The Initial Take on My Hyundai i20 Asta

ReckDriver · 15th March 2009, 06:01

Here are my initial impressions of my i20 asta !

Background:
I got the delivery of my Hyundai i20 Asta in blue on the 13th of March. Since then I have been driving the car around in the streets of Mumbai and have covered about 120 kms in this short span of time. No discounts were offered but I did get a set of mud flaps and door mats with the package. Also the extended warranty of 2 years was built into the price of the car.
As soon I got the car I replaced the stock tyres and upsized them with a set of 15 inchers. The matt finish with grey innards of the Lenso alloys, and fatter rubber has really enhanced the visual appeal of the car. I also got the horn replaced as the standard one provided was quite bad.
Initial Observations:
Design: The car simply looks stunning! Maybe the Sparkle Blue colour makes the difference but that again is perceptive. It looks big and a little low slung. Its quite wide, even wider than my NHC Vtec. Overall it is quite balanced and appealing to look at.
Interiors: The interiors are well designed and are of good quality. The beige/brown combination is alright but I would really prefer the black/beige option with fabric inserts on the door pads. The little screen provided is quite nice and the basic functions are intuitive to use. It falls in the line of sight and you don’t have to deviate too much to see the information. Steering controls are well placed and have good feedback. At night all the dashboard controls light up quite nicely. The front seats offer good support, but are a tad stiff. But overall you do feel a sense of space and better quality than most of the competition. The features in the car like the steering controls, electrically retractable mirrors, and lots of cubby holes are really a boon.
The music system and the controls provided feel good to use and are not flimsy one bit. But neither do the controls have the solid build quality of the Fabia. The speakers provided are basic – the front speakers sounding much better than the rear due to the tweeters. But when I connected my iPod to the aux in port, the sound quality was dismal. Could not figure this one out
One thing I would like to mention, though a little irritating but a good safety measure is that after starting the car, the seat belt warning lamp comes on. If I haven't worn the seat belt and I start driving, and while driving as I cross the 20kmph mark, a beep-beep seat belt warning goes off. The same goes for the front seat passenger once it senses someone sitting there and that person has not worn his/her seat belt. I really would like to find out how to turn that beep warning off !

Comfort: Quite spacious. But the rear seat comfort is average. Its due to the not too great rear legroom and a little upright and stiff seats. The boot is huge and the rear seats can fold flat to liberate more boot space. Front seat comfort is quite good. Overall comfort levels are good, though not as good as say my NHC.
On the Road: Well here is the part I think most of you might be interested in reading. After driving for these initial 100 kms, I would first like to point out 2 major shortcomings of the car. The steering is really light and quite a joy to use in the city, wherein lies most of its application in my case. But even when I reached speeds of 80-90km/h, it doesn’t seem to weigh up at all! This gives no sense of how much grip is left and inspires very little confidence. The second shortcoming is the insulation provided in the car. Quite a bit of outside noise filters in while driving and sometimes I even checked whether one of the doors was not properly shut.
The 1.2 engine, well it feels more than adequate for city commuting. There are times where I felt that there is a certain power lag, but otherwise it is really smooth. Currently I am refraining from going beyond 90km/h but it can touch those speeds quite easily. But this engine should hopefully return some good fuel efficiency figures. The gearbox is a joy to use. Road grip is good and as pointed out earlier, suspension feels a little harsh on certain bumpy sections. Moreover, the Yokohama 15 inch tyres provide better grip and do not seem to affect the ride adversely. Braking is quite good as well.
Overall, I am more than satisfied with the car. Knowing its a Hyundai, service and maintenance costs will not be an issue, and this was one of my main concerns in selecting this car over the Fabia, as I also own a Skoda Octavia and do know how expensive it is to maintain that car.

The i20 would be used mainly in the city and according to me it ticks all the prerequisite boxes intended for the same.
I shall soon post some pictures of the car. Hope this initial report turns out as insightful as I intended it to be

joslicx · 15th March 2009, 09:53

congrats dude. I also booked one for myself yesterday and will be getting it in 4-6 weeks time. Do post some pics.
And I thought the stock tires on asta are quite good! Its quite amazing you've decided to upgrade to 15 inchers. Did you go for alloys upgrade also?

BenjiRoss · 15th March 2009, 11:57

Well - balanced review. The color you mentioned sounds interesting - looking forward to your pics - especially with the upgraded tires!

razor4077 · 15th March 2009, 12:07

Nice report. Hasn't the steering feedback improved with the wider rubber? The extra light and neutral steering was my biggest grouse with the i20. I liked it overall, but somehow it didn't feel like a driver's car.
Great feature-list, comfortable, looks good and a very peppy engine. Congrats on your buy

Looking forward to some pics!

abhinav.gupta88 · 15th March 2009, 12:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReckDriver

Here are my initial impressions of my i20 asta !

I shall soon post some pictures of the car. Hope this initial report turns out as insightful as I intended it to be

Congrats on the purchase dude.
Cost breakup of the car , tyres , rims etc.
Waiting for pictures of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by joslicx

congrats dude. I also booked one for myself yesterday and will be getting it in 4-6 weeks time. Do post some pics.
And I thought the stock tires on asta are quite good! Its quite amazing you've decided to upgrade to 15 inchers. Did you go for alloys upgrade also?

That is but so obvious buddy.
When you up the size of the tyres by an inch or more , the original steel rims/alloys would not fit them, so they have to be changed.

Even if the asta stock tyres are good , the upsize to 15" would mean better grip , handling etc at the cost of some fuel efficiency and higher top speed and performance though.

driving_smartly · 15th March 2009, 15:56

Congratulations buddy

Waiting for some picutres and a Review after some interval

cvvikram · 15th March 2009, 17:02

Congrats on the purchase of great hatch!

Pics are eagerly expected along with the complete review on the usability perspective.

Drive safely.

ReckDriver · 15th March 2009, 18:34

Thanks all you guys

Finally I am attaching some pics of the car. Let me know how you guys like it. According to me it looks even more stunning at night!

Quote:

Originally Posted by razor4077

Nice report. Hasn't the steering feedback improved with the wider rubber? The extra light and neutral steering was my biggest grouse with the i20. I liked it overall, but somehow it didn't feel like a driver's car.

Well razor, the fatter rubber has not really improved the steering feedback. Maybe a little but it still is inconsequential. It is not a driver's car, quite far from it. But what it provides is hassle free driving, essential to our city commutes.

The asta came with standard 185/65 14inch Apollo tyres. But I really felt the car would look great once upsized. So I switched to Yokohama's 195/55 R15 A.drive tyres - Though I am a complete Michelin loyalist - but Michelin in India does not provide that size :-(

The alloys I have fitted are Lenso's, some limited edition wheels. The alloys were working out to 28k for a set of 5, but I opted for a set of four instead.

Here goes!

nkrishnap · 15th March 2009, 19:53

Congrats mate!

Looks very good in Blue. Hows the in gear acceleration?

When I test drove the i20 even I had a very similar feeling about the steering, real good for low speeds, but gave very minimal feedback when i drove it beyond 80 kmph

frankmehta · 15th March 2009, 20:02

llllove this colour. love the alloys. love the tyres and looove the car. im in love with this car of yours. dont be surprised if it disappears from your parking lot soon :-P

o and by the way, congrats. she's a beauty. but you can keep her. i'd feel like im committing a crime if i replaced the stock head unit for my always impending ICE upgrades!

one more pointer: have the front doors damped and the ambient noise will be reduced!

abhinav.gupta88 · 15th March 2009, 20:19

The Lensos look fabulous with the i20.
Surprising though.
However 22400 seems a bit on the high side for the lensos.

Great ride.

vasoo · 15th March 2009, 20:29

That's a great looking i20. Wheels look amazing. So does the colour. Doesn't that tyre upgrade void the warranty?

white_vdi · 15th March 2009, 20:32

OMG!!

i can express how amazing she is looking. simply out of this world! m droooling man. very nice interiors, look above the class she is in. and also congrats on this ride mate!!

para_7k · 15th March 2009, 20:57

@Reckdriver, Congrats. That is simply an outstanding ride you have got.

Would a rear spoiler add to the look ?

gemithomas · 15th March 2009, 20:58

Wow! never really liked the looks of the i20 but it blue it looks awesome!!! Nice choice.

15th March 2009, 06:01	#1
ReckDriver BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 34 Thanked: Once	The Initial Take on My Hyundai i20 Asta Here are my initial impressions of my i20 asta ! Background: I got the delivery of my Hyundai i20 Asta in blue on the 13th of March. Since then I have been driving the car around in the streets of Mumbai and have covered about 120 kms in this short span of time. No discounts were offered but I did get a set of mud flaps and door mats with the package. Also the extended warranty of 2 years was built into the price of the car. As soon I got the car I replaced the stock tyres and upsized them with a set of 15 inchers. The matt finish with grey innards of the Lenso alloys, and fatter rubber has really enhanced the visual appeal of the car. I also got the horn replaced as the standard one provided was quite bad. Initial Observations: Design: The car simply looks stunning! Maybe the Sparkle Blue colour makes the difference but that again is perceptive. It looks big and a little low slung. Its quite wide, even wider than my NHC Vtec. Overall it is quite balanced and appealing to look at. Interiors: The interiors are well designed and are of good quality. The beige/brown combination is alright but I would really prefer the black/beige option with fabric inserts on the door pads. The little screen provided is quite nice and the basic functions are intuitive to use. It falls in the line of sight and you don’t have to deviate too much to see the information. Steering controls are well placed and have good feedback. At night all the dashboard controls light up quite nicely. The front seats offer good support, but are a tad stiff. But overall you do feel a sense of space and better quality than most of the competition. The features in the car like the steering controls, electrically retractable mirrors, and lots of cubby holes are really a boon. The music system and the controls provided feel good to use and are not flimsy one bit. But neither do the controls have the solid build quality of the Fabia. The speakers provided are basic – the front speakers sounding much better than the rear due to the tweeters. But when I connected my iPod to the aux in port, the sound quality was dismal. Could not figure this one out One thing I would like to mention, though a little irritating but a good safety measure is that after starting the car, the seat belt warning lamp comes on. If I haven't worn the seat belt and I start driving, and while driving as I cross the 20kmph mark, a beep-beep seat belt warning goes off. The same goes for the front seat passenger once it senses someone sitting there and that person has not worn his/her seat belt. I really would like to find out how to turn that beep warning off ! Comfort: Quite spacious. But the rear seat comfort is average. Its due to the not too great rear legroom and a little upright and stiff seats. The boot is huge and the rear seats can fold flat to liberate more boot space. Front seat comfort is quite good. Overall comfort levels are good, though not as good as say my NHC. On the Road: Well here is the part I think most of you might be interested in reading. After driving for these initial 100 kms, I would first like to point out 2 major shortcomings of the car. The steering is really light and quite a joy to use in the city, wherein lies most of its application in my case. But even when I reached speeds of 80-90km/h, it doesn’t seem to weigh up at all! This gives no sense of how much grip is left and inspires very little confidence. The second shortcoming is the insulation provided in the car. Quite a bit of outside noise filters in while driving and sometimes I even checked whether one of the doors was not properly shut. The 1.2 engine, well it feels more than adequate for city commuting. There are times where I felt that there is a certain power lag, but otherwise it is really smooth. Currently I am refraining from going beyond 90km/h but it can touch those speeds quite easily. But this engine should hopefully return some good fuel efficiency figures. The gearbox is a joy to use. Road grip is good and as pointed out earlier, suspension feels a little harsh on certain bumpy sections. Moreover, the Yokohama 15 inch tyres provide better grip and do not seem to affect the ride adversely. Braking is quite good as well. Overall, I am more than satisfied with the car. Knowing its a Hyundai, service and maintenance costs will not be an issue, and this was one of my main concerns in selecting this car over the Fabia, as I also own a Skoda Octavia and do know how expensive it is to maintain that car. The i20 would be used mainly in the city and according to me it ticks all the prerequisite boxes intended for the same. I shall soon post some pictures of the car. Hope this initial report turns out as insightful as I intended it to be
	(1) Thanks

15th March 2009, 09:53	#2
joslicx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,286 Thanked: 1,011 Times	congrats dude. I also booked one for myself yesterday and will be getting it in 4-6 weeks time. Do post some pics. And I thought the stock tires on asta are quite good! Its quite amazing you've decided to upgrade to 15 inchers. Did you go for alloys upgrade also?
	() Thanks

15th March 2009, 11:57	#3
BenjiRoss Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Tamilnadu Posts: 1,066 Thanked: 1,330 Times	Well - balanced review. The color you mentioned sounds interesting - looking forward to your pics - especially with the upgraded tires!
	() Thanks

15th March 2009, 12:07	#4
razor4077 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,882 Thanked: 298 Times View My Garage	Nice report. Hasn't the steering feedback improved with the wider rubber? The extra light and neutral steering was my biggest grouse with the i20. I liked it overall, but somehow it didn't feel like a driver's car. Great feature-list, comfortable, looks good and a very peppy engine. Congrats on your buy Looking forward to some pics!
	() Thanks

15th March 2009, 15:56	#6
driving_smartly BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: MH43 & MH14 Posts: 518 Thanked: 305 Times View My Garage	Congratulations buddy Waiting for some picutres and a Review after some interval
	() Thanks

15th March 2009, 17:02	#7
cvvikram BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: India Posts: 144 Thanked: Once	Congrats on the purchase of great hatch! Pics are eagerly expected along with the complete review on the usability perspective. Drive safely.
	() Thanks

15th March 2009, 19:53	#9
nkrishnap Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 3,983 Thanked: 7,407 Times View My Garage	Congrats mate! Looks very good in Blue. Hows the in gear acceleration? When I test drove the i20 even I had a very similar feeling about the steering, real good for low speeds, but gave very minimal feedback when i drove it beyond 80 kmph
	() Thanks

15th March 2009, 20:02	#10
frankmehta Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,000 Thanked: 3,577 Times View My Garage	llllove this colour. love the alloys. love the tyres and looove the car. im in love with this car of yours. dont be surprised if it disappears from your parking lot soon :-P o and by the way, congrats. she's a beauty. but you can keep her. i'd feel like im committing a crime if i replaced the stock head unit for my always impending ICE upgrades! one more pointer: have the front doors damped and the ambient noise will be reduced!
	() Thanks

15th March 2009, 20:19	#11
abhinav.gupta88 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Delhi , India Posts: 4,092 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	The Lensos look fabulous with the i20. Surprising though. However 22400 seems a bit on the high side for the lensos. Great ride.
	() Thanks

15th March 2009, 20:29	#12
vasoo Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 1,039 Thanked: 246 Times View My Garage	That's a great looking i20. Wheels look amazing. So does the colour. Doesn't that tyre upgrade void the warranty?
	() Thanks

15th March 2009, 20:32	#13
white_vdi BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: new delhi Posts: 857 Thanked: 38 Times View My Garage	OMG!! i can express how amazing she is looking. simply out of this world! m droooling man. very nice interiors, look above the class she is in. and also congrats on this ride mate!!
	() Thanks

15th March 2009, 20:57	#14
para_7k BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: chennai Posts: 469 Thanked: 112 Times	@Reckdriver, Congrats. That is simply an outstanding ride you have got. Would a rear spoiler add to the look ?
	() Thanks

15th March 2009, 20:58	#15
gemithomas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,366 Thanked: 143 Times View My Garage	Wow! never really liked the looks of the i20 but it blue it looks awesome!!! Nice choice.
	() Thanks