[Suess]

As far as I know, I think, I am the first one posting a review for i20 2011 model on Team-BHP. If it's not the case please, correct me.

First of all we want to thank you everyone on this forum for putting such valuable information. It has helped us in making our decision and we are sure will be helping us with abundant knowledgebase in future throughout the ownership.

Here I am starting a new thread to share my initial ownership review, and TDs. I am planning to keep it updating after each service and of course whenever there is something interesting to share and talk. So, happy reading.

Chapter-1: Test Drive, Test Drives and some more Test Drives.

We came back to India in last year Oct’10 from Germany. First thing after settling down in Chennai, we start looking for a car but postponed it for 2011 mainly for 2 reasons; 1. The year was ending. 2. After 11 yrs in Germany, I wanted to get a bit “used to” the Indian traffic. So, we have rented some self driven cars in Chennai to practice.

In January’11, we started to have test drives of:

1. Cheverlot Beat 1.2L Petrol LT: A very stylish car with poor ride and interior space. Enough said

2.Ford Figo 1.4 D Titanium: Figo was excellent drive. Big enough for small family, planted ride, good engine, and cherry on pie “Bluetooth enabled ICE with Music Streaming”. OTR 6.6 Lakhs. With this price most pinching was manual ORVM, and only half rolled down rare windows! (BTW, the reason for half down rare windows is those bulging wheel arcs which are extended to rare doors.)

3.Hyundai i20 1.2L Petrol Asta ABS: Great looking hatch with a feature list which is as long as a muffin recipe. Good engine, very good ride and good handling. Interiors are spacious and made with good quality materials. But then came the VW Polo

4.Volkswagen Polo 1.6L Petrol Highline: This car has changed my opinion of small cars in India and cheered us all. I have already driven an “Old” Polo and compare to that this “New Polo” is in completely different league. This is the car you can buy with closed eyes, just sit inside and you will fall in love with it’s quality interiors, supple ride, a great engine (we tested Vento 1.6L while Polo Test Vehicle wasn’t available in 1.6L because we wanted to have Polo 1.6L). In 2011 model you can get electrical ORVM to complete the package.

5. Nissan Micra 1.3L Petrol XV: This is cutest car after VW Beetle. But engine lacks the punch and interiors are subjective, not of everybody taste. Ride was good; takes potholes and speed breakers with ease.

6. Hyundai i20 1.2L Petrol Asta ABS: For pro-cons see above. We had to have second TD because during first TD the guys from V3 Hyundai, Chennai told us that TDs are limited only for 2-3 Kms! What! He must have already traveled at least 5-6 Kms to bring the car to our home for TD (just FYKI: We have got all the cars at home for TDs) but we could drive only 2-3 Kms. That was the first joke I heard from all the car dealers (I noticed they aren’t very funny people) For 2nd TD, we called Express Hyundai, Chennai and the guys there are very cordial and happy to answer any question and to help.

7. Fiat Grand Punto 1.4L Petrol Emotion Pack: Those guys never brought the car for TD. Always had some excuse or other. And anyways, my husband didn’t like the interiors and I didn’t like the extriors.

After these TDs we decided for Volkswagen Polo 1.6L Petrol Highline but to our dismay the waiting time for this chiseled diamond was 5 months!! So, we went for our 2nd choice which was i20 1.2L P Asta and decided to buy VW Golf as our 2nd Car. With a kid without a car for 5 months is hard wait in Chennai eternal summers (though this time weather has been quite pleasant). For 2nd car, one can wait even longer. So, after locking the choice, we started the search for finance and negotiations for Discount, Freebies etc. (what luckily we got from Express Hyundai in plenty.)

Continue in Chapter-2 “Money Matters and Book my Show(off)”

After deciding about the car, we have to decide about the dealer. And as I mentioned before in test drive section, we had good experience with Express Hyundai, Chennai, we were almost decided to go for them. But then V3 Hyundai Sales Executive called us and when we asked him about his offer he offered some accessories like mats, mud flap, sun films.

I went with this offer to BMK Express Hyundai and surprise, surprise! The Sales Executive there offered us long list of accessories which includes

1. Reveres Parking sensors with distance display
2. Leather Imitation Seat Covers
3. Car Cover
4. Sun Films (Garware
5. Mud Flaps
6. Floor Mats incl. Boot Mat
7. i20 Steel Door Scuff Plates
8. Number Plates
9. Car Polish
10.I wanted it to make 10 but he refused politely

So, I wasn’t matched by V3 or any other Hyundai, for that matter. So, we decided for Express and gave the first cheque for booking amount.(minimum was 5000Rs).

Finance: we wanted to have car on finance and being new in India and having all new address proof etc. I was hard to get any bank to get ready to finance the car. But in the end we got a good enough deal from Dhanlakhasmi Bank at 11%. So, It was pretty quick they have given the cheque in just 1 week. We have made the full payment and were expecting our car on 4-5th Feb as we booked on 24th Jan the Express Hyundai promised delivery on 5th Feb. But that wasn’t on the cards.

Insurance: we have chosen the in-house comprehensive insurance just because of cashless claims. Anyway, I am not sure if I have made the right decision because I am new to all this in india, we decided to relax and not think much about some thousand Rs.

Then came the WAIT!

We were waiting for the car to be delivered on 4-5th Feb but Express didn’t call till 3rd and I also didn’t follow. Excuse my German ways. When we called them on 3rd Feb they informed us that they are sorry to inform but there is delay in delivery while the car is at Hyundai itself and under production. So, they were making it on order! I didn’t believe the excuse and kept buzzing Express guys twice a day because I have learned that they are not going to call and that’s normal here. I am supposed to follow up.

Anyway, I asked them last and final date, they gave 11th Feb and they delivered the car on 11th Feb with a good cheerful attitude and with complete Puja, framed photo of handing-over-the-keys ceremony. We did the full PDI check as per Team-BHP recommendations and I took the delivery without accessories and given the car today (14th Feb) to get it accessorize.

Chapter 3: Let’s burn the ramp!

See Pictures below, at end of the post.

Chapter 4: 1st impression is not last impression!

After getting delivery o f the car on 11th Feb, we drove around Chennai city for last couple of weeks (ca. 500Km on Tacho) which gave us enough heart-in-mouth moments from excellent driving skill of Auto rickshaw and bike riders!

So, here is our first impression:

Wow: i20 Asta 1.2L Pertol, Crystal White, OTR ~ 6.7Lakh.

1. Looks: with those waistlines running through its body. It is still a “looker”.

2. Very silent Engine; you hardly hear it inside cabin and it’s very rev friendly. It wants to rev! in city it’s delight to drive. On highway it doesn’t complain going upto 100Km. Overtaking is good but only in 3rd Gear!

3. Change gear indicator helps when engine noise is negligible in cabin. Every time rev touches 2000 it tells you to move up. Good for engine, good for fuel economy.

4. Full Electrical OVRMs

5. Auto up/down window glass with pinch protection

6. Good seating comfort. My kid is happy seating behind. Fully customizable seating position for driver is a great feature. Though I wish there would have been little bit more play room for steering column.

7. Ample Boot space. With 60:40 split rear seat you can comfortably move play things and prams etc. for kids and family.

8. Lot of useful(!) information on HU display

9. Very good OEM ICE(we are playing mp3 of above 256kbps)

10. Excellent road handling. It takes potholes and corners without complaints.

11. No rattle, no uneven gaps or glaring poor quality materials. It all feels very well put together.

12. Excellent Aircon. Works perfectly in Auto mode. Air vents are really close when they are “closed”.

13. Gearshift is smooth though the gear throw is large. I will mention one problem I am having with gear in cons!

14. Steering is very light and comfortable for city driving. On highway it’s ok. You can feel the difference as soon as you turn off the engine and try to lock the steering. How heavy it would have been without EPS!(trick is to lock it asap after removing the key, I would say within seconds)

15. Sharp Breaking. But could have been better.

16. Very nice and easily reachable user switch and knobs. Quality of Steering mounted controls gives you a feel like they are going last long.

17. Paint quality is quite good too. (No it doesn’t beat Polo.)

In next section I will try to summarize the cons and the small thing which I have to nitpick.

Chapter 5: Some impressions should not last long!

Here are some cons but I would say that they are not deal breakers.

1. "Horn OK Please”. NO it’s not ok when everyone on Indian roads bagging for horn.

2. Why only the window controls on the driver’s door are lit up, not the mirror controls?

3. Headlights could have been brighter. On well lighted Highways and in city it’s ok. But I need something more powerful sometimes to teach some lessons to those (on) “High” beam drivers.

4. 1st and 3rd Gear are very close and I am having frequently problem with it. It might be the problem with our car. I will get it checked on 1st service.

5. Window pockets are too small.

6. I think there should have been little bit more play room for steering column.

7. I wish the auto lock was there at 5-7kmph (as it is there in ford figo). How hard is that?

8. Last but not least: I am used to park the car in 1st/Reverse gear (keeping the slope in mind too) which seems not usual practice here and you can start the car in gear without pressing clutch! That can cause big problem if someone else drive away with the car which I had parked last and was not aware of it being in gear or if a kid turn the ignition. That’s my biggest complaint.

Overall, I am happy with car and very easy drive in city. It drives good also on highway and can take 100-120kmph with ease. But I won’t suggest that. These are small cars and not meant for that speed, especially on our highways and undisciplined traffic.

Verdict: If it’s your first car or you are making an upgrade, with i20 Asta, you will be more than happy and will find yourself loving this car. It makes you feel that you are in much bigger/expensive car than it is actually.

Regards,
Suess.

NB: Pictures are taken with Nikon D90 (all without flash). I will keep updating about service etc.

[theoriginal9321]

Let me be the first to congratulate you on t-bhp!!
Eagerly waiting for updates and pics..

[wildon]

Hi, Welcome to the i20 Club here in T-BHP. Do post pictures and other details. Also i would like to ask is the 2011 models HU are Bluetooth equipped ?

[Suess]

Thanks "theoriginal". "wildon" no it doesn't have Bluetooth still. though i10 AT is coming Bluetooth now. But I have one Jabra Bluetooth-FM Transmitter so that does the pairing with phone/mp3 player and stream calls/music on ICE Unit. Cool....

I am waiting to get my car accessorize. after that i will put some picture.

[nagarjun]

Congratulations for the new i20!
Are there any differences in the i20 Asta 2011 from the 2010 model or just the manufacturing date is 2011?

[wildon]

Originally Posted by Suess

I went with this offer to BMK Express Hyundai and surprise, surprise! The Sales Executive there offered us long list of accessories which includes

1. Reveres Parking sensors with distance display
2. Leather Imitation Seat Covers
3. Car Cover
4. Sun Films (Garware
5. Mud Flaps
6. Floor Mats incl. Boot Mat
7. i20 Steel Door Scuff Plates
8. Number Plates
9. Car Polish
10.I wanted it to make 10 but he refused politely

You got all these as freebies That too for a 2011 make vehicle !!

[sohail99]

Wow!! thats a great list!!

btw I found that the steel scuff plates get scratched and its near impossible to remove scratches from it, + it coves quite less area on the door jamb and thus its 'protection' purpose isnt quite fulfilled properly!

The one we get in UK are much better and most of all, they're plastic with central chrome i20 logo!! and big enough to cover whole of the foot area of door jamb!

btw please can you post pics of the car along with the freebies you got!(especially mudflaps!)

[karmania]

I wish I had got similar freebies when I bought my i20 last year. :( There were freebies galore for i10, but only sad face for i20.
This was the case in most dealerships around the country. You my friend are very lucky. Maybe Hyundai is starting to treat its premium hatch customers a little better this year.
Waiting for the photos.

[camchennai]

Congratulation Suess on your i20

Well, it helps sometimes when you have more than 2 dealers in a city and in the case of Hyundai we have 6 dealers in Chennai which helps customer to negotiate hard. And in your case it has worked out well. But as per my knowledge KUN and DSC gives more discount. Did you try to deal with them??

Please upload the pictures.

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by wildon

You got all these as freebies That too for a 2011 make vehicle !!

Same reaction! When my FIL was shopping for a car in December, we didn't anything more than a silly discount on the i20! Good deal!!!

Congrats on the buy, Suess! And ya, pics please!

[Suess]

Thank you all for your compliments and wishes.
Ya, we got all that as freebies and the parking sensors are much better than i expected...with left/right closer warnings and center distance measurement! i am not sure how much that cost in market. But I don't care as far as i am happy with it.

Wildon we try to get Auto Lock enabled but they were not aware of it. but i asked them to get information about it by 1st service.

I know everyone is waiting for picture. me, myself is also getting restless to use my SLR on this MODEL. But right now bit busy with my kid and a marriage in family. But sure pics will follow.

The difference between 2010 and 2011 Models: First difference was a discount of 20K on 2010 model:-) and i think that's the last too. i20 has seen already a change in mid 2010 so, may me next 4-5 months there will be other slight changes like Bluetooth, Auto Lock etc. as standard features.

Thanks again and keep checking :-)

[classicselva]

Suess, first - Congrats on your new buy and have a safe drive.

I am one of the i20 customer from same dealer. And i have enabled the auto Lock.
It will take some effort & time to make them understand and get the job done.

FYI - Me too got 70% of the free offers you got now in back July 2010.
Any queries, i can be of help, shoot out.

[Reinhard]

Hey Suess, congratulations on your i20, and welcome to TBHP! Wishing you many happy and safe miles with her. PICTURES AWAITED...
Thats a nice bunch of stuff you got! Makes me envious to see you guys getting all this stuff...

Waiting for "Chapter 3:Lets burn the ramp" to be updated. Interested to know about the car as always. Was the PDI all clean? Or you found anything to punch them about?

Enjoy your ride!

[Suess]

As I have posted complete review now with pictures.

I am also answering some question asked in last posts.

1. PDI was ok. there wasn't anything to complain. Actually, you have check and sign the similar kind of list at Hyundai dealers too.(PDI Check List). I just particularly checked VIN.

2. FE till now, i can't say(becasue it is still running on it's first full tank. But if fuel gauge is a thing to go by) but my feeling is 11-12kmpl in Chennai City (AC on all the time).

3. I will set the auto lock in first service. thanks for the help and offer.

regards,
Suess.

[rameshnanda]

Congratulations on your new acquisition. i20 looks amazing in white .

Originally Posted by Suess

7. Fiat Grand Punto 1.4L Petrol Emotion Pack: Those guys never brought the car for TD. Always had some excuse or other. And anyways, my husband didn’t like the interiors and I didn’t like the extriors.

I am surprised that you are not impressed with the exterior of Punto.