My "Black Pearl" - The i20 Asta

jas_mirage · 4th May 2009, 18:28

OK. I know this is a long time in the waiting and that my first review is coming after 3 months of buying my car. Well; I was u know kind of pre-occupied, job, girlfriend, trips out of state, etcetera, etcetera..

Going back to November 08 when I decide to sell off my baby who has been with me, come rain or shine (she really was faithful), through the good times and the bad (with my current GF and in the break up with my EX). Sure, she was getting old, but she had no trouble in giving a good kicking in the backside to anyone who deserved it. She was my ZEN Lx. She was my first car, got her on August 2005 and went on to drive her for around 56000 Kms in the next 3 years.

So why did I let her go to someone else? Let’s see,

1. There was no power steering – I didn’t mind it, but dad couldn’t take the load, especially with those huge tires (195/45 14”).
2. Space was a constraint – With my sister and BiL coming with their daughter, space was needed.

But I still wonder why I couldn’t retain her (here I am, talking in terms of recession and downsizing). Maybe I was in vital need of Vitamin M. But then, what has happened has happened.

Now that’s enough, so which were the other options I considered before going in for the i20?

a) Getz CRDi – I just loved the baby. Loads of power and well appointed interiors. Though not as much jazz for the instrument console as with the others. Dad rejected it because he didn’t kind of like the Instrument Console, and everything else had to be additional for it. Alloys, ICE, etc.

b) Swift Diesel – Couldn’t get one on time. Had a long waiting of 3 months after booking. I didn’t like the idea too much. And compared to the diesel, there was no point of getting the petrol swift. I’m not such a big fan of the design. It’s the engine that I love. Also compared to the i20, the space inside the swift was not much. The i20 feels roomier (might be personal).

c) Palio MJD – Same way around, I loved the engine and the whole design of the vehicle. But then again, DAD!! Went the same way as the CRDi, outdated instrument console, et all. Also the so called eternally knowledgeless but ever commenting uncles on the Fiat service problems led to fact that the Palio idea was junked pretty fast.

d) Indica Vista Quadrajet – Good vehicle, but too much of a taxi image and my sisters just torpedoed the idea in record time.

e) There were some sedans too in the race, but, I didn’t want a sedan other than the Fiesta. They had an offer at the time too but I didn’t get the model and shade I wanted. The models which were available were not there on the special price and it was above my budget. The Icon Duratorq was a good vehicle, but outdated design. So there you go, sedans all junked.

So there you go, I got a special invite to view the i20 as soon as it got here in Cochin, I loved it, parents loved it and eventually my sisters also loved it…
Thankfully and finally, I zero in on a car which pleases everyone.

After everything, I booked the car, i20 Asta Black Diamond (as they call it) and took delivery of my Black Pearl on the 19th of Jan 09. A week later I get a call telling me to travel to Delhi… ASAP… Can’t help it now, can I? Went off to Delhi and came back on Feb 28th. No sooner did I come back then had to go on some other official trips and got back only by mid-March. Hmmm… Was missing her a lot when I was away from her, now to get acquainted with her.

As soon as I came I took her out on the open roads, couldn’t roar her off since she was in the running in period. So took her for spins and jaunts and some smooth driving on the bye-pass roads and in the Wellington Island area.

Falling in love with her; by the minute, every minute.

Observations:

Exterior: It is a big hatch. Heavy looking with muscular haunches and arches; the lines add a very sporty character to it. I’ve had people saying that it looks like a mini Innova from the front. It looks very solidly built. It would take sometime adjusting to the size of this vehicle especially after yours faithfully driving a Zen for the past 4 years.

Interior: The dark brown and beige combination looks killer when seen directly. The plastics are well finished and are top notch. The interior feels like it would be at home in a higher segment. The steering mounted controls are also well finished. The tilt steering also does its job well. No flimsy plastics anywhere in my opinion. The inbuilt CD/FM player with the auxiliary inputs and speakers do the job required. The foldable ORVM’s are a boon. Once you get inside and close the windows, you don’t need to open it for anything else other than buying your daily toll tickets. The auto climate control is also very comfortable.

Interior Space: The interior gives you a feeling of space, one that you expect from a car of this size. Step inside and the front seats are luxurious with padding to support your thighs and sides. You don’t feel tired even after long rides. Did an up and down trip to Trivandrum, a trip of 4.5 hours one way. Stopped in Tvm only for an hour and then came back home straight away. No fatigue of any sort. Even in the back, the seats are more spacious than the Swift. The passengers sitting in the back during the Tvm trip also didn’t complain at all (that too 3 of my hugest friends were there in the back). It is also less claustrophobic than the Swift. Here I compare it with the swift just on account of its exterior shape and size. Also I would have to mention that the boot is monstrous, especially looking at the space in the

Comfort: The driving comfort was especially good. The car handled like a dream. The steering was nice and light at low speeds and gained those extra pounds while driving at higher speeds. The gearshift was smooth. The suspension is good, depends on how you drive it across the potholes and humps. I’ve heard of people complaining that the ground clearance is low, but I really haven’t felt any such problems.

Engine: Coming to the engine; does it feel underpowered? Actually it doesn’t provided you are in the right gear at the right time. You might need to throw the gears around a bit, but once executed properly, she doesn’t skip a beat. For our kind of roads I feel that she is powered enough. Though I would have preferred the 1.4 engine which goes as standard in Europe and would have absolutely loved the 1.6 engine given as optional there.

At the price of 6.25 Lakhs on road, I feel that it is worth the extra moolah. The buying process went very smoothly, largely thanks to the Sales Manager of MGF who is dad’s friend. Also got the sun film, mats and mud flaps as freebies; not to forget mentioning the Hyundai perfume and tissue boxes. Whoopee...

First service reports and more coming soon...

MuraliR · 4th May 2009, 22:37

wow Jasim ! lovely car- congrats -

so, you booked a Black Diamond and took home a Black Pearl?

joslicx · 4th May 2009, 22:49

Congrats man.

Am really jealous of you! I had also booked an i20 Asta more than 1 & half months back (Cherry Red color) but I found out to my horror that despite the promise of delivery within a month I was told on the delivery date that the vehicle delivery will be delayed by at least 1 more month!! As I had parted with my regular drive (the fabulous Alto Lxi) and was desperate for a car for my daily commutes I decided to do away with my dream of owning an i20 and settled for an i10 1.2 Sportz instead!!!

Anyway congrats to you again. I really loved the i20 when I test drove it. Its a very good car for almost all daily needs (except probably drag races against vRSes).

Ram_NP · 4th May 2009, 22:52

Nice detailed review along with good pictures. Black colour looks terrific.

I think yours is 2nd or 3rd i20 in the forum!

How is the space for in the back row, specially for the person sitting in the middle ?
One of my friend pointed out (after a test drive) that it's not comfortable for an adult to sit in the middle?

mobike008 · 4th May 2009, 22:52

Congrats Jasim on the new i20. Looks like its the top end model with ABS et.all. And,the black color looks really deadly on it.

Enjoy and drive safe !

Dippy · 4th May 2009, 23:04

Congratulations jas,

Easily one of the best looking hatches on the roads today and she looks awesome in black. It is on the expensive side but what you get is a loaded car . Run her in well and keep updating this thread

anekho · 4th May 2009, 23:27

wow and I thought the i20 wasn't a looker!
the black version looks awesome and the interiors look smashing too!

cheers

cvvikram · 4th May 2009, 23:30

Congrats on the purchase bro. She looks really cool. The color suits well for the car.

Drive safe.

white_vdi · 4th May 2009, 23:30

a very nice review man! and beautiful pics! she looks gorgeous inside out. she her shining like this. congrats and drive safe!

BlackPearl · 5th May 2009, 01:58

The i20 is looking great. Congrats on your new acquisition.

akroy · 5th May 2009, 08:18

THe other day I saw an i20 on the road for the first time. It indeed looked large compared to a normal hatchback (atleast from exterior). I felt it looked better than i10 in looks.

Congrats on the new possession !! Enjoy your drive. Let me know your FE figures ?

Abhi

varun.ppl · 5th May 2009, 08:33

Amazing Car man! Great review with cool pics. The color looks to cool! Wishing u a fun & zippy drive!

PatienceWins · 5th May 2009, 08:39

I like the looks of i20, better than i10.

Your car looks great in black. The interiors are awesome. Congrats!!

I am looking forward to the FE figures. That is where Getz did not excel.

nvldvr · 5th May 2009, 10:02

Great review. Black i20 looks a stunner. Will need to put in some work to mantain it though. Speaking from personal experience of owning a blck car.
I am sure i20 is a few notches above all the other cars you had in mind. Hyundai seems to be headed in the right direction.
Cheers and have fun.

aZa · 5th May 2009, 12:07

beautiful car and the choice of color. How are you finding the engine???

4th May 2009, 18:28	#1
jas_mirage BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: COK, DXB, DOH Posts: 68 Thanked: 22 Times	My "Black Pearl" - The i20 Asta OK. I know this is a long time in the waiting and that my first review is coming after 3 months of buying my car. Well; I was u know kind of pre-occupied, job, girlfriend, trips out of state, etcetera, etcetera.. Going back to November 08 when I decide to sell off my baby who has been with me, come rain or shine (she really was faithful), through the good times and the bad (with my current GF and in the break up with my EX). Sure, she was getting old, but she had no trouble in giving a good kicking in the backside to anyone who deserved it. She was my ZEN Lx. She was my first car, got her on August 2005 and went on to drive her for around 56000 Kms in the next 3 years. So why did I let her go to someone else? Let’s see, 1. There was no power steering – I didn’t mind it, but dad couldn’t take the load, especially with those huge tires (195/45 14”). 2. Space was a constraint – With my sister and BiL coming with their daughter, space was needed. But I still wonder why I couldn’t retain her (here I am, talking in terms of recession and downsizing). Maybe I was in vital need of Vitamin M. But then, what has happened has happened. Now that’s enough, so which were the other options I considered before going in for the i20? a) Getz CRDi – I just loved the baby. Loads of power and well appointed interiors. Though not as much jazz for the instrument console as with the others. Dad rejected it because he didn’t kind of like the Instrument Console, and everything else had to be additional for it. Alloys, ICE, etc. b) Swift Diesel – Couldn’t get one on time. Had a long waiting of 3 months after booking. I didn’t like the idea too much. And compared to the diesel, there was no point of getting the petrol swift. I’m not such a big fan of the design. It’s the engine that I love. Also compared to the i20, the space inside the swift was not much. The i20 feels roomier (might be personal). c) Palio MJD – Same way around, I loved the engine and the whole design of the vehicle. But then again, DAD!! Went the same way as the CRDi, outdated instrument console, et all. Also the so called eternally knowledgeless but ever commenting uncles on the Fiat service problems led to fact that the Palio idea was junked pretty fast. d) Indica Vista Quadrajet – Good vehicle, but too much of a taxi image and my sisters just torpedoed the idea in record time. e) There were some sedans too in the race, but, I didn’t want a sedan other than the Fiesta. They had an offer at the time too but I didn’t get the model and shade I wanted. The models which were available were not there on the special price and it was above my budget. The Icon Duratorq was a good vehicle, but outdated design. So there you go, sedans all junked. So there you go, I got a special invite to view the i20 as soon as it got here in Cochin, I loved it, parents loved it and eventually my sisters also loved it… Thankfully and finally, I zero in on a car which pleases everyone. After everything, I booked the car, i20 Asta Black Diamond (as they call it) and took delivery of my Black Pearl on the 19th of Jan 09. A week later I get a call telling me to travel to Delhi… ASAP… Can’t help it now, can I? Went off to Delhi and came back on Feb 28th. No sooner did I come back then had to go on some other official trips and got back only by mid-March. Hmmm… Was missing her a lot when I was away from her, now to get acquainted with her. As soon as I came I took her out on the open roads, couldn’t roar her off since she was in the running in period. So took her for spins and jaunts and some smooth driving on the bye-pass roads and in the Wellington Island area. Falling in love with her; by the minute, every minute. Observations: Exterior: It is a big hatch. Heavy looking with muscular haunches and arches; the lines add a very sporty character to it. I’ve had people saying that it looks like a mini Innova from the front. It looks very solidly built. It would take sometime adjusting to the size of this vehicle especially after yours faithfully driving a Zen for the past 4 years. Interior: The dark brown and beige combination looks killer when seen directly. The plastics are well finished and are top notch. The interior feels like it would be at home in a higher segment. The steering mounted controls are also well finished. The tilt steering also does its job well. No flimsy plastics anywhere in my opinion. The inbuilt CD/FM player with the auxiliary inputs and speakers do the job required. The foldable ORVM’s are a boon. Once you get inside and close the windows, you don’t need to open it for anything else other than buying your daily toll tickets. The auto climate control is also very comfortable. Interior Space: The interior gives you a feeling of space, one that you expect from a car of this size. Step inside and the front seats are luxurious with padding to support your thighs and sides. You don’t feel tired even after long rides. Did an up and down trip to Trivandrum, a trip of 4.5 hours one way. Stopped in Tvm only for an hour and then came back home straight away. No fatigue of any sort. Even in the back, the seats are more spacious than the Swift. The passengers sitting in the back during the Tvm trip also didn’t complain at all (that too 3 of my hugest friends were there in the back). It is also less claustrophobic than the Swift. Here I compare it with the swift just on account of its exterior shape and size. Also I would have to mention that the boot is monstrous, especially looking at the space in the Comfort: The driving comfort was especially good. The car handled like a dream. The steering was nice and light at low speeds and gained those extra pounds while driving at higher speeds. The gearshift was smooth. The suspension is good, depends on how you drive it across the potholes and humps. I’ve heard of people complaining that the ground clearance is low, but I really haven’t felt any such problems. Engine: Coming to the engine; does it feel underpowered? Actually it doesn’t provided you are in the right gear at the right time. You might need to throw the gears around a bit, but once executed properly, she doesn’t skip a beat. For our kind of roads I feel that she is powered enough. Though I would have preferred the 1.4 engine which goes as standard in Europe and would have absolutely loved the 1.6 engine given as optional there. At the price of 6.25 Lakhs on road, I feel that it is worth the extra moolah. The buying process went very smoothly, largely thanks to the Sales Manager of MGF who is dad’s friend. Also got the sun film, mats and mud flaps as freebies; not to forget mentioning the Hyundai perfume and tissue boxes. Whoopee... First service reports and more coming soon... Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 22:37	#2
MuraliR BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 361 Thanked: 35 Times	wow Jasim ! lovely car- congrats - so, you booked a Black Diamond and took home a Black Pearl?
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 22:49	#3
joslicx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,289 Thanked: 1,028 Times	Congrats man. Am really jealous of you! I had also booked an i20 Asta more than 1 & half months back (Cherry Red color) but I found out to my horror that despite the promise of delivery within a month I was told on the delivery date that the vehicle delivery will be delayed by at least 1 more month!! As I had parted with my regular drive (the fabulous Alto Lxi) and was desperate for a car for my daily commutes I decided to do away with my dream of owning an i20 and settled for an i10 1.2 Sportz instead!!! Anyway congrats to you again. I really loved the i20 when I test drove it. Its a very good car for almost all daily needs (except probably drag races against vRSes).
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 22:52	#4
Ram_NP BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Kolkata Posts: 353 Thanked: 23 Times	Nice detailed review along with good pictures. Black colour looks terrific. I think yours is 2nd or 3rd i20 in the forum! How is the space for in the back row, specially for the person sitting in the middle ? One of my friend pointed out (after a test drive) that it's not comfortable for an adult to sit in the middle?
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 22:52	#5
mobike008 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 11,999 Thanked: 17,125 Times View My Garage	Congrats Jasim on the new i20. Looks like its the top end model with ABS et.all. And,the black color looks really deadly on it. Enjoy and drive safe !
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 23:04	#6
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,757 Thanked: 4,224 Times	Congratulations jas, Easily one of the best looking hatches on the roads today and she looks awesome in black. It is on the expensive side but what you get is a loaded car . Run her in well and keep updating this thread
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 23:27	#7
anekho Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: . Posts: 1,997 Thanked: 685 Times	wow and I thought the i20 wasn't a looker! the black version looks awesome and the interiors look smashing too! cheers
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 23:30	#8
cvvikram BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: India Posts: 144 Thanked: Once	Congrats on the purchase bro. She looks really cool. The color suits well for the car. Drive safe.
	() Thanks

4th May 2009, 23:30	#9
white_vdi BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: new delhi Posts: 856 Thanked: 38 Times View My Garage	a very nice review man! and beautiful pics! she looks gorgeous inside out. she her shining like this. congrats and drive safe!
	() Thanks

5th May 2009, 01:58	#10
BlackPearl Team-BHP Support Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Calcutta/London Posts: 3,662 Thanked: 17,377 Times View My Garage	The i20 is looking great. Congrats on your new acquisition.
	() Thanks

5th May 2009, 08:18	#11
akroy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA, USA Posts: 2,424 Thanked: 88 Times View My Garage	THe other day I saw an i20 on the road for the first time. It indeed looked large compared to a normal hatchback (atleast from exterior). I felt it looked better than i10 in looks. Congrats on the new possession !! Enjoy your drive. Let me know your FE figures ? Abhi
	() Thanks

5th May 2009, 08:33	#12
varun.ppl BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: New Delhi Posts: 160 Thanked: 226 Times	Amazing Car man! Great review with cool pics. The color looks to cool! Wishing u a fun & zippy drive!
	() Thanks

5th May 2009, 08:39	#13
PatienceWins Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,464 Thanked: 984 Times View My Garage	I like the looks of i20, better than i10. Your car looks great in black. The interiors are awesome. Congrats!! I am looking forward to the FE figures. That is where Getz did not excel.
	() Thanks

5th May 2009, 10:02	#14
nvldvr BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 600 Thanked: 772 Times	Great review. Black i20 looks a stunner. Will need to put in some work to mantain it though. Speaking from personal experience of owning a blck car. I am sure i20 is a few notches above all the other cars you had in mind. Hyundai seems to be headed in the right direction. Cheers and have fun.
	() Thanks

5th May 2009, 12:07	#15
aZa Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Noida / Delhi Posts: 1,595 Thanked: 25 Times View My Garage	beautiful car and the choice of color. How are you finding the engine???
	() Thanks