Hyundai's successor to their i20 hatchback is here and they call it the 'Elite i20'.
Does it live up to its aristocratic moniker?
We get behind the wheel to find out
When the Hyundai i20 was first launched in India, it was a breakaway success. Not just because it was a head-turner either (which it was), but because it brought something else that was unique to the table. The i20 broke convention when it married competitive prices to top-of-the-line features. Hyundai will have been mindful of the legacy that the i20 badge comes with then, and will have been sensitive to the weight of expectation that goes with it. It's only human nature, after all, to compare successor and predecessor, and based on initial impressions, Hyundai just might have done it again.
When you take in the exterior of the Elite, it's attention-grabbing qualities are quite apparent. The original i20 was quite a looker in its own right, but the i20 Elite is even better. The wider body and longer wheelbase coupled with the Fluidic 2.0 design cues give the car a mean, aggressive look. This is further accentuated by the in-your-face hexagonal honeycomb grille. The sharp, flowing headlamps give the car's visage an added touch of the mischief, something further emphasized by the twin rivets running across the length of the hood and those trapezoid fog lamps. Look at it from side on and you'll find a blackened out C-pillar, which in confluence with that protective moulding' strip across the bottom half of the doors and indicator mounted rear-view mirrors, and chrome handles further add to that sporty look. Round the back, too, the Elite doesn't lose its posture or its sharpness, with the three-piece wraparound tail-lamp a particular stand-out. Its kicks, wrapped as they are around some snazzy 16-inch alloys, also do their bit in contributing to the car's predatory aesthetics.
The inside, though, is where you'll be spending all your time in this car anyway. The interior has been infused with artistic swashes of black, accentuating all that beige and giving the car a more sophisticated flavour. The gadgetry, as with the first iteration of the i20, is on another level for this class of car. The headlines include sensor-infused auto-lamps, rear a-c vents, sunglasses holder, and front console armrest with storage. All this along with the others we've come to expect from Hyundai by now too, such as push-button start, tilt and telescopic adjustable steering wheel, height adjustable driver's seat, a cooled glove-box and the like.
The seats are comfortable, no matter the length of journey, with adequate thigh and back support and a forgiving suspension working together to provide a soothing ride. Space, too, isn't an issue; the rear seat is wide enough to fit three, and a maximum knee-room of 840 mm means you won't have to worry about cramping up even in the back. The fit-and-finish and the plastics used on the interior are of a high quality, and the leather wrapped steering provides a firm grip. Boot space of 326 litres means there's room for a fair bit of luggage, too, more so than a lot of other options in the Elite's segment.
It's the little details, though, that really set this car apart from the throng. Backlit USB slot and 3.5-mm jack to make plugging in your tunes that much simpler, and these flanked by twin 12V power outputs so that you can charge more than one of the numerous devices people seem to earn,' around with them these days. Even that little slot sitting snug below the a-c controls and which looks as if it's there to gobble in your ATM card is, in fact, a ticketholder, meaning you don't need to flounder around in that little pocket of time at a toll stop where you juggle putting away the receipt and driving forward at the same time.
Before I get into the details of performance, it's imperative to mention that I was driving the Asta trim 1.4 CRDi diesel engine version of the Elite. Step on the gas and you'll find that turbo-lag is present, but not very apparent. 90 PS of grunt and 220 Nm of torque translate into a greater degree of fun on open roads. The car's power can be drawn out from as low as 1,200 RPM, although it really bares its teeth after you've hit the 1,800 mark on the rev count. The front McPherson strut and rear torsion beam axle suspension system, though still on the softer side, isn't a deterrent to open road fun either. This is because the suspension isn't as willowy as in some of Hyundai's other cars, which is a huge boon when driving down the highway with the little dips and bumps that are ever present, and even while cornering.
The Elite i20 doesn't inspire anything but confidence in you when you're taking the car round a bend quickly, and this is because Hyundai have struck a balance between ride quality and handling in the Elite, a balance that was lacking before. The feedback from the steering wheel is also greatly improved, and the lightness of the steering itself means the car is a willful turner, and doesn't require any effort to manoeuvre even in the tight spots of city by-lanes. Handling then is a far cry from its predecessor and quite impressive overall.
Going back to highway driving, the six-speed manual gearbox mated to the 1.4 CRDi engine means it isn't just fast, but also economical — something backed up by the staggering 24 km/1 we got out of the car on the highway. The Elite is no city-slacker either, as it still gives 18 km/1 when driving around in densely populated urban areas. Another factor about the Elite you'll notice when driving around the city is how refined the engine is. At low revs, it operates really quietly, something that helps keep the stress factor down when driving through traffic. A car that goes fast needs to stop fast too, and the Elite does manage that without losing its composure despite the fact that it has been fitted with drum brakes in the rear to go along with the discs in the front.
All things considered, is the Elite i20 the absolute best driver's hatch in its price range in the market (the Asta 1.4 CRDi costs Rs 9.16 lakh, OTR Pune)? It isn't, but it comes very close to the top, and this shortcoming is mitigated by the comfort, style, and practicality that this car brings to the party, which means that Hyundai have, in fact, done it again and created a car that will give its competitors a pause for thought.
Words : Harket Suchde
Published by : Car India
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