is concerned, the ride quality will be nice. Attach more pics of the car if possible and also were freebies offered on this car ? What much did the accessories cost ?
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 20:04	#8
ajmat Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 14,858 Thanked: 27,925 Times View My Garage	Saw one today with 17" wheels, it looked hot, Shame about puny engine
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 20:14	#9
Rudra Sen Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,588 Thanked: 6,530 Times View My Garage	This probably the best fluid lines design from Hyundai. I like the look. As Ajit says with bigger wheels, it looks really hot.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 20:22	#10
MuraliR BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 361 Thanked: 35 Times	Congrats on your Car - it is a good choice.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 20:55	#11
Fountainheader Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Silicon Valley Posts: 1,501 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	Congrats on the i20. The 1st one on the forum with pics My BIL is looking to buy one. So would be great if you update this thread regularly
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 20:59	#12
vasoo Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 1,039 Thanked: 246 Times View My Garage	Great to see a ownership report finally. My friend who got the car is yet to drive it! Poor chap is stuck in some assignments and unable to reach Bangalore. Please post more pictures and write in detail about your driving experience. We did drive the car for 50+ kms in Jan and did find it pretty good for both city and highway. It may not be a spirited car but good enough for a 60:40 driving pattern in city and highways.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 21:08	#13
Volt BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 183 Thanked: 5 Times	@tifosimagic: Congrats on your new ride. IMHO the i20 looks more 'European Supermini' than Korean. Please keep us posted on details like price, dealership experience etc. Also a lot of members (me included) are waiting to hear from you on the responsiveness of the engine.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 21:39	#14
sharma_sanjeevi BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 598 Thanked: 113 Times	Hi tifosimagic, Congrats for the purchase, very good choice of color, in this color the car really looks bigger as well as the Silver color is easy to maintain. Do keep us updated on the peformance and the other aspects of the car, also do treat us with some more pictures of the beauty
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 22:11	#15
joslicx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,286 Thanked: 1,011 Times	Congrats dude. Quite a good looking car. I also booked one (Asta version only) for myself today. There is a waiting time of 4-5 weeks. The dealer has promised me delivery by last week of April. Lets see. I didnt get any freebies/discounts whatsoever! What about you?
	() Thanks