Test Drive : Hyundai i20 CRDi.

raul · 28th July 2009, 13:14

This is really surprising to hear. When I had taken the test albeit not at the speeds you took, the car seemed pretty well sorted, and it definitely felt it would be stable at high speeds. Of course the 1.2 engine which takes eons to pull to hundred was not doing it any justice in that department.

But I felt with a more powerful engine and the build quality and chassis this would be a hot hatch. The only negative was the power steering. But handling is something I didn't test so this is a bit disappointing to say the least. The point is not whether I will drive in this rash fashion, but incase I am in a situation it would be better to have a car which handles well to get me out of it.

I don't think I will knowingly but a car which I know handles badly, that will always be at the back of my mind and make me jittery at higher speeds. But that's my personal take. I feel the i20 is a really well built car and would have to personally test the handling to take a call.

ph03n!x · 28th July 2009, 13:17

From owning a Getz CRDi for a little more than a month, I can safely bet that no other car owners will know the speed the car is doing unless they look at the speedo- i have tried it both when they (other car drivers, pretty experienced at that) are a passenger and a driver in my car.

Typically 100-120 feels like 60-80, especially on a highway. It does a 60 in 2nd and 100 in 3rd even before you can wink an eye, if you are pushing the car, and is really quick to 140 (i have not tried more than that, what with running-in and all

).

No offence, but I have a feel that the i20 cars in discussion, which were on stock rubbers, were definitely in 3 digit speeds when they acted the way @kuttapan has described- which is to be expected. The stock tires can no way bear any kind of a brunt, and are meant for sedate, city driving. Put them on a 195, and then see

kuttapan · 28th July 2009, 13:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

From owning a Getz CRDi for a little more than a month, I can safely bet that no other car owners will know the speed the car is doing unless they look at the speedo- i have tried it both when they (other car drivers, pretty experienced at that) are a passenger and a driver in my car.

Typically 100-120 feels like 60-80, especially on a highway. It does a 60 in 2nd and 100 in 3rd even before you can wink an eye, if you are pushing the car, and is really quick to 140 (i have not tried more than that, what with running-in and all

).

No offence, but I have a feel that the i20 cars in discussion, which were on stock rubbers, were definitely in 3 digit speeds when they acted the way @kuttapan has described- which is to be expected. The stock tires can no way bear any kind of a brunt, and are meant for sedate, city driving. Put them on a 195, and then see

As I said, speed was a guesstimate, could have been closer to 100 than 70, I was in third gear and accelerating, after almost redlining second gear. What speed does 2nd redline at?

Mate, do you have any plans to upgrade rubber? If so, do that and let us know if you feel a difference.

Oops - Just noticed you were talking about Getz Crdi. Well, let's wait for a racer boy i20 owner with upgraded tyres to come and post his experience.

extreme_torque · 28th July 2009, 14:13

Well with that steering I would be scared to take the car on the highway.... absolutely numb and devoid of any feel what so ever. I thought I had the seen the worse of electric power steering in Suzuki's, but no.

@all... When I test drove the i20, the steering had this tendency of coming back to the straight ahead position even if you go slight to the left or right, a kind of an elastic effect which made me believe the alignment was off but when I took my hands of the steering wheel in a straightline, i tracked straight and true.
The car I test drove was 1.2 and had done 3400 kms.

vasoo · 28th July 2009, 18:57

Managed to do a TD on the i20 crdi today afternoon along the Sarjapur road. It has been pretty good, and one of the major weakness of i20 1.2 (lack of "sufficient" power) is clearly addressed in this.

Yes it is a pretty good diesel, well refined and rev friendly, though there is not much of "G-force" as experienced in Verna or Getz crdi. Its not so easy to make out that its a diesel whn seated inside. The NVH levels seems to be pretty good. The suspension bottomed out once on a "regular" sized speed breaker in Sarjapur road with pretty light weight inside, but then this may be based on my comparison to Santro. Handling seemed to be ok for the speeds (upto 120 kmph) and distance covered (approximately 10 kms).

The CRDI Asta version costs 6.6 lacs ex-showroom and about 8 lacs on road in Bengaluru.

deepanonline · 29th July 2009, 21:02

i had taken a test drive for i20 few days back and it is really awesome..

But the one word that comes to my mind seeing the car is ""COPY CAT""

Steering wheel, Cockpit, Foldable mirrors - From CIVIC

Keys & back A/C vents - From FABIA

Ambient Color Display - From SWIFT & ANHC

But who cares, overall the car looks really good & VFM.

The only thing to think twice before going for ASTA(O) is that whether Hyundai Hatch Back will get a good resale value after 2 or 3 years for the price its been bought now(around 8.1lac onroad in chennai)

I am holding a 12 month old civic and even i am impressed to give my car & go for it

Reason -planning to downgrade to a premium hatch back as i find very difficult to use civic for day to day travel(around 50kms a day).i am getting all options like civic..

I am also looking at FABIA. you know what the sales man of SKODA says...

They say - the difference between i20 & Fabia is just like the difference of NOKIA & KOREAN mobile phones

This is stopping me to decide i20

Thomas8700 · 29th July 2009, 22:02

@ deepanonline.

dude seriously the sales guy is at best described as an arrogant immature guy

nokia vs korean?? as in nokia vs LG , nokia Vs Samsung. ??

what all type of comparisons lord jesus!!

you are the one who will be putting down your hard earned money. i would close my eyes and put my money on the hyundai i20 the fabia is not that technicaly good.

i have my restrictions cant let out such info in a public forum

but yes check this forum for Fabia issues. you will know!!

gadiyar · 29th July 2009, 22:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepanonline

I am also looking at FABIA. you know what the sales man of SKODA says...

They say - the difference between i20 & Fabia is just like the difference of NOKIA & KOREAN mobile phones

This is stopping me to decide i20

Hmmm. I'm betting the new Korean phones beat many Nokia's by a mile. I own a (Taiwanese - close enough to Korean)ASUS P527 phone and I don't think I'm going back to Nokias in the near future

Also, isn't the engine in the Fabia much more underpowered than the i20? If you're comparing these two, I guess the i20 would be just as good value for your money.

Thad E Ginathom · 29th July 2009, 22:17

Until I went on to read your reasons, I was astonished that you would change a Honda Civic for a Hyundai!

I'd think twice about that Fabia though; I used to think it was great, until I actually travelled in one; now I couldn't consider it at all.

As to the salesman's ideas, you could tell him...

--- Who does he think he is working for, a great Scandinavian company like Volvo?

--- Nokia is not that wonderful, actually, and is loosing market share rapidly these days

--- If he is going to talk in analogy, he's better work a bit harder to get it right!

kpzen · 29th July 2009, 23:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuttapan

I was in third gear and accelerating, after almost redlining second gear. What speed does 2nd redline at?

2nd gear redline is 80kph.

Quote:

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Well with that steering I would be scared to take the car on the highway.... absolutely numb and devoid of any feel what so ever. I thought I had the seen the worse of electric power steering in Suzuki's, but no.

@all... When I test drove the i20, the steering had this tendency of coming back to the straight ahead position even if you go slight to the left or right, a kind of an elastic effect which made me believe the alignment was off but when I took my hands of the steering wheel in a straightline, i tracked straight and true.
The car I test drove was 1.2 and had done 3400 kms.

The driveability of petrol and diesel variant is not the same.

AbhiJ · 30th July 2009, 00:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepanonline

the difference between i20 & Fabia is just like the difference of NOKIA & KOREAN mobile phones

One trip to the A.S.S. / The numerous threads on this forum should change your opinion.

In my book, the i20 beats the fabia comfortably.
1) The engine : 1.4, 4 cylinder CRDi vs. 3 cylinder mill
2) Reliability : Petrol fabia have been known to break down, quite a bit.
3) Looks : i20 is better than Fabia (I.M.O.)
4) A.S.S.: I wont even start on this point.

I would rather have my car serviced at a TATA workshop rather than Skoda. I prefer incompetence to downright dishonesty

Similar bias used to exist in the states against the Japanese in the past. And we all know the condition of the American Giants today. The japanese have taught them how to build cars.

extreme_torque · 30th July 2009, 10:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by kpzen

The driveability of petrol and diesel variant is not the same.

If you have read my post properly I am talking about the steering which is electric in both the cases.

pachchu · 30th July 2009, 10:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by AbhiJ

One trip to the A.S.S. / The numerous threads on this forum should change your opinion.

In my book, the i20 beats the fabia comfortably.
1) The engine : 1.4, 4 cylinder CRDi vs. 3 cylinder mill
2) Reliability : Petrol fabia have been known to break down, quite a bit.
3) Looks : i20 is better than Fabia (I.M.O.)
4) A.S.S.: I wont even start on this point.

I would rather have my car serviced at a TATA workshop rather than Skoda. I prefer incompetence to downright dishonesty

Similar bias used to exist in the states against the Japanese in the past. And we all know the condition of the American Giants today. The japanese have taught them how to build cars.

well said on all points.

WhiteKnight · 30th July 2009, 10:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

.. When I test drove the i20, the steering had this tendency of coming back to the straight ahead position even if you go slight to the left or right, a kind of an elastic effect which made me believe the alignment was off but when I took my hands of the steering wheel in a straightline, i tracked straight and true.

Isn't it expected from any car? The steering should come back to straight ahead position if the alignment is proper. So, what is the problem?

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepanonline

They say - the difference between i20 & Fabia is just like the difference of NOKIA & KOREAN mobile phones

Koreans have come a long way. You would be surprised to know that Samsung is the World's largest consumer electronics company.

extreme_torque · 30th July 2009, 10:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Isn't it expected from any car? The steering should come back to straight ahead position if the alignment is proper. So, what is the problem?

For slight left or right movements? So much so that you feel a tug on the wheel?

28th July 2009, 13:14	#166
raul BHPian Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pune Posts: 920 Thanked: 374 Times	This is really surprising to hear. When I had taken the test albeit not at the speeds you took, the car seemed pretty well sorted, and it definitely felt it would be stable at high speeds. Of course the 1.2 engine which takes eons to pull to hundred was not doing it any justice in that department. But I felt with a more powerful engine and the build quality and chassis this would be a hot hatch. The only negative was the power steering. But handling is something I didn't test so this is a bit disappointing to say the least. The point is not whether I will drive in this rash fashion, but incase I am in a situation it would be better to have a car which handles well to get me out of it. I don't think I will knowingly but a car which I know handles badly, that will always be at the back of my mind and make me jittery at higher speeds. But that's my personal take. I feel the i20 is a really well built car and would have to personally test the handling to take a call.
	() Thanks

28th July 2009, 13:17	#167
ph03n!x Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Coimbatore Posts: 2,604 Thanked: 6,165 Times	From owning a Getz CRDi for a little more than a month, I can safely bet that no other car owners will know the speed the car is doing unless they look at the speedo- i have tried it both when they (other car drivers, pretty experienced at that) are a passenger and a driver in my car. Typically 100-120 feels like 60-80, especially on a highway. It does a 60 in 2nd and 100 in 3rd even before you can wink an eye, if you are pushing the car, and is really quick to 140 (i have not tried more than that, what with running-in and all ). No offence, but I have a feel that the i20 cars in discussion, which were on stock rubbers, were definitely in 3 digit speeds when they acted the way @kuttapan has described- which is to be expected. The stock tires can no way bear any kind of a brunt, and are meant for sedate, city driving. Put them on a 195, and then see Last edited by ph03n!x : 28th July 2009 at 13:19.
	() Thanks

28th July 2009, 14:13	#169
extreme_torque BANNED Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Melbourne Posts: 4,461 Thanked: 5,534 Times	Well with that steering I would be scared to take the car on the highway.... absolutely numb and devoid of any feel what so ever. I thought I had the seen the worse of electric power steering in Suzuki's, but no. @all... When I test drove the i20, the steering had this tendency of coming back to the straight ahead position even if you go slight to the left or right, a kind of an elastic effect which made me believe the alignment was off but when I took my hands of the steering wheel in a straightline, i tracked straight and true. The car I test drove was 1.2 and had done 3400 kms.
	() Thanks

28th July 2009, 18:57	#170
vasoo Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 1,039 Thanked: 248 Times View My Garage	Managed to do a TD on the i20 crdi today afternoon along the Sarjapur road. It has been pretty good, and one of the major weakness of i20 1.2 (lack of "sufficient" power) is clearly addressed in this. Yes it is a pretty good diesel, well refined and rev friendly, though there is not much of "G-force" as experienced in Verna or Getz crdi. Its not so easy to make out that its a diesel whn seated inside. The NVH levels seems to be pretty good. The suspension bottomed out once on a "regular" sized speed breaker in Sarjapur road with pretty light weight inside, but then this may be based on my comparison to Santro. Handling seemed to be ok for the speeds (upto 120 kmph) and distance covered (approximately 10 kms). The CRDI Asta version costs 6.6 lacs ex-showroom and about 8 lacs on road in Bengaluru.
	() Thanks

29th July 2009, 21:02	#171
deepanonline BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: chennai Posts: 154 Thanked: 9 Times	i had taken a test drive for i20 few days back and it is really awesome.. But the one word that comes to my mind seeing the car is ""COPY CAT"" Steering wheel, Cockpit, Foldable mirrors - From CIVIC Keys & back A/C vents - From FABIA Ambient Color Display - From SWIFT & ANHC But who cares, overall the car looks really good & VFM. The only thing to think twice before going for ASTA(O) is that whether Hyundai Hatch Back will get a good resale value after 2 or 3 years for the price its been bought now(around 8.1lac onroad in chennai) I am holding a 12 month old civic and even i am impressed to give my car & go for it Reason -planning to downgrade to a premium hatch back as i find very difficult to use civic for day to day travel(around 50kms a day).i am getting all options like civic.. I am also looking at FABIA. you know what the sales man of SKODA says... They say - the difference between i20 & Fabia is just like the difference of NOKIA & KOREAN mobile phones This is stopping me to decide i20
	() Thanks

29th July 2009, 22:02	#172
Thomas8700 BANNED Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: back in gods own country :) Posts: 118 Thanked: 0 Times	@ deepanonline. dude seriously the sales guy is at best described as an arrogant immature guy nokia vs korean?? as in nokia vs LG , nokia Vs Samsung. ?? what all type of comparisons lord jesus!! you are the one who will be putting down your hard earned money. i would close my eyes and put my money on the hyundai i20 the fabia is not that technicaly good. i have my restrictions cant let out such info in a public forum but yes check this forum for Fabia issues. you will know!!
	() Thanks

29th July 2009, 22:17	#174
Thad E Ginathom Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 11,443 Thanked: 30,034 Times	Until I went on to read your reasons, I was astonished that you would change a Honda Civic for a Hyundai! I'd think twice about that Fabia though; I used to think it was great, until I actually travelled in one; now I couldn't consider it at all. As to the salesman's ideas, you could tell him... --- Who does he think he is working for, a great Scandinavian company like Volvo? --- Nokia is not that wonderful, actually, and is loosing market share rapidly these days --- If he is going to talk in analogy, he's better work a bit harder to get it right!
	() Thanks