Re: Hyundai i20 1.2 : The "White Streak" kisses the 4000km mark 6268km update:
Of late, I have been driving the “White Streak” a lot and just a few days back, it touched the 6000km mark. Here are a few more updates from my end Looks: The i20 continues to be a good looking vehicle. Infact, my daily commutes involve the messy Gurgaon toll where crawling traffic results in wastage of 10-25mins. I have noticed that in such jams, people do end up staring at the car and the set of alloy wheels. I have also noticed the increased number of white i20s on the road. I guess it does look best in white! Interiors: The interiors continue to be a good point for the car. It has on occasions taken five adults for decent drives and the comfort factor remains high. The steering is adjustable for both height and reach but the seat isn’t (this is the Magna version) which means the fair sex has a tough time seeing what’s ahead when behind the wheel. The quality of interiors is top notch and I am happy with the number of places to keep my stuff and the chilled glove box. The integration of the music system is perfect and overall ergonomics are top notch. There is a small storage place below the air-con controls, one ahead of the gear level and two behind. There is also another space behind the two cup-holders which can of use for rear passengers. The blue theme for interiors at night looks classy. Engine: It seems to have opened up a bit now. The second service is due between 9000-10000: this is also when the car will see its first oil change which should further improve the engine. As of now, it feels butter smooth and responsive. I drove one of its main rivals a bit and immediately felt the smoother gearbox, smoother engine and a silent air-con. The i20 might demand a slight premium, but it’s worth it. I am regularly getting 12.5 to 13kmpl with full a/c and slow moving traffic including the 10-20min jams at the toll plaza. My daily commute nowadays ranges from 65-75km and the amount of time I spent in the car is over 2hrs : what makes life easier is the smoothness, silent operation of the engine, the lighter steering and gearbox. These things go a long way in making your daily drive comfortable and less annoying. Ride, handling: My car is running on wider and lower profile tyres which does rob it of the quality a bit, especially at low speeds over rough undulations. However with another person on board and at speeds, the ride is pretty much good. I am love with the light steering and though it isn’t the most responsive out there in the market, I am happy with the handling – I don’t go pedal to metal on a daily basis! The Yokohama tyres have been performing well with just one puncture. Grip is awesome and even under hard and emergency braking, they haven’t locked up yet! Air-con: This has been a datable issue but I am very happy with the performance. My windows aren’t tinted but I do use those stickable black screens: they works! The car shows outside temp of 43-46 nowadays and yet does a good job of cooling the insides. 8.5/10 for the air-con from my side. The Magna version comes with an automatic climate control system. The a/c, on low mode (full cooling) does put a lot on the engine and if you are driving with 3-4 passengers, you feel it. A small price to pay I guess! Overall: Pretty much happy with the purchase. It has done 6268km in 104 days which translates into 60.3km per day. A diesel might have made sense on the savings front but then I wouldn’t have been able to crawl in traffic at 20km/h in 3rd or 35km/h in 4th. Shorter gearing does make the 1.2-litre petrol mill peppy though at the cost of highway economy.
The only downsides I see with my i20 petrol Magna are: 1. Fuel economy : Delhi is still cheaper as far as petrol costs go (58.3) and the running costs as of now are turning out to be roughly Rs 4.6 per km 2. Visibility for shorter drivers due to non-adjustable seat height and an overall low seating posture 3. Lack of punch with A/C and four-five on board
More and better pictures, especially of the interiors, coming soon. MODS: Can you edit the topic name and change 4000 to 6268km please. Thanks!
Last edited by BunnyPunia : 14th May 2011 at 10:34.
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