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| Hyundai i20 - High twenty |
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| Is Hyundai’s new compact as good to drive as it looks? |
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By : Bijoy Kumar Y | Published : February 16, 2009 | Photos : Pablo Chaterji |
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Engine and performance
These are tough times and not many people who buy a hatchback are looking to burn rubber. Economy is important and so is one’s carbon footprint (what better way to sound socially correct at parties?). Keeping those facts in mind is important if you want to defend the choice of only the 1.2 Kappa engine for the Hyundai i20. It displaces a modest 1197cc and develops just about 78.8 bhp at 5200 rpm which adds up to 66 bhp per litre – not very impressive. Ditto with the torque, 11.4 kgm at 4000 rpm. Not surprisingly, the test figures are not what can challenge the best from Italy, with 60 kph coming up in 6.02 seconds and 100 needing 14.83.
At this point, it may be appropriate to mention that the little A-Star from Suzuki has marginally better performance. Sure, the i20 will eventually touch 156 kph but the fact remains that this car feels under-powered. It does the purpose of hauling metal and returns suitably impressive (11 kpl in traffic with AC on) fuel consumption figures, but this is not a fun car to pilot. Making the powertrain slightly more limp are the gear ratios, suited for developed nations with vast expressways rather than bumper-to-bumper traffic that leads you to ITO and Worli in Delhi and Mumbai respectively. Maybe a more potent diesel will come along to fill in the performance gap sooner than later. But if what you are looking for is economy and refinement rather than driveability and outright performance, then you have nothing much to worry about. Though you do wish that the i20 would shed its suit and tie and come out wearing a cape and red undergarments – because it has the underpinnings to be a super hatch.
Ride and handling
Like the Getz and most of the small hatches of this world, the i20 rides on McPherson struts up front and a torsion beam rear axle at the back. And it works well with the overall wide stance of the car to offer confident if not awe-inspiring handling. The steering wheel does not come across as accurately calibrated (perhaps it was the test car) and that results in slightly lethargic turn-ins. Thankfully, the performance on offer from the small 1.2 motor is not enough to challenge the laws of physics. Ride quality is better than that of the Getz and the car can handle most bad roads without the driver having to Google every now and then for new swear words. Despite the disc/drum setup, the brakes are good and the Asta models with ABS and EBD are the ones to go for.
Verdict
The i20 is a great car that is coming at the wrong time. If it was endowed with a more juicy powerplant (with maybe 100-odd horsepower or a torquier diesel motor) things would have looked even more upbeat. But it is still a commendably well thought-out machine that looks stunningly good. The mid-level Asta model with twin-airbags, ABS and airbags is the car I would recommend here, though the top-end model is worth the price thanks to curtain side-airbags on offer. It is versatile and economical to run too. So what if it won’t stir your soul on Sunday mornings – despite that F1 snout. I am not so sure whether certain Genesis driving Californians would agree, still.
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