We are concerned about the long-term reliability, overall comfort & refinement.

BHPian car-dent recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

We are in the market for a diesel hatchback which will be primarily driven by my wife. We have zeroed in on i20 Sports CRDi and Altroz XZ variant.

Both of them have most of the common features expected at this price point but a few features are unique to each. The price for both is similar.

Altroz (Extra features not present in i20 Sportz)

• Alloy wheels
• Rear wiper, washer
• Projector headlamps
• Keyless entry and push-button start-stop
• Adjustable rear seat headrests and rear armrest

i20 (Unique Features not available in Altrox XZ)

• 10 bhp more power and 45 Nm more torque
• Digital instrument cluster
• 6-speed Gear Shift (so I expect slightly better mileage)
• 10mm broader tyre
• Tyre pressure monitoring system

None of the unique features in either is a dealbreaker for us. We are concerned about long term reliability and overall comfort and refinement.

Any suggestions?

Here's what BHPian mercedised had to say about the matter:

Altroz is comparatively a newer launch, i20 is a tried and tested product. If I were you, for my wife, I would go for i20.

Here's what BHPian theAutomaniac had to say about the matter:

Although not a dealbreaker for you as per what you mentioned, IMO projector headlamps, rear wash and wipe, alloy wheels, rear headrests and armrest are far more usable than a few more BHP (addition of 10 hp isn't too much either), a 10 mm wider tyre (you can always upsize) and a stupid digital instrument cluster.

That aside, the Altroz has better comfort, better design (subjective, but I never liked the new i20), FAR better brakes (Hyundai cars have never had good relations with braking systems) and is safer by miles! Plus, the internet keyboard warriors will also give you their blessings if you get the Altroz.

The Altroz's 1.5 diesel is actually in the market for more than double the time when compared to the i20's 1.5L diesel! Plus, with the issues I have seen people facing with Hyundai cars on the internet and on Team-BHP, I would never recommend anyone to trust Hyundai's "proven" products either.

Here's what BHPian AYP had to say about the matter:

Looking at your primary requirements, i20 is the one to go for. Being a Hyundai, there is a higher chance that your overall ownership will be fuss-free as compared to a Tata. The Hyundai 1.5 is more refined than the Tata's 1.5 unit.

The Altroz has its main advantage in the form of a 5-star safety rating and rear wiper. The i20 on the other hand has a punchier engine. The interiors also look a notch above the Altroz in terms of feel and look. Personally speaking, I give higher weightage to the engine and performance aspect of a car which is why I'd pick the i20 over the Altroz. With the recent addition of features like Cruise Control and automatic climate control, the Sportz variant has become quite a complete package.

You should test drive both the cars and pick the one which makes you smile.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The i20 N Line is now available in a new single-tone shade called Starry Night, while Fiery Red is part of the dual-tone palette.

Hyundai has made some changes to the i20 N Line colour palette.

The i20 N Line is available in four single-tone colours, including Thunder Blue, Titan Grey, Polar White and a new Starry Night option. Fiery Red is no longer available as a single-tone option.

The dual-tone colour options have also been tweaked. Thunder Blue, Polar White and Fiery Red are available in combination with a Phantom Black roof.

The i20 N Line is a sportier version of the regular i20. It features side skirts with red accents and a roof spoiler. The car rides on 16-inch alloy wheels and has disc brakes on all four corners. It also gets specially tuned suspension and twin exhausts.

Under the bonnet, the i20 N Line comes with a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine that produces 118 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 172 Nm @ 1,500-4,000 rpm. The engine is mated to either a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Thanks to Ahad for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP share page!

The Asta 1.2L Petrol IVT and Asta 1.0L DCT variants will be discontinued.

According to a leaked document, Hyundai is set to offer features like electric sunroof, cruise control and automatic climate control on lower variants of the MY2022 i20.

The Hyundai i20 Sportz will get automatic climate control and cruise control, while the Asta variant will get an electric sunroof, cruise control and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment head-unit.

The voice command feature will be available on the top-spec Asta (O) trim. Hyundai has added six new commands including a welcome message, contact info, new sport addition - soccer, sunroof controls, driver window control and navigation assistance.

Hyundai will also rejig the i20 variant line-up. The Asta 1.2L Petrol IVT and Asta 1.0L DCT variants will be discontinued.

Source: Rushlane

The car has sufficient power to carry 5 people, however, you have to slow down at speed breakers & large potholes.

BHPian haskell recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Beyond the Honda 3rd generation City, to the uninhabited extent, I always contemplated the need for a small car for those daily city needs.

I happened on a trail of recent hatchbacks reviews. Had my father not enquired about a test drive, we would not have this lovely car sitting in our driveway. A day after the enquiry, two gentlemen with masks encompassing their faces from us came to render their assistance. Father shook his head, raised his eyebrows and displayed his unearthing with the perfect movement of hands, “son the front facia is not as high as my friend’s i20”, he is referring here to the second generation.

I confessed I did like it.

Now, shall I enlighten you about the wisdom of the rest of the family members, as this is the secret that led to further movements? Women-folk expressed sympathy towards the space at the rear bench. I gathered that the car dimension was tailor-made for the parking space. Amidst the twittering wits, we rolled for the test drive. On the rude tarmac beneath we gild along in tranquillity. With five aboard, the reluctance to move was not identified.

My Sales Advisor and I are of the same cloth when it comes to hastening the process. To my immense joy, I came to know that a model of my liking is on its way to their yard. So as it went, I booked the car via “Click To Buy” as per request by the dealer. On 06 of February 2022, in the broad daylight visited their yard to do the PDI. The car had just been unloaded from the carrier and the odometer read 16 KM. I crossed at length, the many checklists in the “Team-bhp shared document”. And then came the delivery day, accompanying my sister and nephew, reached at 4 PM, 5 days later.

Permit me to elucidate the lukewarm delivery procedure. The car, though cleaned, had grease at certain spots. Dealer's only concern was to adhere to the delivery checklist supplied by Hyundai India and hence every action felt like being acted, devoid of human courtesy. To my dismay, the odometer fuse was kept aside to be fitted at delivery time. They were having a tough time removing "SHIP" mode which I observed in the MID.

Observations

• It happened only once, the gear shift knob jerked from 1st to neutral at the time of start.
• The seats are comfortable and wide.
• Power is sufficient for 5 onboard.
• One has to slow down at speed bumps and large potholes, otherwise, a reverberating thud is endowed upon.
• Mud and dirt accumulate in the space in the front of the rear wheel wells.
• There is no anti-theft alarm.
• The default speakers are quite good, Bluetooth is quick to pair with. The tactile controls on DIN and steering wheel are a welcome feature.
• The Headlight throw is inadequate for unlit roads. I had to turn on fog lamps to compensate for on a few occasions.
• The horn will not deter bovines to make way, even fellow motorists tend to forego.

P.S. I would suggest Hyundai listen to the customer grievances on the after-sale feedback call instead of providing ratings only.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Once you experience a Honda VTEC with straight pipes, there's no going back. I don’t think I’d ever be able to drive one stock.

BHPian ManualTribe recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Garage update:

I'm going to mix it up a little here, and bring to you ownership reviews of both my babies.

2015 Hyundai i20 VTVT MT:

Well, the name isn't that long, but Hyundai decided to call it the “Elite” I20, leaving me with not much of a choice.

I dropped out of my engineering after trying for two years, and that kept things at home very volatile for me. So when I initially went up to my dad and said “Hey, I've saved up some cash, could you help me get a loan so that I can get myself the new KTM RC 390?”. The response was rather humbling.

I didn't give up however, and turned up with double the ante this time, wanting to buy a car(was always more into cars). To my utter disbelief, I was allowed to go car shopping keeping a budget of about 5 lakh keeping in mind I would pay the installments and was asked to look at the Beat, Alto and even the Nano.

Don’t get me wrong, they’re great machines, but I wanted something to call out to me. Something to match my personality and driving traits.

The hottest hatch back in the day was the Polo in it’s GT (TSI/TDI?) avatar. The more economical option being the MPI which just wasn't juicy enough.

I knew I had to extend my budget if I even wanted to think premium hatch, and well, a couple of heated discussions and convincing later, I went ahead and zeroed in on my probable choices. The Hyundai Elite I20 (as they call it), the Polo MPI, and the Punto. I test drove all three, and though the I20 was supposedly the worst driving/handling one amongst the three, I requested for a longer test drive in one and released it wasn't all that bad as advertised. Having spent enough time in a previous gen owned by the family, I knew the ride had improved considerably. So it wasn't like they didn't listen.

However, the Polo MPI lacked the power and the Punto left me a bit meek, as the guy told me a normal service could take upto a week. I couldn't imagine being apart from the car for so long, and the I20 on the other hand had a really strong hold in my mind.

In terms of premiumness back in 2015, it was a huge step up from anything else in the market. It packs a decent amount of power, although its not the 100+ bhp mark which is currently hotter than ever.

So I made it happen! 21st November, 2015 I took delivery of the I20, named it Leena and have driven 108,000 kms since.

This car has literally seen it all, as cliche as it is saying that. I was a 21 year old college boy who took up multiple internships to be able to afford what some would call a needless possession.

I gave it my all to have enough money for fuel and expenses at all times. That’s where my hustle started.

The first road trip was from Bangalore to Hyderabad and back. I was accompanied by both my parents, and it went by in a breeze. It was as comfortable as a hatch can get for three occupants. This is where I learnt for the first time, that this car has one downside - being mileage. The FE was an absolute joke! While driven spiritedly, I get about 7-10 kmpl, no joke. When you really do try to get some solidarity in your wallet and shift under 2000 rpms, she manages about 12-13 kmpl. This obviously made my dad a bit upset as he thought any sensible guy in my place should’ve chosen something like the swift, or ANYTHING but with good FE.

To be honest, I loved it though! I loved the note of the stock exhaust, I believe its one of the nicest sounding petrols in the segment. Needs stainless steel piping and she’ll be a screamer! When your car sounds and shifts like you want it to, you’ll never be able to complain about the kilometres per litre it achieves.

Life went on, I graduated and started working, while changing multiple jobs thanks to luck, decisions, the pandemic etc. One thing that remained constant in my life was this baby.

Once I strated working, i obviously had a larger amount of disposable income and well, it all went to experiences. I have driven this car with its FE all over the place. Multiple Goa trips, multiple Blore-Hyd runs and a trip to Kolkata and back.

It has always been the most comfortable ride ever. A gear down whenever I'm in need of a bit more oomph and it never disappoints.

I’ve made sure this car always got the best. A single ding or scratch would mean an insurance claim and making the guys at Hyundai go mad! Because I just couldn't let them not take my pride and joy seriously! It was always taken care of by authorized Hyundai service centres and runs stock to the day. (Recently got a set of forged rims and Yoko rubber).

The clutch on this is a bit of a tricky one. Not boasting or talking smack here, but if you ever look up TGE TV’s video on him purchasing his dream Porsche Carrera GT, yo'ull hear him say that he got practice of the clutch on a 1.2/1.4 Hyundai.

While you disengage the clutch, it takes a bit for the car to move.

Considering my username, you know by now I’m a sucker for a good shifting knob of happiness. This gearbox on the I20 is just butter smooth as they say. It is just so slick, and fits into the groves like a glove! Though its also stupid expensive to replace, it’s quite the cherry on the icing when it comes to this car as a package.

Ever since the change of rubber, a wider set of tyres have honestly improved handling dynamics by a mile! However, my ideal spec was this car with a set of Lenso Dyna Jager’s, I’ll make that happens soon, I promise.

Needless to say, this car will stay in my garage forever, as it just means so much to me. I quite really grew up through this ownership experience, and I find myself sitting back and looking upon all things cherish-able rather amused. Yes, it has been a bit of a money sucking machine, but which fine automobile isn't?

I'm currently trying to limit the kilometres on this thing, as I said earlier, I want to retain this for as long as possible, and not rack up more miles and service bills for a while. She’ll still get the best attention possible, but just no more daily driver duties. I’m considering the rims afore mentioned and SS breathing for this thing. Will update this thread with time.

2001 Honda City VTEC MT:

As life and car enthusiasts go, the hunger never really dies and you want more and more once you’ve tasted what experiencing a car to the fullest means.

I always wanted to take up a project car. The idea of bringing back an icon to its former glory is just stuff that dreams are made of right? I’ve already spoken about why the VTEC in my previous post so I wont bore you with it again.

But here is how it has been going.

Note: Considering this was my maiden attempt at building a project car, do excuse the times you’d probably say “Why the hell would you do that?”, just bear with me. I’m still learning, and I will keep doing so till my last breath.

I took out a personal loan to fuel this project and build a brand of my own. Which would be a community for like minded car enthusiasts. Enter ManualTribe.

I made a living out of writing once, and considering that I can speak decently enough, I thought I would curate as much content as I can,the kind of content that I would like to consume and take it from there.

I found a car which had a lot of red flags. Thinking these flags would be good for the story, I just shut my eyes and jumped.

Do read the note a scroll up at this point if need be.

I found a VTEC which hadn't been driven in two years. Went about doing a full overhaul in terms of mechanical and electrical fronts.

This, took a lot of time and money. At this point, I was based out of Hyderabad and all my car contacts being in Blore, it would have to drive down for all these jobs.

Once it was running fine, and I had managed some more funds, I went about to change the breathing on the car. Man, let me tell you.

Also, a dual flow intake and SS piping for the same.

Once you experience a Honda VTEC with straight pipes, there's no going back. I don’t think I’d ever be able to drive one stock. It just sounds like a big block, foreign engine. You’d never believe it is a 2 decade old Honda!

This was my daily driver for the last year and I don’t think I’ll be able to find such an easy/fun to own/hoon car in the price bracket ever.

The road trips were all solo, and would you believe not getting tired in a 20 year old car with suspension issues? I didn’t either till the time I did the Blore-Hyd and back runs multiple times.

Also, once I changed the breathing with the exhaust, the highway runs were just orgasmic. I would be grinning from ear to ear throughout the 650 kms. It would literally sound like a bomber just cruisiing about. That noise!!

This is one car that turns heads like no tomorrow! There have been multiple instances of people older to me walking upto me and striking a conversation. Just makes my day. No matter how late I am or how urgently I need to be somewhere, I ensure I give them my 100%, considering they’ve put in the effort of starting up a conversation.

You might now believe it, I was once dropping my boss home after a late night and considering the pay difference, it was obvious his locality was full of Mercs, Bimmers and a couple of Range Rovers. I saw a couple of kids come up to me and say- “Anna, super car!” I was in shock. The little dude probably gets dropped off to school in an S350, but he said my car was cool! How could that be? A gent of fine taste I’d say.

Jokes apart, the utter symphony that is, the high revving VTEC unit is a gem. I wish I could one day have a car built to my vision. This one’s halfway there for now.

I pity the generations to come, for they will never really be able to experience and know these few legends, which are slowly being pushed off the roads in the name of FC, NOC and well the newest of them all- green tax and the 15/20 year rules.

The point is, a lot of us are actually ready to go through the whole ordeal. But the constant harassment from the cops even if your car is totally legal and all papers accounted for is what ruins it for me.

Bangalore road regulations are pretty strict, considering back in Hyd, the VTEC was my daily driver and it never caused a problem (there was also an instance when an officer pulled me over and said listen, i like the sound. Make sure when you get the next green you rip it!).

I have nothing but respect for the officials of the law, it’s just that rules in our country are a little obsolete, if I may.

So 20,000 kms after on the VTEC and another job and city move since, I’ve decided to part ways with it and make way for something newer. Just because I don't want to deal with any more paperwork related running around. It’s an MH car with a few things done and a few things not yet done in the Blore RTO.

For anybody who’s looking for a VTEC, you can take a look at mine, you’ll definitely have to take up the paperwork drama, but atleast I’ve got the fixing the car part taken care of rather well.

Will be sure to write more, as being read and understood by fellow enthusiasts is the next best thing, than to be able to share stories in one another's garages.

A question to @GTO, could you please help me out a bit here? Hahaha. I think i need some help with the money management bit. I think a couple of conversations with you will help me make better choices, because the bug has bitten me and I’m now hungrier than ever. To pick up something and build it as my own spec.

Currently considering a ’13 Cedia, as it wont have as many paperwork issues, and it seems to be the last of the true tunable cars.

Also, in case things do fall back to normal and office resumes, I’ll have 70 kms of driving to do daily,and I’d rather have something fun. Loud exhausts can always have Valvetronic units installed and that should leave space for 0 complaints.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

As far as I remember, the engine oil has been replaced only during the 1 month service internals in the absolute beginning.

BHPian brt_mhn recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello fellow BHPians. I know this thread will absolutely hurt all of us to the core. But I hope we can give this trusty 2012 i20 CRDI a new life.

I found a post by BHPian beejay in which he gave his parameters for writing off a car as abused. As you will see, this i20 satisfies all the parameters.

About the car:

This is a 2012 Hyundai i20 CRDI Asta pre-facelift model. We bought the car in Feb ‘12 and it had been in constant use till August 2021 when we finally retired it as our daily car. This ol’ reliable machine has done 61,716 km at the point of writing this. Current running is around 70-90 kilometres per week thanks to my driving lessons.

My father was a very conservative and sedate driver and never stressed the car too much while driving. He never even remotely attempted to close a gap in traffic. In all my years as a passenger, I have never seen him cross 2000 rpm more than 6-7 times. My dad is the kind of guy (please believe me, this is 100% true) to drive at 40 in 4th while going uphill! Add to that the fact that we use the AC once in a blue moon, it is safe to say that he is one of the most efficient drivers out there. Fuel efficiency you ask? 20 kpl in the city! Every time we calculate this, he comes away amazed (as if he’s been rally racing the car).

What went wrong?

To bring it down to 2 words, cost cutting. My father never believed in manufacturer recommended because he always thought of them to be very optimistic. As far as I remember, the engine oil has been replaced only during the 1 month service internals in the absolute beginning. Coolant was replaced once 4-5 years ago along with the battery. Other fluids and components have never been changed. And since wear and tear is very gradual, none of us in the family never even noticed anything. All this changed after two events in the past 6 months. The first one being that we moved into an MG ZS EV and the second one being me starting to drive.

What are your preliminary observations?

• My Numero Uno observation in the i20 was that the ride was very jittery and I could easily diagnose that the suspension was worn out.
• The second thing was that the car was pulling to the left. The service centre has diagnosed that the steering rack is busted and that they want to replace it which I believe to be true as the car used to squeal every time I reversed with the steering wheel completely turned to the right (In retrospect, is it just an alignment thing?).
• My third observation is aimed at the brakes that squealed every time I depressed the brake pedal mildly. This disappears as soon as you press it down a little more though. I think I should get the brake pads replaced.
• My last major observation is that there is a bit of resistance when I try shifting into 2nd from 3rd. This does not happen for any other gear.

Apart from this, there are various scratches and dents (I managed to remove a few) picked up over the years and other things like the struts for the boot failing to keep it upright. The bonnet is also a little loose leading to noise and vibrations at idle.

I intend to replace things like bumpers and a broken tail lamp lens myself and leave the mechanical components to an authorised service centre.

I have always proclaimed myself as an enthusiast but most of my knowledge was only market related coming off Autocar India and more recently, Team BHP. I am truly humbled upon realising how much I do not know after joining this wonderful forum. I am now slowly learning the nitty-gritty of engines and various other “Quirks and Features” (any Doug DeMuro viewers out there?).

I request the esteemed members of this forum to suggest various amendments to be made.

And also, we will be strictly adhering to manufacturer recommended replacements and checks for the ZS EV. Complacency? Not on my watch.

Thanks and regards,

Brt

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Your car sure does look like its been used rough, but it's not too different from "beater cars (Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one)" which many BHPians have. My own Sunny has a lot of battle scars as we put it through all kinds of rough usage.

Good thing is:

• Your i20 has only done ~60,000 km. It's built to good standards, so there is hope. What you need to do is have a competent independent mechanic give it a full checkup, and then fix all the important stuff.
• You are learning how to drive and a cheap, old car like this is the perfect companion for the purpose.

Here's what BHPian PaddleShifter had to say on the matter:

First, are you aware of any trusted FNG in your city? Get the car’s engine compartment inspected from them properly. The service centre “might” try to fleece you in the name of “restoring” your car that has not been serviced as per schedule. Depends upon the service centre really. I was made to sign a document in 2014 by FIAT ASC that I am refusing steering column replacement suggested by them and I will be responsible for the consequences. The steering column is working fine as of 2022. I just need to top up the power steering oil every few months.

Are you sure engine oil was changed only once during the initial service? Or am I misinterpreting?

Regarding servicing, leave body work for the end. First see if there is any major fault with the car mechanically. Once you have ascertained that the money to be spent is reasonable, start with the basic service and then drive the car for 2-3 months without changing the steering or suspension. Once a low running car is put to use, the aged components generally seek attention within the initial few months. Once you know it is working fine and is taking higher usage nicely, go to step 2.

Step 1. Get the basic servicing done ASAP in which you replace all oils/fluids (engine oil, transmission oil, brake oil, coolant) and filters (air filter, fuel filter, cabin AC filter, oil filter).

Step 2: Ascertain the parts that need replacement (You have already done that):

• Get suspension and alignment work done together. Once the suspension and alignment is fixed, get the work on steering column done.
• Get brake pads and discs replaced together (I dont recommend changing the pads alone in your case unless the discs seem fine enough to run another 40-50k Kms). Discs replaced now would most probably work for the rest of the lifetime of the car.
• Get miscellaneous parts replaced: boot struts, tail lamps, bumpers. Rejuvinate the exteriors from a local body shop. I think your 60,000km driven i20 will serve you well.

Here's what BHPian sagarpadaki had to say on the matter:

For starters, replace all the fluids and filters in the car:

• Coolant.
• Gear oil.
• Engine oil.
• Diesel filter.

Fill in Shell Rimula R4(5L) with a new oil filter.

The left pulling looks like a alignment issue. Get it checked at a reputed alignment center in your city. Change tyres if they are more than 7 years old. Also, check the front brakes for binding.

Go for the cosmetic corrections only if the car is mechanically correct. No point in spending money on new bumpers and painting if the car does not drive properly.

PS - We have a 12 year old i20 CRDi done 1.4 Lakh kms. It is one of the most well built cars of the era. They do not build like them anymore.

Here's what BHPian boniver had to say on the matter:

I'm sorry, what? I'd change the engine oil every year even if the car has just been sitting. I don't think BHPians run beater cars for 10 years without changing the engine oil.

OP, forget the suspension change, please change your engine oil. I have personally experienced one such occasion before this, again, a BHPian's 2014 Swift diesel, where the car had been driven 33k kms without changing the oil. Basically, his parents used the car for 5 odd years without getting it serviced, and we only learned about it when we both turned 18 and got our hands on the car. At that stage itself, what came out of the drain hole was pure gunk, so I shudder to think what'll be the situation in your case. Don't think about sludge formation in the engine, just do this first.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I have a budget of Rs 10 lakh & my only requirement is hassle-free & low-cost ownership just like my 12-year-old Hyundai i10.

BHPian pallav167 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians,

I have a question that is bothering me for a few weeks. It is related to my confusion on which of the available engine options in i20 should I go for.

Just to give you a little background about my car ownership so far, I currently own a 2.5-year-old Kia Seltos (1.5L Petrol manual), purchased in Sept 2020 and a 12-year-old 2010 Model i10 (1.1L Manual). My first car was a second hand Maruti Esteem purchased in 2008, kept it for 2 years before I bought i10 in 2010.

Immediately after we bought Seltos, the Covid thing occurred and hence the car only managed 12000 Kms in 2.5 years.

The i10 is mostly driven by my wife these days but during Covid WFM, I have also used it quite frequently. I just love the manoeuvrability of a small car over Seltos in city traffic and that’s one of the reasons I am looking for a modern-day city beater. Another and more important reason is that the car lease of my Seltos is getting over in a few months and I am now looking for another car to utilize the tax benefits of a leased car.

I am not in need of a new car but as mentioned, I want to utilize the Car Lease policy of my company. But to be honest, I have given my heart to the new i20 and that’s the most important reason for this consideration. It looks simply amazing in starry night color.

I am planning to part off with my i10 although it has only been driven 65000 Kms in the last 12 years. The car still runs like a charm and could easily serve till the end of its legitimate cycle of 15 years without any fuss. The ownership experience of my i10 has been very smooth and since it is less driven, I haven’t pocketed any big bills on services and parts replacement in the last 12 years of ownership.

I have a budget of up to 10 lacs, and I am confused between three engine options:

• Spotrz CVT (1.2 litre)
• Sportz iMT (1 litre Turbo)
• Sportz Manual (1.2 litre)

My only requirement is hassle-free, low-cost ownership just like my current i10. I also don't want to pay exorbitant service bills and need a decent fuel economy since the car will be mainly used for small city runs.

I have never owned an automatic and my wife and I both love manual. But since this is going to be a city commuter and I am also looking to try something more contemporary, I am open to automatic as well although still not heavily inclined towards it.

I am apprehensive of a few things and if they come out to be true, I will happily go for a naturally aspirated Sportz 1.2 manual.

I am seeking answers for the below points from this highly experienced group:

• Do Turbo engines require higher maintenance costs (in the longer run) as compared to the naturally aspirated ones? I heard that there are chances of turbo failure in the long run?
• How is the long term reliability of iMT? Does it have a higher maintenance cost (Service+ part failures) as compared to manual ones?
• How much will be the approx. difference in fuel efficiency between iMT and CVT as compared to manual ones? Is it negligible or considerable?
• How much is the difference in fuel efficiency between Turbo and naturally aspirated engines? Is it almost negligible?

I know I am asking for too many details, but since I have always owned naturally aspirated petrol cars, I am not very confident about the upkeeps of Turbo and Automatics.

Also, since I already have a Seltos, I am not looking for a low mileage/ high maintenance car as it will only be driven 200-300 kms / month max. So not very keen to spend much on something that will be parked in the garage most of the time.

I am looking for the suggestions of Team BHPians as it will help me in making a better-informed decision.

Another thing I want to mention is that I am only considering i20 and no other car, purely for its front looks and sharp fit and finish. Having owned an i10 and Seltos, I am naturally more at ease with Hyundai cars.

Here's what BHPian DesertRain had to say about the matter:

To answer some of your questions, if you have never driven an automatic, I will definitely recommend having one in the garage and you will find yourself driving it more than any other car.

To the best of my knowledge turbo should not have any higher maintenance than the regular 1.2 IVT. Same goes for IMT, I don’t see maintenance being radically different in these cars. DCT maintenance IMO can get tricky if it breaks.

Again, fuel efficiency given 200-300 km range will be negligible so that’s also not a factor.

I would suggest for a cost-conscious purchase go for IVT, DCT is better but IMO turbo DCT i20 is very bad and laggy. Also, IVT is cheaper

I myself am in the market for a small car for my wife, test drove i20 DCT N8 but hated the turbo lag so much that looking at downgrading to 1.2 IVT.

Hope I have been of help.

Here's what BHPian sunikkat had to say about the matter:

While I cannot give a comparison of fuel efficiency between models, based on my 1-month usage, IVT in Bangalore city gives me around 9 to 11 mileage. Please note I have not been travelling in heavy traffic these days. Also, mileage can increase after the first service.

But IVT is such a bliss to drive, it’s so silent, smooth and peaceful. Speeds up to 90 to 100 are easily attainable. I cannot think about driving my Octavia manual anymore in the city.

At the same time, it’s not fun to drive, if that’s your requirement too. But for that matter, none of i20 is really fun.

Go for IVT, you will thank me later - expect for the fuel efficiency may be.

Here's what BHPian goandude had to say about the matter:

There is an entire thread dedicated to your first question.

Now IMT is relatively new in our country so long term reliability will need to be seen in the long run. AMT which is a more complicated form of IMT has been around for a while now and I have not seen many issues with reliability.

My 1.0 turbo IMT gives me 15 kmpl in the city and 20 on the highway. I am a sedate driver and don't venture out in peak hours.

I only had MT cars before this and the shift to IMT has been a great boon in traffic.

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Due to the strong adhesive, the paint also came out along with PPF at some places.

BHPian motoholic31 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi All,

I had a horrible experience with 3M PPF which I had got done 5 years ago in 3M Thane. Over the period of time, PPF had become brittle and got converted from glossy to matte as you can see.

Decided to get it removed which was a nightmare. PPF had a strong adhesive and because it became brittle it was coming out in pieces. Below are some pictures for reference.

Due to the strong adhesive, the paint also came out along with PPF at some places, especially plastic panels.

I have learnt a lesson and I'm never going to opt for PPF for any of my cars in future. Maybe ceramic coating is a better bet than PPF after having such a horrible experience.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

I keep my cars for long (typically 10 years), so thank you for this thread. Was always worried about how PPF would age over a decade. We did ponder over PPF, but eventually decided against it.

What works for me is good parking + car cover + detailing twice a year + other simple best practices listed in this article.

Turning 9 this year:

Almost 10 years since the last paint job:

Here's what BHPian Pancham had to say on the matter:

Wow, this is quite horrible. This is one reason I have stayed away from PPF. It just bewilders me how a thin sheet of plastic with glue can stay on a car for 5-10 years (the warranty period these companies boast of), endure our Indian harsh conditions and 'not' take out paint when you try to peel them off after a prolonged period such as this one. They say only cheap PPF has this problem. Your case proves them all wrong. I think all PPFs may have this problem after 5-6 years. Better to stay away.

Here's what BHPian goenkakushal had to say on the matter:

This is exactly my biggest fear which I shared in my previous post.

I was just trying to guess the reason for such horrible condition, it could be one of the following:

• Was this PPF a Fake 3M sold to you. If it was a genuine one with a warranty card etc then this should have never happened. Can you please take it up with 3M
• Was it due to the wrong installation method?
• Was your car exposed to any extreme climate or some unhealthy environment of some chemical factory in the vicinity?
• Is the life of PPF only 1-2 years and beyond which is not safe for your paint?

A brand like 3M cant be selling such sub-standard products which will spoil the car's paint. This issue should be examined for their own benefit.

Can you share which 3M PPF variant was sold to you and at what price?

Have you tried visiting the store where it was installed? Would like to know his comments.

I hope this is a result of some sub-standard counterfeit products. Else everyone who has installed PPF to protect their lovely looking cars will be found after 5 years.

Here's what BHPian DRIV3R had to say on the matter:

This cannot be a genuine 3M PPF from what I can tell.

A friend has the same variant of basic PPF costing 550 per sq. Ft. on his 10-year-old Punto and it still has the same properties. Has not faded but has picked up a few swirls here and there. The PPF is also 9-10 years old.

Though the store might be authorised, there could be some level of autonomy the franchise would have to do such stuff, so cannot rule that possibility entirely.

I have had STEK PPF on my car for the past 4 years and it is good so far.

Here's what BHPian WorkingGuru had to say on the matter:

After all, it's a stretchable plastic/polymer with glue. It's bound to harden after years of constant exposure to the sun's UV.

I don't trust this PPF bogey. Simply not believable to me that some "superior plastic" can cost a whopping ₹550/sqft. At that rate, one can get their car repainted thrice over!

P.S: I don't trust online influencers at all in this matter, too many of them are either directly or indirectly benefited to praise it.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I wanted the N Line from the start since no other brand was offering a sporty version of their hatchback.

BHPian iNLine recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So here goes nothing - My i20 N Line DCT ownership review that will hopefully help confused car buyers like me. TLDR at bottom.

A few disclaimers before I start - I am a fairly new driver and have mostly driven the Swift diesel before. My car has been driven over 2500 km in the span of two months of which 1500 is mine (I don’t drive at night and was co passenger all the time, so this review might contain their insights as well).

Shortlisting process:

I wanted the N Line from the start since no other brand was offering a sporty version of their hatchback. The car first leaked back in Oct 2020 if I am right, and Hyundai confirmed they would be bringing this brand to India in Dec 2020 via Autocar.

However, tried to get 2L discount on Figo AT but the deal did not materialize. It would have saved me nearly 6L overall.

I did a test drive of the Polo GT in which I barely fitted in (I’m 6’0) and my mom was left with no space in the backside.

I had next to zero interest in buying an SUV because of how you’re perceived for owning them but mainly thanks to TGT episode in which Clarkson proves there is nothing sporty or utility in an SUV. I rejected the Magnite because of the steering issue and flimsy build quality and friends and family talking about Renault reliability. No interest in any other CSUV or crossover.

Buying process:

Did a test drive along with a friend and a family member at two different dealers and called a few to check colour/variant availability and discounts. A dealer was ready to give 70L discount compared to Carwale dot com price and I went ahead.

Went to the Joshi Hyundai, Chandigarh early morning and did the PDI. Thanks to your checklist and some I found on the internet, made my own custom checklist and kept checking the boxes. Had already told them to keep the car clean and neat and behold there it was. My BIL took a test drive again and gave it all okay report.

Called the branch manager to send in the loan payment and I did my own payment via UPI and RTGS/NEFT. Before this, I had only paid them booking fee of 10k.

Then my sister saw the backside of Polar white i20 with black accents and tried to convince me to get the grey colour but I did not bulge. Blue would have been nice but it wasn’t in stock.

After a few more hours of bank delay and paperwork delay, car was ready. Mind you, the showroom was jam packed that day as they had 11 scheduled deliveries and 20+ more on coming auspicious day of Dhanteras. Overall a very pleasant experience- truly 10/10 to dealer and Hyundai as well.

First drive:

The car is absolutely superb. If you are confused between this or some other car, get this one without a doubt. I’ll try to convince you with my words, but you gotta try it out to truly feel what I feel. A wide grin on my face every time I am behind the steering wheel.

The car is a looker for sure. I’ve seen people turning heads and checking out the shiny chrome double exhaust pipes. “The car starts like Audi” and “Lamborghini wali feeling” is the praises that sweet note from the exhaust has received. Turning on the car and making people hear small pops and bangs is my sweet little party trick.

The engine is super smooth and refined. You can feel the harshness sometimes if sunroof or window is open. But that turbo whoosh should be a music to every car driver. Talking about the turbo, yes the car lags a bit. I remember the very first time I tried to overtake - it was a scary experience as I went to other lane and pressed pedal gently but there was nothing and so I returned to my lane after disappointment and boom there goes the car. But after driving on the straight one way highway for a few kms I learnt exactly what I need to do. Expect a lag of ~1 second and you should be fine. Or downshift via paddle shifters or gear stick and vroom.

But I rarely manually change gear. Press the pedal hard or even go pedal to the metal and you’ll see car downshift a gear or two. You’ll always have enough power and need not worry about anything. Switch to sport mode and the story changes wildly - you’ll always be in the right gear and have fairly large amount of power than you’ll ever need for this small little hatch.

Did a trip from Chandigarh to Lansdowne last week and drove on empty three lane highways to hilly roads and D mode was always sufficient. Car would shift from D3 to D2 automatically too without pressing pedal hardly when at a hill slope. Hill launch assist works so brilliantly that I never realized it’s even there or not - just silently doing it’s job.

Quickly changing lanes, going over bad patches of road at high speed which I would never consider in a Creta are a lot easier here. However, the car did feel like an aeroplane at unmentionable speeds though and not enough planted. Is this due to stock Nexen tires or light body chassis - I’m not qualified enough to comment. Everyone who drives do mention the hard brakes and the hard steering wheel and I’ve to explain to them it’s a feature, not a bug.

My cousin did a hard brake test recently (panicked and depressed brake pedal fully thinking of a clutch) and needless to say disc brakes did their job. A bike swerved into the ORVM (no one got harmed) and to my surprise, it bent backwards and did not break! I thought the feature was only available on select models. I was so shocked by the events that I did not check if ABS or ESS worked or not.

Coming to features list:

It’s plenty. Voice control works well and so do plentiful other buttons on the steering wheel ranging from music control to cruise and MID control. Mute and pause button are integrated into one which is a nice trick. Stock Bose speakers are more than okay but you need to up treble and bass a little from default settings.

10 inch display is crisp and clean, is fast and is high up instead of fitted below and hence you do not have to look down. Wireless charger is a nice feature but I have to remove my phone cover because otherwise it will bounce at a pothole and gets displaced. Wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are great additions and the latter has a much much better interface. Android Auto only takes two third of the screen too.

MID gives a lot of information including currently playing music track and directions (arrows and km) if you’re using in built maps (which might be a little wrong and confusing sometimes). It shows overall average of 14-15 usually with 80% drive on highways and rest bumper to bumper traffic. Never have been able to get above 17.6-17.8 except for 18.2 once.

Rear seat space is plentiful. Rear AC vent, wiper, USB charger along with holder and armrest do up the game. Boot space is decent and more than what people expect from a hatchback. Big door pockets are everywhere, but the rear ones don’t get red ambient lighting.

One big downside that I feel is maybe I should have owned and driven bad cars before to truly appreciate this beauty. Should have driven a small puny engine car or an AMT or CVT. Hard steering and suspension do give confidence, but I have no benchmark to compare with it too.

Overall an impressive machine, a great first car. DCT reliability remains to be seen. I was so nervous and confused before buying, thinking about a big failure but now didn’t think about it. As GTO said “I'd rather have a breakdown every 5 years than drive a boring engine / gearbox for 10 years.” Though he also added “That said, I would pick a competent torque-converter AT over a DCT 10 out of 10 times.” but I am ignoring that part for now.

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I'm planning to buy the Creta SX Executive as my Hyundai i20 Elite replacement. This model doesn't come with an infotainment system.

BHPian aruncr recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi team,

Currently, I own a Hyundai i20 Elite. Driving it for the last 6 years. The vehicle is in immaculate condition except for the tyres that I have imported recently. Since the Yokohamas had worn out at 45,000 km, I preferred Chinese and imported.

Four Triangular tyres from Indonesia - 60/195/R15. However, the front tyre started wobbling and the centre portion began to wear out and affect the rack and pinion.

This isn't the reason for selling the car. The IDV is falling and the insurance coverage level as well.

I have test driven XUV 700, Thar, Seltos, Astor, Creta and Harrier. However, landed up on Creta SX - Executive.

This model doesn't come up with an infotainment system. The customer needs to add it as an accessory. Hyundai (or My showroom) approved models are from Sony, Pioneer, Blaupunkt and Motevo.

I'd prefer Motevo as it comes with an extra-large 10.25" LCD screen with all current-generation features. The quoted price is Rs. 45990 without speakers.

The vehicle comes with in-built 4 speakers/2 tweeters and steering mounted audio controls. I will be installing my JBL 4 CH Amp of 200W with a subwoofer that I am already using.

Can someone throw some light on Motevo 10.25" infotainment system or any suggestions for an alternate brand (all details) with the same screen size?

• How reliable this is?
• Clarity of sound?
• Clarity of video and reverse camera?
• Overall experience?

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

Definitely not a fly-by-night brand. I see many posts on Motevo and, in fact, Honda endorsed them too.

Here's what BHPian RaSing had to say about the matter:

Not sure about the brand Motevo, but please be informed that there are a lot of Android Screens available in the accessories market in the range of Rs 7000 to 23000, including brands like Nippon. I feel the showroom is just charging the double. Please have a look at this thread before going ahead. I personally feel you can save a lot of money by doing a bit of research on the net and in the market. Also, a lot of brands are now available on Go Mechanic site.

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say about the matter:

Extremely overpriced. The same product is available at a third of the price in the market. Scout around. There are plenty of such Android-based head units in the market, unbranded as well as branded. All are made in China.

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