The Elite i20 is Hyundai's dose of freshness into the premium hatch market. Is it a worthy upgrade?
The i20 has grown from strength to strength and a couple of facelifts down the line, Hyundai has now decided to redesign and re-launch the car in a new avatar. The result is the new Elite i20 - an obvious attempt at convincing buyers that this new model, sporting what Hyundai calls Fluidic design version 2.0, is a worthy upgrade. So, is it?
Design
The i20's design hadn't really aged and it was still a smart looking car. But, Hyundai has decided to pull out the predecessor and not run it parallel to the Elite i20. The successor sports sharper lines and a more upright posture compared to the previous model. Hyundai claims that this is the new version 2.0 of its fluidic design language. There is nothing really to complain about, but yes, the result seems to make Elite i20 Elite look a bit taller than the predecessor. The Elite i20 has seen a complete overhaul of all the body panels and the chassis. The new chassis is about 47mm longer and the wheelbase is up 55mm. There is a certain degree of familiarity because of the prominent haunches continuing in the new Elite i20.
Both the front and rear fenders now get vertical profiles and that boosts its taller stance, while also enabling it to stay within the 4-metre length limit. The front features the trademark hexagonal grille in new form, a new pair of headlamps with wraparound edges and a sleek air dam with side skirts which forms a clean image.
At the side, the shoulder line rises sharply towards the rear and forms a tighter green house than the predecessor's, but there is no compromise in the amount of light in the cabin. The most dramatic design element at the side is the blacked out C-pillar that is meant to give the new Elite i20 a reverse floating roof effect. The previous i20 featured accentuated waist and side profile lines, and the new one continues that trend, though they are straighter and more elegant in the Elite i20. Flared wheel arches and the 16-inch alloys in our test car were a good fit with the overall design. The tail-lamp combination has been constructed smartly to mimic the presence of LED tubes.
The new Elite i20's cabin also gets a decent upgrade. The overall dashboard layout is meant to curve around the front occupants with matching design and dual-tone coloured panels extending into the doors. The amount of space available has clearly increased with the wheelbase being the longest amongst hatches, compact sedans and compact SUVs, the legroom is also said to be best in class. The chunky steering wheel with multifunction controls, the music system with 8 speakers, and the cluster ioniser function in the auto aircon are some of the highlights of the interior of the Elite i20. There is also the addition of rear aircon vents for added comfort for rear seat occupants. The seats in all our test cars only featured cloth upholstery, but they were comfortable and featured enough thigh support for front occupants. The boot space in the Elite i20 is 285 litres. Hyundai engineers have added auto headlamps, auto folding door mirrors, rear parking sensors and a camera with an in-built display in the electro-chromic rear view mirror. There are also convenience features like the headlamp escort function and a steering position warning to make sure that the driver knows which way the wheels are pointed when the car is started.
Performance
The new Elite i20 is being offered with one petrol and one diesel engine. The 1.2 Dual VTVT Kappa petrol mill has been carried forward from the existing i20 with minor changes to the performance. The engine which features variable valve timing (both inlet and exhaust ports) now produces 83 PS of peak power at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of about 114 Nm at 4,000 rpm. During our test drive, the i20 Elite VTVT didn't feel underpowered. We are guessing that the new model is marginally heavier than the outgoing model. But its weight isn't evident while driving. The petrol engine is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission and just like the 6-speed manual in the diesel powertrain, the gearbox is a clean-shifting, delight-to-use unit. The diesel engine is the new member in the family. The 1,396cc, DOHC, turbocharged unit is a second-gen U2 CRDi mill. This larger engine produces 90PS of power at 4,000 rpm and peak torque of about 220 Nm between 1,500 to 2,750 rpm. This was clearly the more likeable powertrain to drive. There is almost no turbolag and there is enough torque available to pull away from traffic right from about 1,200 rpm. The engine operates at a high 1,800 bar pressure and is said to be capable of delivering 22.54 kmpl of mileage (ARAI rated). The rated mileage for the petrol engine is 18.6 kmpl. The Elite i20's ride quality was never a sore point. Together with the longer wheelbase, the new Elite i20 does feel more confident around corners.
Bottomline
The Elite i20 is one of the most loaded hatches that your money can buy today. There are enough safety features that have been built in depending on the trim level. Priced between ₹4.9 lakh and ₹7.6 lakh, the Elite i20 is likely to attract a lot more attention in today's market than its predecessor did.
Words : S Muraliphar
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