So here we were, in nagercoil on the way to Mahendragiri from Trivandrum for the Easter holidays, when dad suggested we take the i20 for a spin from a local showroom. We had plans to buy a hatch (i20/swift/fabia) and had already taken a test drive of the swift back in Trivandrum.
The swift was a fantastic handler, but fell extremely short of interior or boot space. The interiors were rather dull and the plastics rather cheap. At first look, the i20 is a stunner. The looks of the car are a breath of fresh air with its cool merc SLR inspired front end and a nicely finished rounded rear. The car is massive. The wheelbase at 2525 cm is slightly longer than the verna and decimates the accent in comparison! It even beats its rivals, the swift and the fabia by a handsome margin.
The model on display inside the showroom was the lower end magna. The door handles are body coloured while the boot handle is large enough to comfortably use even when you have luggage in your hands. The antenna on rear of the roof adds to the overall look. The interiors are as spacious as the outside. The console is a treat to stare at, with a galaxy of neatly arranged knobs and buttons begging to be pressed. The plastics could have been better though much better when compared to the swift.
The chocolate brown interiors are extremely pleasing and give the car a plush look on the inside. The steering unfortunately looks a bit ugly with the Hyundai logo standing out garishly on a plain wheel. Only the top end asta model gets leather covered steering with audio control buttons. The magna also does not have a chrome covered gearstick, unlike the asta. Space up front for the driver and co passenger is massive, while rear space is on the lesser side.
But legroom, shoulder room and height are in abundance, with three big (and I mean BIG!) adults comfortably able to sit at the rear.talking features, the steering can be adjusted for rake and reach while the seats in the asta are hydraulically height adjustable. The stereo comes as standard with two tweeters and delivers good sound output. Coat hangers above each seat are an extremely thoughtful feature. The boot is voluminous and could swallow an entire trip’s luggage for a large family.
The seats could be folded 60:40 which leaves room for even more space. The console gets a trip computer which shows time, trip distance, temperature, calendar apart from other useful information. The top end asta gets a beautiful remote folded key with immobilizer, climate control, fog lamps, six airbags, electronic ORVM, alloys and ABS with EBD. Whew!. The glove compartment on both variants is given ac vents, so that your ice cream never melts on your way back home! It was now time for the test drive! The demo vehicle was the higher end asta. I adjusted my seat, the steering.
The ORVMs were great to use, with their controls on the driver armrest. I turned the key in the ignition and the engine started even without a purr. Fantastic! The 5 speed gearshift has smooth, short and precise throws which you would love to flick with your fingers! As I stepped on the gas, the 1.2 kappa sprung to life with the acceleration in the first gear being simply marvellous. The steering is a class apart, being extremely light at low speeds and smartly weighting up at higher speeds.
A boon to drive in the city. Second gear, and you feel a slight drop in power. Mark my words.. this drop is so feeble that it would not even be apparent to people who are upgrading from a smaller car to the i20. The third and fourth gears pull the car smartly with overtaking in these gears very much easy. The lack of power haunts the car again in the fifth but you’ll feel the need to change to fifth only at 80-90 kmph. The fifth gear though is perfect if you wish to go into cruise mode. The braking with abs+ebd is awesome! 100 to 0 in 43 m flat.. Thats good enough to thrash the swift and the fabia! Frightening though if you are driving the i20 for the first time. A gentle tap on the brake pedal should be enough on most occasions.
The i20 gets gas shock absorbers at the front and rear translating to phenomenal ride quality.The car can comfortably glide over potholes, both small and large with comfort. The body roll is high though but the car feels planted at speeds. All in all the car is a great buy and has extremely good value for money, what with all its power packed featured which come only in the higher end sedans. A nice buy if you have the budget. I booked the asta version when I reached back home in the sleek silver colour.