Like a fire dragon

Hyundai had started its operations in India with an ugly duckling in the form of Santro which was *downright reliable* to say in brief. Soon the company realized that with reliability, the design has to be given prior importance and hence came the fluidic design strategy from Hyundai?s stable that has been dawning every Hyundai car over the last 6 years. I have previously driven the previous two generations of i20 and can subtly differentiate among the backdrops of the two cars. The old i20 lacked steering feedback, was bouncy to some extent, marked with less fuel efficiency but it offered features, unlike any other hatchback in its segment. The i20 has been given a nice makeover and is a welcome change from the previous generations. Read to know further. **Design** The Elite i20 looks fresh and is in tune with the Gen-X aura. Hyundai?s fluidic design strategy is very much prevalent from most of the angles of the car. Combined with the large air dome in the front, mesh mashed with honeycomb design, the new i20 looks smart. The first time I looked at the Elite i20, I had mistaken it for the likes of Ecosport. The car looks taller than its predecessor and gives the sedan-like feel which is prevalent in Ford?s DNA. The rear design is integrated with European crossbred tail lamps molded to provide a sporty outlook. The car is *Wide* - it is wider than the Xcent. While 3 people have to struggle to fit in the rear bench of Xcent, they can easily accommodate in the rear couple of the i20. The dual tone airy interiors speak volumes. With top-notch fit and finish, the i20 feels premium and gives an upmarket appeal at this price segment. The plethora of features starting from steering mounted controls, auto air-conditioner, rear air-conditioner, seat height adjustments are never-ending. The in-dash stereo is nicely integrated and looks wonderful. The gear lever feels premium and is nicely contoured at the bottom which feels nice to hold. Co-passenger sun visors are equipped with vanity mirror while the driver side is devoid of any. The sunglass holder does not have any clips to hold the sunglass in place, hence has the probability of getting scratched. Persons migrating from A1/A2/B1 segment cars will be ousted by the fit and finish of the car. The top end Asta variant is equipped with all bells and whistles. There is ample space in the front for both the driver and the co-passenger. The seating ergonomics is perfectly tuned for effort fewer drives. The rear legroom, however, could have been better. I am used to pushing the driver's seat which leaves less space for the rear passenger behind me. All around visibility is pretty good sans the small ORVMs which could have been better. The auto closing feature of the mirror is boon for city drives - especially with the rouge bikers and state buses plying around in their mighty vigor! **Performance** The car feels heavy due to its Kerb weight. Hence the 1.2 Kappa2 petrol engine lacks outright performance. A bigger capacity petrol engine would have done wonders. However in-city driving is perfectly well mated with low-end torque. The midrange is good but high range suffers especially when the car is fully loaded. The car strains when being pedaled in highways. Otherwise, the engine is perfectly refined and you will have very fewer reasons to complain about. The cherry on this car is the re-engineered 1.4 CRDi diesel pot. It is in one word - awesome! You will love driving it in the city as well as on highways. The low-end torque has been re-tuned to make the car more drivable in the city. As you step on the accelerator you can feel the surge of power leaping the car forward. Overtaking is a breeze combined with sharp brakes to make your life easier. But then again all the good things in life come at a price. The top end Asta diesel variant is priced at 8.75Lac INR which is a little steep for a hatchback. The top end is also marked with 16-inch alloys which look great. The handling of i20 is much improved as compared to the previous model. The Xcent, however, does not have good handling dynamics. The steering of the later feels super light and lacks feedback at high speeds. However, for the i20, the ride quality has improved from the earlier versions. An earlier version had a bumpy ride when going over potholes. The newer version has a much more composed ride quality. **Competition** The Elite i20 is in direct competition with Maruti?s Swift. Few points that I feel need to be taken into consideration while buying a diesel pot of the above two makes: 1. The 1.3 DDis Fiat motor used in the Swift is a proven national engine known for its reliability in the long run. 2. Hyundai?s maintenance costs are comparatively higher than Maruti. 3. Swift diesel commands a high resale value in the long run. 4. Swift misses the fun-to-drive factor which is present in the i20. 5. i20 is loaded with features to the T. Interiors fit and finish are up to the market. Polo Diesels are fun to drive as well but lacks rear space and are combined with omnipresent after sales service.