The third generation Hyundai i20 may not appeal to everybody in an SUV-obsessed world but it proves that when it comes to fun, nothing compares to a hatchback with a bit of power
Back in the late 1990s when Hyundai Motor came to India, they were an unknown brand. But all thanks to the smiling face of actor Shah Rukh Khan and some well-packaged products which were affordable, Hyundai acquired a reputation of being a ‘Value For Money’ carmaker. Having driven the first-generation Santro extensively and having an Accent in the family, you knew that Hyundai’s were not the most dynamic of vehicles, but they gave a great combination of features at a cheerful price. Their cars proceeded to get slightly better but for a long-time, Hyundai was considered, above all else, to be a ‘Value For Money’ carmaker.
Things have changed in the recent past, modern Hyundai’s are fantastic vehicles to drive from a purely dynamic point of view. Once upon a time, Hyundai cars used to wallow around a corner, there used to be a palpable sense that there was a lag between the time you gave a steering input and when the wheels actually turned. If you drive a modern Hyundai released in the past three-four years, you can throw them into a corner and the car will handle it with aplomb, they’re fabulously fun to drive.
That brings us to the new third-generation i20, now Hyundai considers this the fourth generation of premium hatchback, with the Getz being the first generation. The Getz was not a huge sales success and when the i20 was launched, this was the time when everything was ‘i’-inspired, thanks to Steve Jobs and Apple, Hyundai India executives did not expect wonders. But the first i20 and its successor, the Elite i20 have been stunning sales successes. Surprisingly, so has the ‘premium’ hatchback segment which also includes the Maruti-Suzuki Baleno and the Honda Jazz. It continues to do well despite the onslaught of small SUVs such as the Maruti-Suzuki Brezza, Honda WR-V, Hyundai’s own Venue and the Kia Sonet. The overall trendline has been of a move away from smaller hatchbacks, yet premium hatchbacks despite being constrained by the four-meter rule have done well, Hyundai has sold over one million i20s since 2008 and currently move over 6,000 units a month.
The new i20 is spectacularly amazing to drive. I will admit I took the ‘fun’ variant, the 120PS Turbo-GDI with the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and while other cars in the Hyundai Motor Group family — the Hyundai Venue and the Kia Sonet have the same engine and transmission combination, on the i20 everything felt better. And that is the defining aspect of a hatchback over the SUV. I have always said, to each their own. Some people prefer sitting way up off the ground, others such as myself genuinely prefer sitting lower down in a car. I agree that in India, and actually across the world, there has been a gradual shift away from hatchbacks and sedans towards SUVs, but for sheer driving thrill on the roads, nothing beats a hatchback with a powerful engine.
Hyundai also equips the i20 with their latest 1.2 litre Kappa engine, which delivers 83PS on the manual and 88PS on the automatic IVT variant, this is the ‘affordable’ variant. For those who need a daily commuter, it is the version to look at. Hyundai also gives hatchback buyers the option of a BS6 diesel, the U2 CRDi with 100PS and while diesels are a dirty word in Delhi and the rest of the NCR, by all indications thanks to the Venue and Sonet small diesel motors are still rocking the sales charts in the West and South of the country.
Given how well cars like the i10 Nios and Verna do on the road, the i20 was going to be fabulous. It ticks other major boxes as well, it is comfortable and spacious particularly for a hatchback. There is also a decent amount of boot space, I find Hyundai’s fitment of their ‘Oxyboost’ air purifier with a readout to be a major positive particularly in the horrible, horrible air quality conditions in the capital. There is the large 10.26-inch screen and the seven-speaker BOSE audio system that are both now standard on top-end variants from Hyundai and Kia. But even the middle-specifications are fairly well loaded albeit with a smaller screen. There are multiple charging points, rear air-con vents and you can even specify a two-tone interior with touches of the ‘fiery red’ exterior paint job.
Now to the big issues around this i20 — the looks and price. Hyundai India claims that in their market research that almost 40 per cent of buyers looked at exterior looks as the prime buying criterion in this segment. I believe a part of that is because on the normal 1.2 litre naturally-aspirated engines across such hatchbacks, there are only slight differences in fuel economy and power output. The new i20 is certainly quite striking and it epitomises Hyundai’s new ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ styling language. While it really won’t be to everyone’s taste, I personally find the styling a bit ‘busy’. I will not be surprised if people really like the sharps edges and angles across the new car.
That is one aspect, Hyundai has also been a bit defensive on the price of the new i20. With a decent amount of kit, which would be the ‘Sportz’ specification and upwards, you would be spending close to 10 lakh on-road unless you picked up the manual transmission of the naturally aspirated Kappa engine. This is not a cheap car to buy. While Hyundai correctly says that you get a lot of cars for the money and it is also true that buyers are preferring fully-loaded models nowadays. The i20 gives you much more than its rivals, some buyers might be put off by the price. But five years ago, when Hyundai launched the first Creta, many of us, both buyers and writers questioned the price. We all know how the Creta did. Maybe Hyundai has changed the concept of ‘Value For Money’, because they’re saying on this i20 that VFM does not mean ‘cheap and cheerful’ anymore, it means that you are getting a technologically advanced car for much less than what you’d pay in a luxury car with the same features.
