Hyundai i20 Test Drive
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Posted On :
Mar-15-2011
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Article Word Count :
842
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Everyone talks about the first mover advantage, but they forget the fact the last mover understand customers easily and takes advantage of that. Hyundai could have learnt a thing or two from Ritz,Jazz and Punto. Especially the pricing!Hyundai one of the early entrant into the premium hatch segment with its getz failed to stamp its presence there. The runaway success of swift just blew it. But in the second round Hyundai made a strong comeback with its i20.
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Everyone talks about the first mover advantage, but they forget the fact the last mover understand customers easily and takes advantage of that. Hyundai could have learnt a thing or two from Ritz,Jazz and Punto. Especially the pricing!Hyundai one of the early entrant into the premium hatch segment with its getz failed to stamp its presence there. The runaway success of swift just blew it. But in the second round Hyundai made a strong comeback with its i20. To suit the indian small car norms, Hyundai equipped the i20 with puny 1.2L kappa engine. Though i20 kappa sold more than Hyundai expected, it is underpowered. Now with every car makers lined-up cars to lure the buyers.
Hyundai packs the i20 with a punch – 1.4L CRDi and 1.4L gamma petrol engine. Read on to find our findings about this hot hatch. The 1.4L CRDi pulls the machine effortlessly. It zips around town easily. Its fastest too though it is heavy. Rev the motor to 1800 – 2000 rpm, the turbo spools and open the flood gates. It zooms past 140kmph easily and nab the throttle further 160kmph is easily reachable. She never fizzles out though the response is not electric. Even when its rev hard, it never felt stressed. But more than the motor, what impressed us most is the slick gearbox. Coupled with the silky smooth clutch the i20's transmission setup is a feature that the owners can boast about. Even the sporty riders would love this. The gear ratios are perfectly spaced but you have to work on gears to pull the machine to zip through traffic (blame the taller gearing).Handling is not the i20's best trait infact its the least. Though the car remains stable at corners, the super soft lifeless steering and soft suspension hampers the free style driving. Straight line stability is decent but again push it over 120kmph it becomes unsettled. Sporty drivers can better stay away.
However the four wheel disc brakes ensures stopping is progressive but quick. It rides on larger profile 185/65 R14 tyres and the ground clearance is adequate to glide over the bad roads. When other carmakers boast about ABS, Hyundai offers 5 star safety for the i20 owners. i20 comes with safety features that even an D-segment sedan would shy to face off. As many as six airbags to protect the occupants, impact sensing door unlock to ensure quick and safe escape, ABS with EBD, seat belt reminder and rear disc brakes. i20 was awarded 5-star rating in euro NCAP which means you are safe in i20, even in dangerous Indian roads.available in seven attractive body colours – crystal white, black diamond,sleek silver,silky beige, sparkle blue,berry red and dark grey metallic.Hyundai built the i20 platform at its European technical centre to suit the european taste. Suspension follows the premium hatch norm of MacPherson strut at the front and torison beam rear axle. The ride is supple and the suspension soaks bumps and pot holes superbly. Wherever we drove the i20 – Noida express highway or in bad city road, it impressed us with the superior ride quality.
Seats are large and comfy. The dual tone choco interiors is definitely not cheerful. The use of brighter colours and aluminium inserts could have given a premium feel.Anywya, expect these things inserts in facelifted variants. Unlike some of its peers, i20 is not claustrophobic, the visibility and ventilation is good. Head room is just about adequate and leg room is quiet decent. Three at the rear is definitely a squeeze but manageable for a short ride. Though i20 is not as magic as Honda jazz, it has enough stowage space. Cubbyholes and bottle holder at the central console can be used by both front and rear occupants. It is not voluminous or class leading but the trunk is a decent 295 litres and with 60:40 foldable seats makes sense to pick i20 to drive to airport is equipped generously and it would put even a premium into shame.
The long list of features include – electrically adjustable ORVM, electrically folding ORVM, height adjustable driver seat,leather wrapped steering wheel,leather and chrome finished gear knob(exclusive for i20 CRDi and i20 Gamma), glove box cooling, fog lamps,sunroof, rear wiper and defogger,alloy wheels, rake and reach adjustable steering and 2DIN integrated music system with steering mounted controls. Tough to count the features? but we found the missing element and asked Hyundai, Where are the parking sensors.comes in three variants – i20 magna,i20 asta and i20 asta with optional sunroof. The top end variant we tested is priced Rs7.91 lakh (on-road Mumbai).
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Hyundai i20 Test Drive_55903.aspx
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Author Resource :
Vickynitin is a popular enthusiast on Indian automotives. He writes about Hyundai and answers many user queries.
Hyundai i20 is the best car in india .
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Keywords :
Hyundai, i20, price, picture, review, mileage,
Category :
Travel and Leisure
:
Cars
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