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Old 12th August 2009, 21:34   #61
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How does the engine handle at lower speeds ie on 1st or 2nd gear, considering the car has a relatively weak engine? Does it vibrate a lot or sound strained?
If you driven the fabia petrol you'll know what I mean...

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Old 13th August 2009, 03:53   #62
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Taking off, and in traffic, it sounds fine, quite refined actually, and eager. But somewhere in the power band later on there is a weak spot that is probably torque build up not quite happening until higher in the range. Shows up as an inability to pull the car when the revs drop, as if the engine has suddenly just given up on the task. Noiselessly! And it then needs a downshift for the car to start moving again. Shows up a lot in traffic/sharp turns induced slow climbing in the hills, where you need to be friends with the gearshifter.
Have never had a chance to check out the Fabia, so I can only guess that its problem may be three cylinder dynamics at play.
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Old 13th August 2009, 18:44   #63
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Back from a quick trip to Bombay, and the car did very well. it now goes for the 1000kms oil change. Highlight of the trip was that it returned 18 km to the litre. AC on all the time, except for 15 mins climbing the ghat on the return leg, and four hours of e way/highway driving plus 90 minutes dawdling in Mumbai traffic. I wanted to see just how well it does on this score, so on the e way I made sure to not exceed 100. Still got from home in Pune to south Bombay in 2 hours 15 mins, because I beat the morning Mumbai commuter traffic on the way in by starting early. Return journey took an hour longer. Saying this just to emphasize that FE and getting quickly to where you want to go, are not on opposite sides of the see saw. All it takes is maintaining a high average speed via better anticipation and smoother roll on roll ofs, instead of frantic acceleration and braking that burns resources equally well. And cancels each other out.
On that note, it was nice to see the fuel needle parked at full for almost 100 kms! Big difference from my earlier hatch, where the needle used to visibly slip below full by the time I got home from the pump after filling it to the brim - and for that satisfaction, I am ok to sacrifice some grunt, and use the gear shift more often to keep the 1.2 kappa singing in its power band.

Last edited by Sawyer : 13th August 2009 at 18:47.
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Old 13th August 2009, 20:19   #64
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Wow! 18 kmpl is a good feat considering the size of the car! i TD'd a 1.2 with a friend today. Had three people inside, the car,though no rocketship, felt quite peppy, and fun to drive. I kinda liked the light steering, perfect for city use.(dunno how it would be at high speeds, but where can we actually do these 'high speeds' anyways!) I think people who have not driven the car are the ones who complain about it being underpowered.
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Old 14th August 2009, 06:00   #65
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The light steering is something to get used to on the highway. It is fine at dead center, nice and heavy, and you can keep the car on course with a light touch, but when you move it to change course in either direction, it gets light in a hurry, and that can be disconcerting since you can then over correct. So, be careful on the highway till you get used to the trait.
Also, I think some people have driven the car and felt it underpowered, and the complaint is a fair one, if a car was to be fully loaded. And one has to be in the right gear before starting an overtake, a driving skill that can go out of date if the engine has more power to make up. For some one that changes gears for just the heck of it, as I do sometimes, no problem!
Re the FE, my experience with older Honda i vtec engines tells me that driven skillfully, the Jazz would return close to 22kmpl in the exact same circumstances as yesterday. Pound for pound, their engines are usually that much more efficient. Bears out what the Jazz salesman told me when I TD it - the FE you get from the Jazz will be a good measure of your driving skills as can be deployed in India. And with those FEs, the Jazz price premium, does start making more sense. Not the car for me for some other reasons, but a great modern car, nonetheless.
PS: The FE may also have been helped by the Michelin XM 1 plus that I switched to. Great ride of course, but since I switched on day 1 from the Aceleres, I can't make a side by side comparison.
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Old 14th August 2009, 13:00   #66
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Another pleasant surprise - with my oil, the total cost for an oil change, Rs 156. The oil filter is for just Rs 77 with taxes! I can see that the i 20 is not going to be expensive to maintain. One of the reasons why I bought it, but nice to know once again all the same. Another major departure from my earlier hatch.
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Old 14th August 2009, 15:11   #67
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Have not checked out on the forum for a while.. very nice car indeed... and looks we have registered on same day :-) Have many happy miles ahead.. my initial ownership review is on another thread
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Old 14th August 2009, 15:38   #68
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@Sawyer

18 is a good figure for an FE. I can start to take that as standard on stock tyres then.Also the cost of oil change was pretty interesting as well. This is going to cheer up people like us !
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Old 14th August 2009, 16:00   #69
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I get around 13-14 in the city. And I have OE size Michelins, maybe that helps a bit. I bought the i 20 knowing that Hyundai is frugal on maintenance, but it was still good to get a confirmation. By and large, I think that i 20 owners in India will be a happy lot. It really is an exceptionally well made car. And I expect it will be Hyundai's third big success in India, after the Santro and the i 10. Maybe it will also force Maruti to fix its one weak point - poor build quality that gives rise to all the rattles.
I think that a lot of people still do not realize how good a deal the i 20 Magna 1.2 is. At the same price as the ZXI Ritz, it is a much better car, in my view. Certaintly it outclasses the Ritz when it comes to interior design, and fit and finish. And Hyundai reliability and service is perhaps even better than that of Maruti. Certainly, as good, at least.
The only problem with it is that it is so good that it is boring. But for some of us, that is how it should be with our cars, so that other things can take priority.
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Old 14th August 2009, 21:50   #70
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sawyer View Post
The only problem with it is that it is so good that it is boring. But for some of us, that is how it should be with our cars, so that other things can take priority.
Well said Sawyer.

I would just change one thing - 'for most of us, that is how it should be with our cars...'
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Old 15th August 2009, 03:15   #71
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pachchu View Post
Well said Sawyer.

I would just change one thing - 'for most of us, that is how it should be with our cars...'
That would be true of the car buying population as a whole. For active members here, that may not be true - no disrespect intended!
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Old 15th September 2009, 06:21   #72
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Not being able to leave well enough alone, I am mulling over blackening out the B pillars on the car, a la Swift/GP and many other cars, to achieve the floating roof effect. On a white car, this should be a standout. On the red car, I am not sure if it will be as much of an impact, and of course, zero impact on a black car.
Anyone done this for an i 20 yet? One of the things about the i20 asta is that it does not leave you with much to do later - which is probably a good thing in the longer term!
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Old 15th September 2009, 08:39   #73
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Using photoshop to mull over the decision!!
PS: either looks good/bad depending on whether one likes the look of the car in the first place. Probably not worth the effort and the money in that case.
Attached Thumbnails
Arrival of my new Hyundai i20 Asta (1.2 Kappa)-img_8447-copy.jpg  

Arrival of my new Hyundai i20 Asta (1.2 Kappa)-img_8447.jpg  


Last edited by Sawyer : 15th September 2009 at 08:43.
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Old 25th September 2009, 08:53   #74
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sawyer View Post
Not being able to leave well enough alone, I am mulling over blackening out the B pillars on the car, a la Swift/GP and many other cars, to achieve the floating roof effect.
Damn it. I didn't notice it before, and now because of you this is the first thing I'll have to get done on my car when it arrives How are you planning the execution though? Paint or vinyl?
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Old 25th September 2009, 14:18   #75
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I would have used matt black vinyl tape. But since I find it hard to choose which one looks better, I am not doing it for now - why do it in that case is the question!
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