Distinctive-Looking hatchback.

When a new vehicle segment emerges, you can bet Hyundai will immediately jump right into it. But is the slow-moving cross hatchback space a niche too far, even for India’s second –biggest car maker?

So why has Hyundai even bothered to join this party? Is it rushing headlong into another new segment just because it's there? The Korean company believes there is potential in this niche even though die competition hasn't quite managed to crack it; and it also believes that its new car, the i20 Active, will do much better than the others. It is, after all, based on the i20 hatchback, which we picked as our Car of the Year last year, and which has been consistently selling around 9,000 units on average every month since its launch. Hyundai also has a very clear strategy for its model range. The Santa Fe is its flagship SUV, and below that will sit a smaller, Duster-sized SUV (codename: GS, but known in some markets as the ix25) that's launching later this year. The i20 Active slots in below these two, in a space where Hyundai believes a rugged-looking hatchback is enough for most buyers. It's also why they've come up with the term SSV — or Sports Styled Vehicle — for this kind of car. 

 

To that end, the i20 Active has found a good middle ground between looking rugged and not being too over the top. The requisite grey plastic cladding is there and though there are big round fog lamps in the front and rear bumpers, they don't disturb the i20's basic shape too much. What does look a bit ungainly are the new roof rails and also, the overall stance of the car. Thanks to the new 190mm ground clearance (raised by 20mm from the i20), the smart new 16-inch alloys look smaller than they are. What will appeal to Hyundai fans are the new headlamps, borrowed from the European i20, which pack in projector beams, cornering lights and LED daytime running lamps. You might even miss the subtle changes, like the new horizontal slats on the grille, the macho-looking fuel filler cap and the blackened C-pillar's new glossy finish. 

The vast equipment list hasn't changed and neither has the design of the cabin, but the colour pallete has. On cars with lighter exterior colors like white or silver, you get a blue and black two-tone interior, whereas with darker paint shades like this new Earth Brown, you get a very sporty all-black cabin with funky orange inserts. Both options might have been a little over the top on the standard i20, but in this 'lifestyle vehicle', they somehow work. Another neat little touch is the metal pedals.

You can also tell this car's different positioning in the way its variants are named — S and SX like the sedans, rather than Magna, Sportz and Asta as per the hatchbacks; Hyundai says that's what it will use for all its SUVs from now on. And speaking of the trims, the petrol car isn't available in the top SX variant, so you miss out on quite a lot of equipment. The passenger airbag, keyless go, auto headlamps, leather trim for the gear knob and wheel, adjustable rear headrests, split rear seats, automatic climate control, adjustable steering and the rear windscreen wiper all get the axe, amongst a few other small features. 

The driving experience isn't too different from the i20 hatchback, what with the exact same power trains doing duty. Hyundai says it's reworked the gearing for better low-end response (with a minor hit to fuel economy), should you feel like being a little more adventurous with your lifestyle SUV. There is perhaps a little bit more pep from the diesel, and not much more from the petrol, but we'll have to strap our VBOX onto the car to really identify a difference. Still, this 1.4 diesel is refined and free revving, and though it lacks the outright punch of some rivals, it lets the i20 Active cruise effortlessly on the highway. Likewise, the 1.2 petrol once again gets the job done well enough, but can feel a little short on punch in such a big car. 

The ride, interestingly, seems to have improved a bit at low speeds with the raised suspension. At lower speeds, it feels more compliant and a little less clunky over sharp bumps than the standard i20. At higher speeds, it stays composed, and body roll is quite impressively contained through corners for a car that rides higher than before. Still, the differences are so minute, we'd have to drive it alongside the i20 hatch to tell you how much it's changed. 

The i20 Active is a great car, but that has more to do with the i20. It's based on than the rugged clothing it wears. Yes, the added ground clearance gives it a smidge more practicality, but 20mm is not a drastic change, and it'll just mean clearing tall speed breakers with a fully loaded car will be less of a hassle. Looking at the Active as a top-spec version of the i20 rather than an all-new car might make it easier to justify, but then there's the price. The top model Active SX is nearly Rs 90,000 more than the equivalent i20, and the differences in the lower variants aren't too much better. At those prices, what you are getting is something that will stand out from the thousands of i20s that already ply our streets, as well as a well-sorted vehicle all round. It just depends on how much value you put on tough off-roader looks.

Published by :  Autocar India

Words by  : Gavin D’souza