Hyundai Elite i20
The Hyundai Elite i20 has been launched in India at a price of between Rs. 4.89 - 7.66 lakhs (ex-Delhi).
What you'll like:
• All-rounded package in a sharp design. Improved over the 1st-gen i20 in nearly every way
• Spacious interiors with outstanding quality, fit and finish. Practical 285 liter boot too
• 1.4L diesel has excellent driveability, refinement, performance & fuel economy. 6-speed gearbox is smooth
• Mature suspension offers a comfortable ride and neutral handling characteristics
• Hyundai's fuss-free ownership experience & excellent after-sales-service
• Loaded with features & gizmos (16" rims, keyless entry & go, 8-speaker stereo, rake & reach steering, rear air-con, reversing cam, cooled glovebox and lots more)
What you won't:
• Missing equipment vis-a-vis old i20: Rear disc brakes, side & curtain airbags, sunroof, auto-wipers & DRLs
• 1.2L petrol is nowhere as impressive as the diesel. Mediocre highway performance for a premium hatchback
• Anyone over 5'11" will find rear headroom to be insufficient. Sloping roof eats into cabin height at the back
• Dynamics & steering aren't to an enthusiast's tastes. Swift, Polo etc. are more fun to drive
• On-road price difference between the petrol & diesel is ~1.3 lakhs. That's higher than the competition
• Rear wiper only on the top Asta trim! No fuel-efficiency indicator, auto-locking doors or height-adjustable seatbelts on any variant
In its relentless pursuit of market-share, Hyundai's product onslaught continues. Over the last 3 years, the company has launched 8 new cars, namely the Eon, Grand i10, Xcent, Verna, Elantra, Santa Fe, Sonata and now, the i20. The Korean giant knows how to keep its product range updated.
The 2nd-generation i20 makes its global debut in India, thereby highlighting the importance of our market for this car. The Elite i20 is Hyundai's 5th hatchback currently on sale. In what is a significant development, it will no longer be exported from India (discussion link (Hyundai stops exporting cars from India to Europe)). Hyundai says that European exports have been stopped so that the Chennai plant can concentrate on production for the local market. Turkey will now supply i20s to Europe. The international i20 differs from the India-spec car in length (50 mm longer), boot size (41 liters more) and richer equipment levels. Although the European i20 is longer, its wheelbase is identical to the Indian model. Compare pictures of the two and you'll notice that Hyundai India has greatly trimmed the bumpers, to bring the i20 within the sub-4 meter tax bracket of small cars.
The i20's India story is quite an interesting one. Launched in December 2008, Hyundai's internal sales projection was ~1,000 units a month. The domestic output didn't really matter at the time, since Hyundai had primarily set up the production line for exports to Europe. In fact, i20 exports began before the car's Indian launch, and the company was already shipping 6,000 - 7,000 units a month by early 2009. The market's initial response exceeded the company's modest targets. Still, sales performance was nowhere close to the level seen in the 2010 - 2013 period, because the i20 was perceived as an expensive hatchback at the time. Then, the Jazz came home! Honda adopted a ridiculous pricing strategy for the Jazz, effectively killing the product within 60 seconds of launch. Overnight, the i20 became a value-for-money proposition and its sales shot through the roof. In 2012 & 2013, the i20's average monthly tally was 7,100 and 6,000 respectively. To put things in perspective, that's more than what the entire VW group (VW, Skoda, Audi) has been managing in the recent past.
It's important to note that Hyundai's first big hatch for India - the boring Getz - was a failure. But it's the i20 that actually went on to create the premium hatchback segment. Hyundai doesn't want to mess with the formula, thus the 2nd-generation i20 is an improvement of the same overall package. It's not revolutionary at all. The company's attempt at retaining an identical strategy also reflects in the pricing; the Elite i20 is only slightly more expensive than the car it replaces. The price hike of the entry-level petrol & diesel variants is merely Rs. 8,000 & 15,000 respectively.
Today, in a very narrow price band, Hyundai's showrooms have the Grand i10 hatchback, Xcent compact sedan and i20 hatchback. There's a lot of price overlap between the different variants of these 3 cars. Hyundai & Maruti - both - acknowledge the product overlap in their model range, and honestly don't care as long as the customer remains in the same showroom. Considering the almost identical pricing of the Xcent & i20, which should you choose? Simply put, the i20. Other than 122 liters of boot space, the Xcent doesn't hold a single advantage over the Elite i20. The premium hatchback trumps the compact sedan in every which way. Unless you absolutely need that additional boot space, the new i20 should be your pick.
The styling is decidedly European in nature. Gone is the curvy design of the 1st-gen model, the Elite i20 is edgy & aggressive. It's more mature as well; the fluidic theme is nowhere as flashy as what we've seen on the Verna or Elantra. The i20's looks are universally appealing, this is important for a mass market product. The face is dominated by the large hexagonal radiator grille & swept-back headlamps. What folks will miss though are the outgoing i20's daytime running lights. The side profile is fairly sporty, thanks to the sloping roof line, long bonnet and tight rear. Those wide tail-lamps look striking, albeit the rear is otherwise rather plain Jane. The new i20's overall length is actually 10 mm shorter, but it doesn't look it. Despite the shorter length, the wheelbase has increased. Hyundai claims this is the largest wheelbase of any hatchback, compact sedan or compact SUV (Verito Vibe & Quanto aside). The car is wide and it does have a more planted stance than the older i20. The fatter 195 mm tyres & 16" rims help too (the only other hatch with 16" rims is the Punto Evo Sport).
The build quality is truly premium, with an excellent paint job, fit & finish. Shut lines are uniform all through. While it's no 'European tank', the Elite i20 feels more solid than some tinny Japanese cars we know of... the bonnet in particular feels heavy. The doors don't close with that sturdy thud, yet they do have a soft, premium thunk. There is no area of the car that feels overtly light or flimsy.
What's disappointing, and extremely surprising, is the Elite i20 losing some features of its predecessor. There is no fully-loaded 'Asta Option Pack' variant either. You can no longer buy an i20 with 6 airbags, rear disc brakes, DRLs, sunroof and rain-sensing automatic wipers. The original i20 brought never-seen-before features to the hatchback segment in 2008. We obviously expected the Elite i20 to continue that tradition! Sadly, it doesn't. In terms of safety, it's nice that 3 out of 5 variants have a driver's airbag & ABS. On the other hand, if you desire dual airbags, the top-end Asta variant is your only choice. The Elite i20 remains a well-equipped hatchback; it's just that the feature list isn't as spectacular as it was with the first i20 six years back.
Even for budget customers, the starting variant should be the Sportz with ABS. Anti-locking brakes are a must-have safety feature. If you have the moolah for the Sportz Option pack though, it's better to pay 21,000 more and pick the Asta. That 21K gets you a passenger-side airbag, auto headlamps, additional 12V power outlet, adjustable rear neck restraints, rear wash & wipe, 60:40 splitting rear seat, steering position reminder, parking sensor display and more. The Asta seems like a steal in comparison to the Sportz Option pack which simply doesn't make any sense to buy.
The 'Fluidic Sculpture 2.0' design language is more mature; nowhere as flashy as the Verna or Elantra:
The face of the Elite i20 looks distinct, yet unmistakably Hyundai:
The side profile looks sporty due to the long bonnet, sloping roof-line and tight rear:
I found the rear 3/4th angle the best to view the Elite i20 from:
Clean rear with minimal cuts and creases:
The Elite i20 is designed in Germany, thus looks a lot more European than the 2012 i20:
The silver accents on the headlamps add subtle bling, which complements the minimal chrome usage on the car:
Turn indicators are housed toward the inside, near the slim grille:
Notice the domed headlamp lens bulging out:
The unique grille pattern of the air-dam can emulate a 'diamond grille' in certain light conditions:
The bonnet line has moved up. Also, notice the subtle creases on the hood:
Neatly designed ORVMs with integrated LED turn indicators:
Only the driver's door handle has a request sensor (for smart key locking/unlocking). Interestingly, the Grand i10 has one on the passenger's side too:
Waistline molding isn't as thick as that of the Grand i10:
16" diamond cut alloy wheels wrapped in 195/55 section Bridgestone B250 tyres. Front wheels get disc brakes, rear gets drums:
This 'black C-pillar' is actually a plastic cladding, rather than a painted / wrapped body panel:
The blackened C-pillar doesn't meet the top of the window line. This negates the 'floating roof' effect that it provides in some other cars:
The 3-cluster wraparound tail-lamps appear to be LEDs, but actually aren't:
Tail-lamps bulge outward, similar to the headlamps:
Reverse camera protruding out on an otherwise clean rear; sticks out like a sore thumb. Older i20 had a far superior integration:
The wiper is smaller & well-clad:
Notice how the rear windscreen washer is cleverly hidden away in the high-mounted stop lamp cluster:
Only a single reversing light (on the right). Parking sensors visible too. Black cladding breaks the bulk of the rear bumper:
The sheet-metal of the hatch is more susceptible to dents due to its protruding design, as well as the rear bumper's short overhang:
One of the longest radio antennas around! It is a total misfit on such a modern looking car:
Hyundai's new family face. Swept back headlamps, a slim front grill and a large hexagonal air-dam:
The Elite looks more mature than its predecessor:
The old i20 was one of the better looking hatchbacks of its time. However, it can't hold a candle to its successor:
The i20 isn't a tall boy and the seats are also placed on the lower side. Hence, you have to 'sit down' on them. @ Elderly, please make a note of this. On the flip side, the front doors open wide and have a neat 3-stage action.
Step inside the Elite i20 and the first thing you'll notice is the new dashboard with a plethora of buttons on it. The black & beige interior theme is far more appealing than the 1st gen i20's brown colour palette. The designers have cleverly coupled the colours to make the cabin airy at the front. More importantly, the beige areas aren't in direct contact zones, hence they won't get dirty easily. The black carpeting is practical for India too. There is some dashboard reflection (of the beige portion) on the windscreen, although it's not too disturbing. The interior design appears to take some inspiration from BMWs, that's no bad thing for a B-segment hatchback!
Cabin fit and finish have always been the i20's strengths and with the new model, Hyundai have outdone themselves. Even if there aren't any soft touch materials, the plastic quality is top notch. Some of the soft-action buttons on the center console exude sheer quality. There is hardly an area with rough edges, even in places where one generally doesn't take notice (e.g. in the footwell).
The interiors of the outgoing i20 felt spacious and it's the same case with the Elite. The cabin feels a little wider. As a result, there is ample elbowroom at the front. The front seats provide excellent lateral support, under-thigh support is adequate and the seat compound is just right. While the seat compound is on the firmer side, we found the backrest area's upholstery to be a tad too soft for long journeys. Thanks to a multitude of adjustments available in the Asta variant, it is very easy to find your ideal driving position. The front seats have a long travel range and can easily accommodate those over 6 feet in height. The driver gets 20 levels of seat height adjustment. Short drivers will find this particularly useful as the dashboard placement is on the higher side. If you are buying a lower variant, first confirm that frontal visibility isn't an area of concern for you. The steering has rake & reach adjust; both have a healthy adjustment range. Hyundai has replaced the center armrest (attached to the driver's seat) with a standalone center armrest console on the Elite i20. The non-adjustable armrest is not very long and is positioned too far back to be comfortable for shorter drivers whose seats will be slid forwards. The footwell has properly spaced out pedals, along with a large and convenient dead pedal for the expressway trips.
Unlike the previous gen i20, the steering wheel now gets contours for your thumbs. While the steering is premium-feeling, a meatier wheel would befit a car of this price. You can control the audio, phone & MID via a total of 9 buttons (including a useful one for 'mute'). The dual-tone horn is better than the typical OEM 'peep' sounding ones, although not as sweet as the European wind-tone units. Frontal visibility is good. The 'A' pillars are thick, but are placed far ahead and the ORVMs are placed low, thus they don't hamper visibility like in the Ford EcoSport or Maruti Ritz. The ORVMs are sufficiently wide. However, they should have had more height for improved rearward vision. The small IRVMs, narrow rear windscreen and thick C-pillars result in poor rear visibility. Be extremely wary of the blind spots created.
Overall ergonomics are spot on with all crucial controls within easy reach. Even the center console fascia is angled towards the driver to give the i20 a driver-focussed appeal. The instrument console stays illuminated during the day and is easy to read. The MID offers a wide range of data, including dual trip meters, exterior temperature, digital speedometer, service interval and a drive summary (distance covered, average speed, driving time) when you switch the car off. When you switch the car on, the MID will warn you if you have parked with your front wheels turned. The MID's comprehensive nature aside, we're annoyed with Hyundai's stubbornness of not providing a fuel-efficiency readout or distance-to-empty counter.
Like some European cars, the central lock / unlock button is placed between the center air-con vents (and not on the driver's doorpad). If you lock / unlock the driver's door, only that door will lock / unlock. The central locking button has a blue light which stays illuminated when the car is locked. If 1 door is unlocked, this light starts blinking. On a related note, we're disappointed that Hyundai has skipped on the immensely useful 'auto-locking' doors feature. This is a glaring omission in an otherwise well-equipped car.
The i20's interiors have several small & useful functions. For instance, the MID's parking sensor display shows up only when you are reversing close to an object. The rear wiper has an intermittent function, and also automatically starts wiping if you engage reverse gear with the front wipers on. Then, the MID shows you not only which door is open, but also flashes the boot if it needs to be closed. For the forgetful ones, if you switch off the car with the headlamps & fog lamps on, the 'battery saver' feature automatically turns them off. The power windows have a delay feature, allowing them to be operated for a few seconds after switching the car off. Approach the i20 with the smart key in your pocket and the ORVMs will automatically fold out. These small touches go a long way in building that 'feel good' factor of ownership.
Owners of the 1st-gen i20 unanimously complained about the weak air-conditioner. Reason being, the Indian i20 originally carried a Euro-spec 90cc compressor that just couldn't cope with our climatic conditions. In the Elite i20 however, a 122cc compressor has been made standard across the range. The climate control of our test i20 kept the cabin cool even with the outside temperature nudging 37 degrees centigrade. The rear air-conditioner is very effective and we actually had to crank the blower down as things got too cold. The gimmicky 'clean air ionizer' is supposed to generate ions to purify and deodorize air inside the cabin. However, we concluded that outside odours do still enter the cabin when on 'fresh air mode', which we experienced on multiple occasions during our drive.
The OEM audio system is impressive. It has 8 speakers in total (a speaker + tweeter on each door). Sound quality is really good and if you like treble, this one is for you. If you prefer a more rounded sound, some tweaking of the mid and bass sliders will most certainly be required. Few owners will feel the need to upgrade the audio hardware. That said, like the old i20, the sound has a front bias. The front speakers are noticeably more powerful than the ones at the rear. The head-unit accepts the usual lot of inputs (CD, Aux, USB, Bluetooth) and even features 1GB of internal storage. Pairing our Android smartphone & streaming from it was a simple exercise (the system can pair up to 5 devices). Switching between audio sources (e.g. from USB to internal storage) is extremely quick too. The audio screen is easy to read under bright sunlight, but we found the screen to be on the smaller side. A size bigger would have been preferred.
In terms of storage, the glovebox is big enough, although it isn't as massive as that of the old i20. The door pockets are terribly narrow and have limited utility. Yes, they can hold 1L water bottles. Ahead of the gear lever is a storage cubicle good enough for 2 smartphones (it has 2 power outlets too). Under the driver's armrest is a medium-sized bin for your wallet & knick knacks. 2 cupholders of different (L / M) sizes are placed beside the handbrake. It's strange that these don't get a carpeted base when the ones of the Grand i10 do! Above the IRVM is a holder for the driver's sunglasses. Rear passengers get thin door pockets with bottle holders that can hold 1L bottles, and a single seatback pocket (behind the front passenger's seat) for storage.
The steering wheel feels premium and is nice to use, though we would have liked it to be a bit thicker. Unlike the older i20, this one has contours for your thumbs. Center horn pad area is bigger now:
What you'll like:
• All-rounded package in a sharp design. Improved over the 1st-gen i20 in nearly every way
• Spacious interiors with outstanding quality, fit and finish. Practical 285 liter boot too
• 1.4L diesel has excellent driveability, refinement, performance & fuel economy. 6-speed gearbox is smooth
• Mature suspension offers a comfortable ride and neutral handling characteristics
• Hyundai's fuss-free ownership experience & excellent after-sales-service
• Loaded with features & gizmos (16" rims, keyless entry & go, 8-speaker stereo, rake & reach steering, rear air-con, reversing cam, cooled glovebox and lots more)
What you won't:
• Missing equipment vis-a-vis old i20: Rear disc brakes, side & curtain airbags, sunroof, auto-wipers & DRLs
• 1.2L petrol is nowhere as impressive as the diesel. Mediocre highway performance for a premium hatchback
• Anyone over 5'11" will find rear headroom to be insufficient. Sloping roof eats into cabin height at the back
• Dynamics & steering aren't to an enthusiast's tastes. Swift, Polo etc. are more fun to drive
• On-road price difference between the petrol & diesel is ~1.3 lakhs. That's higher than the competition
• Rear wiper only on the top Asta trim! No fuel-efficiency indicator, auto-locking doors or height-adjustable seatbelts on any variant
In its relentless pursuit of market-share, Hyundai's product onslaught continues. Over the last 3 years, the company has launched 8 new cars, namely the Eon, Grand i10, Xcent, Verna, Elantra, Santa Fe, Sonata and now, the i20. The Korean giant knows how to keep its product range updated.
The 2nd-generation i20 makes its global debut in India, thereby highlighting the importance of our market for this car. The Elite i20 is Hyundai's 5th hatchback currently on sale. In what is a significant development, it will no longer be exported from India (discussion link (Hyundai stops exporting cars from India to Europe)). Hyundai says that European exports have been stopped so that the Chennai plant can concentrate on production for the local market. Turkey will now supply i20s to Europe. The international i20 differs from the India-spec car in length (50 mm longer), boot size (41 liters more) and richer equipment levels. Although the European i20 is longer, its wheelbase is identical to the Indian model. Compare pictures of the two and you'll notice that Hyundai India has greatly trimmed the bumpers, to bring the i20 within the sub-4 meter tax bracket of small cars.
The i20's India story is quite an interesting one. Launched in December 2008, Hyundai's internal sales projection was ~1,000 units a month. The domestic output didn't really matter at the time, since Hyundai had primarily set up the production line for exports to Europe. In fact, i20 exports began before the car's Indian launch, and the company was already shipping 6,000 - 7,000 units a month by early 2009. The market's initial response exceeded the company's modest targets. Still, sales performance was nowhere close to the level seen in the 2010 - 2013 period, because the i20 was perceived as an expensive hatchback at the time. Then, the Jazz came home! Honda adopted a ridiculous pricing strategy for the Jazz, effectively killing the product within 60 seconds of launch. Overnight, the i20 became a value-for-money proposition and its sales shot through the roof. In 2012 & 2013, the i20's average monthly tally was 7,100 and 6,000 respectively. To put things in perspective, that's more than what the entire VW group (VW, Skoda, Audi) has been managing in the recent past.
It's important to note that Hyundai's first big hatch for India - the boring Getz - was a failure. But it's the i20 that actually went on to create the premium hatchback segment. Hyundai doesn't want to mess with the formula, thus the 2nd-generation i20 is an improvement of the same overall package. It's not revolutionary at all. The company's attempt at retaining an identical strategy also reflects in the pricing; the Elite i20 is only slightly more expensive than the car it replaces. The price hike of the entry-level petrol & diesel variants is merely Rs. 8,000 & 15,000 respectively.
Today, in a very narrow price band, Hyundai's showrooms have the Grand i10 hatchback, Xcent compact sedan and i20 hatchback. There's a lot of price overlap between the different variants of these 3 cars. Hyundai & Maruti - both - acknowledge the product overlap in their model range, and honestly don't care as long as the customer remains in the same showroom. Considering the almost identical pricing of the Xcent & i20, which should you choose? Simply put, the i20. Other than 122 liters of boot space, the Xcent doesn't hold a single advantage over the Elite i20. The premium hatchback trumps the compact sedan in every which way. Unless you absolutely need that additional boot space, the new i20 should be your pick.
The styling is decidedly European in nature. Gone is the curvy design of the 1st-gen model, the Elite i20 is edgy & aggressive. It's more mature as well; the fluidic theme is nowhere as flashy as what we've seen on the Verna or Elantra. The i20's looks are universally appealing, this is important for a mass market product. The face is dominated by the large hexagonal radiator grille & swept-back headlamps. What folks will miss though are the outgoing i20's daytime running lights. The side profile is fairly sporty, thanks to the sloping roof line, long bonnet and tight rear. Those wide tail-lamps look striking, albeit the rear is otherwise rather plain Jane. The new i20's overall length is actually 10 mm shorter, but it doesn't look it. Despite the shorter length, the wheelbase has increased. Hyundai claims this is the largest wheelbase of any hatchback, compact sedan or compact SUV (Verito Vibe & Quanto aside). The car is wide and it does have a more planted stance than the older i20. The fatter 195 mm tyres & 16" rims help too (the only other hatch with 16" rims is the Punto Evo Sport).
The build quality is truly premium, with an excellent paint job, fit & finish. Shut lines are uniform all through. While it's no 'European tank', the Elite i20 feels more solid than some tinny Japanese cars we know of... the bonnet in particular feels heavy. The doors don't close with that sturdy thud, yet they do have a soft, premium thunk. There is no area of the car that feels overtly light or flimsy.
What's disappointing, and extremely surprising, is the Elite i20 losing some features of its predecessor. There is no fully-loaded 'Asta Option Pack' variant either. You can no longer buy an i20 with 6 airbags, rear disc brakes, DRLs, sunroof and rain-sensing automatic wipers. The original i20 brought never-seen-before features to the hatchback segment in 2008. We obviously expected the Elite i20 to continue that tradition! Sadly, it doesn't. In terms of safety, it's nice that 3 out of 5 variants have a driver's airbag & ABS. On the other hand, if you desire dual airbags, the top-end Asta variant is your only choice. The Elite i20 remains a well-equipped hatchback; it's just that the feature list isn't as spectacular as it was with the first i20 six years back.
Even for budget customers, the starting variant should be the Sportz with ABS. Anti-locking brakes are a must-have safety feature. If you have the moolah for the Sportz Option pack though, it's better to pay 21,000 more and pick the Asta. That 21K gets you a passenger-side airbag, auto headlamps, additional 12V power outlet, adjustable rear neck restraints, rear wash & wipe, 60:40 splitting rear seat, steering position reminder, parking sensor display and more. The Asta seems like a steal in comparison to the Sportz Option pack which simply doesn't make any sense to buy.
The 'Fluidic Sculpture 2.0' design language is more mature; nowhere as flashy as the Verna or Elantra:
The face of the Elite i20 looks distinct, yet unmistakably Hyundai:
The side profile looks sporty due to the long bonnet, sloping roof-line and tight rear:
I found the rear 3/4th angle the best to view the Elite i20 from:
Clean rear with minimal cuts and creases:
The Elite i20 is designed in Germany, thus looks a lot more European than the 2012 i20:
The silver accents on the headlamps add subtle bling, which complements the minimal chrome usage on the car:
Turn indicators are housed toward the inside, near the slim grille:
Notice the domed headlamp lens bulging out:
The unique grille pattern of the air-dam can emulate a 'diamond grille' in certain light conditions:
The bonnet line has moved up. Also, notice the subtle creases on the hood:
Neatly designed ORVMs with integrated LED turn indicators:
Only the driver's door handle has a request sensor (for smart key locking/unlocking). Interestingly, the Grand i10 has one on the passenger's side too:
Waistline molding isn't as thick as that of the Grand i10:
16" diamond cut alloy wheels wrapped in 195/55 section Bridgestone B250 tyres. Front wheels get disc brakes, rear gets drums:
This 'black C-pillar' is actually a plastic cladding, rather than a painted / wrapped body panel:
The blackened C-pillar doesn't meet the top of the window line. This negates the 'floating roof' effect that it provides in some other cars:
The 3-cluster wraparound tail-lamps appear to be LEDs, but actually aren't:
Tail-lamps bulge outward, similar to the headlamps:
Reverse camera protruding out on an otherwise clean rear; sticks out like a sore thumb. Older i20 had a far superior integration:
The wiper is smaller & well-clad:
Notice how the rear windscreen washer is cleverly hidden away in the high-mounted stop lamp cluster:
Only a single reversing light (on the right). Parking sensors visible too. Black cladding breaks the bulk of the rear bumper:
The sheet-metal of the hatch is more susceptible to dents due to its protruding design, as well as the rear bumper's short overhang:
One of the longest radio antennas around! It is a total misfit on such a modern looking car:
Hyundai's new family face. Swept back headlamps, a slim front grill and a large hexagonal air-dam:
The Elite looks more mature than its predecessor:
The old i20 was one of the better looking hatchbacks of its time. However, it can't hold a candle to its successor:
Interiors - Front
The i20 isn't a tall boy and the seats are also placed on the lower side. Hence, you have to 'sit down' on them. @ Elderly, please make a note of this. On the flip side, the front doors open wide and have a neat 3-stage action.
Step inside the Elite i20 and the first thing you'll notice is the new dashboard with a plethora of buttons on it. The black & beige interior theme is far more appealing than the 1st gen i20's brown colour palette. The designers have cleverly coupled the colours to make the cabin airy at the front. More importantly, the beige areas aren't in direct contact zones, hence they won't get dirty easily. The black carpeting is practical for India too. There is some dashboard reflection (of the beige portion) on the windscreen, although it's not too disturbing. The interior design appears to take some inspiration from BMWs, that's no bad thing for a B-segment hatchback!
Cabin fit and finish have always been the i20's strengths and with the new model, Hyundai have outdone themselves. Even if there aren't any soft touch materials, the plastic quality is top notch. Some of the soft-action buttons on the center console exude sheer quality. There is hardly an area with rough edges, even in places where one generally doesn't take notice (e.g. in the footwell).
The interiors of the outgoing i20 felt spacious and it's the same case with the Elite. The cabin feels a little wider. As a result, there is ample elbowroom at the front. The front seats provide excellent lateral support, under-thigh support is adequate and the seat compound is just right. While the seat compound is on the firmer side, we found the backrest area's upholstery to be a tad too soft for long journeys. Thanks to a multitude of adjustments available in the Asta variant, it is very easy to find your ideal driving position. The front seats have a long travel range and can easily accommodate those over 6 feet in height. The driver gets 20 levels of seat height adjustment. Short drivers will find this particularly useful as the dashboard placement is on the higher side. If you are buying a lower variant, first confirm that frontal visibility isn't an area of concern for you. The steering has rake & reach adjust; both have a healthy adjustment range. Hyundai has replaced the center armrest (attached to the driver's seat) with a standalone center armrest console on the Elite i20. The non-adjustable armrest is not very long and is positioned too far back to be comfortable for shorter drivers whose seats will be slid forwards. The footwell has properly spaced out pedals, along with a large and convenient dead pedal for the expressway trips.
Unlike the previous gen i20, the steering wheel now gets contours for your thumbs. While the steering is premium-feeling, a meatier wheel would befit a car of this price. You can control the audio, phone & MID via a total of 9 buttons (including a useful one for 'mute'). The dual-tone horn is better than the typical OEM 'peep' sounding ones, although not as sweet as the European wind-tone units. Frontal visibility is good. The 'A' pillars are thick, but are placed far ahead and the ORVMs are placed low, thus they don't hamper visibility like in the Ford EcoSport or Maruti Ritz. The ORVMs are sufficiently wide. However, they should have had more height for improved rearward vision. The small IRVMs, narrow rear windscreen and thick C-pillars result in poor rear visibility. Be extremely wary of the blind spots created.
Overall ergonomics are spot on with all crucial controls within easy reach. Even the center console fascia is angled towards the driver to give the i20 a driver-focussed appeal. The instrument console stays illuminated during the day and is easy to read. The MID offers a wide range of data, including dual trip meters, exterior temperature, digital speedometer, service interval and a drive summary (distance covered, average speed, driving time) when you switch the car off. When you switch the car on, the MID will warn you if you have parked with your front wheels turned. The MID's comprehensive nature aside, we're annoyed with Hyundai's stubbornness of not providing a fuel-efficiency readout or distance-to-empty counter.
Like some European cars, the central lock / unlock button is placed between the center air-con vents (and not on the driver's doorpad). If you lock / unlock the driver's door, only that door will lock / unlock. The central locking button has a blue light which stays illuminated when the car is locked. If 1 door is unlocked, this light starts blinking. On a related note, we're disappointed that Hyundai has skipped on the immensely useful 'auto-locking' doors feature. This is a glaring omission in an otherwise well-equipped car.
The i20's interiors have several small & useful functions. For instance, the MID's parking sensor display shows up only when you are reversing close to an object. The rear wiper has an intermittent function, and also automatically starts wiping if you engage reverse gear with the front wipers on. Then, the MID shows you not only which door is open, but also flashes the boot if it needs to be closed. For the forgetful ones, if you switch off the car with the headlamps & fog lamps on, the 'battery saver' feature automatically turns them off. The power windows have a delay feature, allowing them to be operated for a few seconds after switching the car off. Approach the i20 with the smart key in your pocket and the ORVMs will automatically fold out. These small touches go a long way in building that 'feel good' factor of ownership.
Owners of the 1st-gen i20 unanimously complained about the weak air-conditioner. Reason being, the Indian i20 originally carried a Euro-spec 90cc compressor that just couldn't cope with our climatic conditions. In the Elite i20 however, a 122cc compressor has been made standard across the range. The climate control of our test i20 kept the cabin cool even with the outside temperature nudging 37 degrees centigrade. The rear air-conditioner is very effective and we actually had to crank the blower down as things got too cold. The gimmicky 'clean air ionizer' is supposed to generate ions to purify and deodorize air inside the cabin. However, we concluded that outside odours do still enter the cabin when on 'fresh air mode', which we experienced on multiple occasions during our drive.
The OEM audio system is impressive. It has 8 speakers in total (a speaker + tweeter on each door). Sound quality is really good and if you like treble, this one is for you. If you prefer a more rounded sound, some tweaking of the mid and bass sliders will most certainly be required. Few owners will feel the need to upgrade the audio hardware. That said, like the old i20, the sound has a front bias. The front speakers are noticeably more powerful than the ones at the rear. The head-unit accepts the usual lot of inputs (CD, Aux, USB, Bluetooth) and even features 1GB of internal storage. Pairing our Android smartphone & streaming from it was a simple exercise (the system can pair up to 5 devices). Switching between audio sources (e.g. from USB to internal storage) is extremely quick too. The audio screen is easy to read under bright sunlight, but we found the screen to be on the smaller side. A size bigger would have been preferred.
In terms of storage, the glovebox is big enough, although it isn't as massive as that of the old i20. The door pockets are terribly narrow and have limited utility. Yes, they can hold 1L water bottles. Ahead of the gear lever is a storage cubicle good enough for 2 smartphones (it has 2 power outlets too). Under the driver's armrest is a medium-sized bin for your wallet & knick knacks. 2 cupholders of different (L / M) sizes are placed beside the handbrake. It's strange that these don't get a carpeted base when the ones of the Grand i10 do! Above the IRVM is a holder for the driver's sunglasses. Rear passengers get thin door pockets with bottle holders that can hold 1L bottles, and a single seatback pocket (behind the front passenger's seat) for storage.
The steering wheel feels premium and is nice to use, though we would have liked it to be a bit thicker. Unlike the older i20, this one has contours for your thumbs. Center horn pad area is bigger now:
posted by sunilkumar247 @ 11:07 AM
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