Korea’s premium hatchback ‘crosses’ over to the other side
Hyundai has taken an adventurous
step into the hatch-on-steroids segment by giving the successful Elite i20 hatchback
the in-vogue crossover treatment. The result, apart from the addition of a
fresh face to the existing i20 line-up, is the first Hyundai of its kind in
India - the i20 Active.
The unique thing about this
Korean creation is that, unlike its competitors, Top Gear's Hatchback
of the Year comes across as an adventure-ready car that also retains a sense of
premiumness. Plus, the time we spent with the cat made us realise that this was
not a job handled just by Hyundai's cosmetic department - the engineers have
also done a fair bit of work on the i20. The i20 Active comes with new projector
headlamps with daytime running lights and cornering lamps- things the Elite
missed out on.
Other tasteful bits that lend the
car a sinewy look include the roof rails, new bumpers with rounded fog lamps,
skid plates, and plastic cladding around the base of the hatch that protects
the lower body work from minor dings and scratches, new 16-inch diamond cut alloys,
and a rugged-cool looking fuel filler cap. The Active sits 19cm above the
ground, two centimeters higher than the Elite. The 1.2-litre petrol and 1.4-litre
diesel power trains of the i20 Elite hatchback have been retained in the i20
Active.
But, that's never a bad thing, considering
that the 1,197cc, dual VTVT Kappa petrol engine is mated to the slick
five-speed manual transmission and produces 82bhp of peak power and 115Nm of
max torque, while the 1,396cc, four-cylinder U2 CRDi mill under the hood,
linked to a six-speed manual gearbox, pumps out a healthy 89bhp and 220Nm of
torque.
However, minor tweaks have been made
to the final gear ratios, which have resulted in an improvement in initial and
mid-range torque by around six per cent in the petrol and 11 percent in the diesel.
Low-end torque was never the diesel-powered Elite's forte, and after driving
the i20 Active around south Goa, this small alteration can be felt shortly
after stepping on the gas. The car feels more eager to accelerate from under
2200rpm, and feels a little healthier around the 3000 rev mark. The Active's
steering feel is light, just like it is in the Elite i20.
The newly-introduced crossover sees another
positive improvement over the already-impressive Elite: the car's ride quality
is much better now. Alterations to the rear suspension setup have given the
Active a more comfortable and stable ride over rough and broken surfaces.
Hyundai hasn't just given the
Elite i20 a more rugged appearance; it has also improved the hatchback's functionality.
(Do note that the technical changes made for the i20 Active won't be shared
with the regular Elite anytime soon.)
Considering the alterations to the
rear suspension setup, the Active is able to take on corners pretty well, with the
Apollo rubber providing sufficient grip over the rough stuff. But, be prepared
to encounter a fair bit of body roll when doing so.
The Active's interior is
virtually identical to the Elite i20's, and retains the same feature-heavy, yet
fairly uncluttered ambience. So, that means it's a pleasant place to be, and is
among the best cabins in the premium hatchback segment. And, in the Active i20,
the cabin features some pretty prominent cosmetic touches.
The car gets flashy aluminum coated pedals,
and you can now choose between, orange inserts around the cabin, or a more
prominent blue-ish interior theme. The dual-colored seats give the car a more
youthful feel compared to the more sober, dual-tone- Elite interior.
The i20 Active offers the same,
high level of equipment as the Asta trim of the Elite, so with the new variant
you get the works - two airbags, ABS, push-button start, keyless entry, reverse
camera and sensors, an 8-speaker audio system with 1GB memory, USB, AUX and
Bluetooth connectivity, climate control, etc.
The i20 Active is expected to sit
above the Elite's Asta trim, and is expected to be priced at around 7.5 lakh for the petrol and 8.8 lakh for the
diesel (on-road).
Published by : Top Gear
Words by : Christopher Chaves
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