Hyundai elite. Review on Hyundai Elite i20

Sept 08, 2016: Hyundai has been one of the most prominent players in the premium hatchback segment in India with the Elite i20. Since its introduction in 2014, Hyundai surprisingly haven’t offered the car with an automatic variant. Now, the Korean manufacturer has noticed the growing demand for automatics from buyers. With this, the company has launched the automatic variant of the Elite i20 at Rs 9.02 lakh(ex-showroom, New Delhi). The new automatic variant of the Elite i20 also gets a 1.4-litre MPi VTVT petrol engine all to itself. The engine is capable of producing 100PS of power at 6000rpm and 132Nm of peak torque at 4000rpm. The automatic transmission features a 4-speed setup with power transmitted to the front wheels

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 Finish938844. 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 mAnasultanging 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(VerBrianbalakumaran 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 & Finish938844. 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 aishwaryasingh23 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:Other Points:

• We were the first to spot the new i20 being tested in India. Thread link(SCOOP Pics! 2014 Hyundai i20 spotted testing in IndiaUPDATE Now launched @ 4.89L).

• Hyundai's Hyderabad R&D center has played a significant role in the development of the new i20.

• The Elite i20 is definitely a step ahead of the 1st-gen car, but the difference between the two isn't as much as the Grand i10 & older i10.

• The Elite moniker sounds awfully cheesy! Who thought of that?! Thankfully, there isn't a single'Elite' badge on the car.

• Speaking of badges, there is no HYUNDAI badge on the new generation of Hyundai cars either. This is brand confidence! One might recall that VW actually added the VOLKSWAGEN nameplate to the Indian Vento and Polo, after they were launched.

• The Elite i20 has an ARAI rating of 18.60 kpl for the Era and Magna variants & 18.24 kpl for the Sportz, Sportz(O) and Asta variants(2012 i20 had a rating of 18.50 kpl).

• The 1.4L CRDi motor is rated at 22.54 kpl for the Era and Magna variants & 21.76 kpl for the Sportz, Sportz(O) and Asta variants(2012 i20 ARAI rating @ 21.9 kpl). Added equipment on the higher variants results in the minor difference, due to their additional weight.

• The Elite i20 has a 45 liter fuel tank. The efficient diesel variant will deliver a phenomenal highway tank range.

• Whenever you walk up to the car with the smart key in your pocket, the ORVMs automatically unfold. They also fold / unfold as you lock / unlock the car.

• Insulation levels are impressive. Once you shut the doors, the outside world stays.outside.

• The Elite i20 does not automatically lock the doors once you begin driving. This is a huge disadvantage in terms of passenger safety and keeping valuables in the car safe.

• Only the driver's window has the auto up / down feature. Only the driver's doorpad gets illuminated buttons.

• Even the steering-mounted controls are illuminated(like the Grand i10).

• The dashboard has a cool blue backlighting effect. The illuminated USB socket looks especially'electric' at night.

• Once you've begun driving, vehicle settings on the MID can only be tinkered with if you engage the handbrake.

• The i20's stereo has'speed sensitive volume'. That is, audio volume increases with speed(and vice versa). This feature can be turned off via the audio settings screen.

• The diesel i20 somehow felt more planted than its petrol siRobotouchng. The EPS of the petrol i20 felt lighter too.

• Unintended accele_45ration woes? Don’t sweat. If you press the brake and accele_45rator pedals together, the ECU ignores accele_45rator input and applies the brakes only. Hyundai calls this'Smart Pedal'.

• In case of an accident or heavy impact, all doors automatically unlock to allow occupants to get out quickly.

• If you leave the car turned on and walk away with the smart key(eg: while handing over the car to a hotel valet), there is no beeping reminder like the Grand i10. Only a warning message appears on the MID.

• Since India is the first country where the Elite i20 has been introduced, there is no Euro NCAP crash rating available yet. The older generation car had a 5 star safety rating; we don't expect the newer i20 to be any different.

• Service intervals are 10, 000 kms or 12 months through 1, 045 Hyundai service points across India.

• The Elite i20 is available in 7 colour options: Pristine Blue, Stardust, Red Passion, Midas Gold, Sleek Silver, Mystic Blue and Polar White. You got to hand it to the marketing team for naming regular colours so creatively .

• The automatic 1.4L petrol will arrive a few months later. It was a similar case with the Grand i10. The 1.4L AT will carry forward the same engine & transmission as the earlier i20. To know how it drove, click here.

• Missed opportunity= A diesel i20 with an automatic or AMT gearbox. The Zest remains the only diesel AT in the Indian market priced below Rs. 10 lakh.

• A huge thanks to Moderator Stratos for post-processing the review pictures.

• Disclaimer: Hyundai invited Team-BHP for the i20 test-drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

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