I’ve bought an i20 about 5 weeks back and have driven for about 1850km, predominantly through the heart of Bangalore.
The USP of the car has to be its features - couple of them that makes journey so comfortable are the Automatic tempature control(ATC) and the Audio controls on the steering wheel. The inbuilt stereo system has USB connectivity and 4 speakers+ 2 tweeters that gives absolutely great sound ouput. I drive for about 3 hrs per day through traffic and with a 4GB USB drive loaded with songs & controls on the wheels, the journey is totally on song.!
I generally find the AC control to be something to be changed frequently in other cars, depending on how long I’ve been driving & changes in conditions outside; the ATC is a boon - set the temperature and you get a consistent comfortable ambience in the car.
The other Big positive is its Power steering and braking. For a vehicle of its size, I’m able to zip through traffic, because Hyundai have opted to have the Steering very light. this is something that my wife feels is the USP - she can drive around tight corners with confidence because of the responsive and easy steering. The braking is the best I’ve come across - probably bcos of the ABS & EBD. Very precise & even during hard braking, you dont feel the typical movement of the body forward and the impression that you’ve cut too close - this gave a lot of confidence when I drove it on the highway - I neednt have to worry about driving too close to other vehicles.
Other positives have to be the massive space, so many useful additional features like electrically controlled foldable side mirrors, adjustable steering & seats and a very good suspension to work through rough roads.
On the negative side, the pickup could be better - especially in the 2nd gear. But, with the Octane rich fuels like Shell Super, this isn’t an issue. The mileage I have with Shell Super(checked over 30 litres of fuel) is 13.2 kmpl. I expect this to increase after the next service.
Overall impression:
If you are looking for a car that gives the thrills in driving & helps you zip out of signals and kills the competition, then i20 isnt the car for you. Again, if you dont listen to a lot of music and are not bothered about features, then U-VA and others are a better option.
But, if you are looking for a compact car loaded with features like a sedan. and are looking at a car for enjoyable, comfortable journeys - typically with good ride quality, good music and driving comfort, then this is just the right car. It beats Swift hands down & Fabia is far too expensive compared to this.