Hyundai, 2nd largest car manufacturer in India enters the market with its premium hatchback Elite i20 which is the facelift version of 2008 i20. Hyundai ‘I’ series is among the popular section of series in India. Hatchback section contains healthy competition with cars like Polo, swift and recently launched Punto EVO. With new changes on external and internal front, can elite i20 will be able to stable themselves into the segment? Let’s see what our experts think after taking the first drive of it.
Price:
- Elite i20 Petrol variant starts with a price bracket of Rs. 4.89 lakhs which goes up to Rs. 6.46 lakhs, while Diesel variant is placed at Rs. 6.09 lakhs to Rs. 7.66 lakhs.
- Price of Petrol trim is higher than what other are offering like Polo, Swift and Punto EVO except the top variants of Polo and EVO which are higher than Elite i20.
- Similarly, Diesel trims of Hyundai elite i20 is at higher price than Punto EVO and Maruti’s swift but lower than Volkswagen Polo.
- When there is Hyundai’s i20 reliability factors get so high that price becomes little secondary.
Engine and Performance:
- Hyundai’s elite i20 comes with two engines 1.2 VTVT kappa petrol engine with max of 83BHP and 115nm torque, while the Diesel engine is mated with 1.4 U2 CRDI with 90BHP power and 220nm torque.
- On comparison with its competitors Elite i20 ranks 2nd in both (Petrol & Diesel) engines. Punto EVO seems to outdone Elite i20 in Diesel engine and Maruti’s swift in Petrol engine.
- Elite i20 is ultra smooth to drive on city as well as on highway, 1.4L diesel engine is swift to drive, handling and brakes are good and NVH levels are quiet low.
- 1.2L petrol engine is typical Hyundai petrol engine which was earlier seen in i10, which might not be as powerful as diesel engine but it is good enough to impress you
- Petrol engine’s fuel efficiency of Elite i20 is better from Punto EVO with Swift topping the list and in Diesel trim elite i20 stands with Maruti swift, better than polo and Punto EVO.
- Petrol variant comes with 5 speed manual transmission same what other cars of this segment offers while the Diesel engine mates with 6 speed manual transmission better than the others, Polo, swift and EVO mated with 5 speed manual transmission.
Space and Dimensions:
- This facelift is slight lengthy than the previous one, to be exact it is 45mm long with 3985mm, lengthiest car in the segment as well.
- Elite i20 also the widest car in the segment with 1734mm width better than Polo, swift and Punto EVO and in terms of height elite i20 lacks behind swift and EVO.
- Elite i20 has 170mm of ground clearance may not be the best, but it is at par with other cars, as Punto EVO leads the charts.
- Legroom and Headroom space is more than sufficient in both front and rear seats.
- With the boot space of 280 liters elite i20 stands with all the other cars in the segment.
Interiors:
- The premium hatchback elite i20 is fully decorated with features which one could except from Hyundai.
- Starting from the front; Dashboard with dual tone color, sporty and sleek steering wheel, and well cushioned comfortable seats.
- It has 2 DIN 8 speaker music system with 1GB internal memory which is first in segment.
- Front is equipped with Fully automatic temperature control (FATC), rear A/C vents and also have glove box cooling function which sounds nice.
- It Host features like escort function, centre control armrest, smart key and auto folding side mirror etc makes it better car among its rivals.
- It also contains features like over head sunglasses container, push start button, high storage option and front- rear map pockets etc.
- With tons of features elite i20 stands right above the top in the list.
Exteriors:
- Elite i20 external fascia is based on fluidic 2.0 design, i20 has gone under complete makeover which makes i20 elegant.
- Elite i20 will give you an idea about brilliancy of Hyundai’s artistic mind especially when you see the European touch ‘Headlamps’ and curvy side lines.
- All new large hexagonal black front grille, wider bonnet and newly designed fog lamps looks very stylish up front.
- Rear side shows the real beauty of i20 with beautiful Black C pillar finish at sides and chrome finish door handles.
- New curvy follow me tail lamps, dual color rear bumper makes the rear astonishing.
- With other features like roof antenna and big 2 tone 16”diamond cut alloy wheels gives i20 a sporty look.
- With exterior superiority i20 can give healthy competition to cars like Polo and Punto EVO.
Safety:
- Elite i20 has a special feature called smart pedal function which applies automatic brake sensing panic situation which is not present in other cars of this segment.
- Elite i20 contains dual air bags (pack of 6 air bags in top variant), Crash sensor technology, ABS and service reminder function with voice message etc
- Automatic Headlamps which automatically adjust beam according to light outside another unique feature present only in i20.
- It has reverse parking sensors with voice commands, rear defoggers.
- Other features like clutch lock; automatic central lock and immobilizer bring i20 to top of the table in safety features.
- In terms of safety features Polo can give a healthy competition to i20.
Verdict:
Hyundai i20 is a very popular car and elite i20 with its refreshed makeover and tons features have the potential to be the ruler of hatchback segment. Sporty looks, powerful diesel engine, reliability, brand name and its durability threatens the other cars of this segment in a big way. If you want a car with good ownership value, vehicle with loads of potential your search might end on Elite i20.
