SUVS HAVE BECOME so popular that
car buyers these days look for SUV-like traits in their everyday cars. We like the
higher ground clearance, the tough body cladding and the roof rails. And so was
born the 'cross' hatchback sub-segment. But while the segment hasn't taken off
quite as expected, there seems to be no stopping manufacturers from developing
their own cross hatchbacks. Hyundai has made its entry with the arrival of the
i20 Active. You can think of the Active as the 'lifestyle' version of the
regular i20 and one that relies on plenty of styling tweaks to give it a
distinct, more rugged personality.
To that end, the design embellishments
on the i20 Active have been quite successful. You just won't mistake the Active
for a regular i20. Of course, like the other cross hatchbacks, it's the plastic
cladding on the bumpers, wheel arches and lower portion of the doors that are
your biggest giveaways for this. Thankfully, Hyundai's designers didn't go
overboard with the cladding. Hyundai has also increased ride height by 20mm in
the interest of giving the Active a more purposeful stance. As a consequence, ground
clearance is up to a handy 190mm. But there's also a larger gap between the
wheels and wheel arches, which immediately draws your attention to how the
16-inch wheels don't fully fill out the emphasized wheel arches.
Get around that and you'll find
that the front bumper is quite different and houses a scuff plate that does add
some attitude. There are new round fog lamps as well and though the headlights
look familiar, they are actually quite different from the standard i20's. The Active's
headlights feature projectors, daytime-running lights and even cornering lights
that widen the beam's spread depending on steering angle. Viewed in profile,
the Active looks neat, with bits like the roof rails, chunky fuel-filler cap
and glossy finish black C-pillars helping the appearance. At the rear, the bumper
is different though and once again, the round auxiliary lights add some flavour
to styling.
On the inside, new colors on the
dashboard and seats liven things up. Actives with darker paint schemes get all-black
cabins with orange accents on the air-conditioning vents and gear knob and dual-tone
upholstery while those with lighter exterior paint shades get black and blue
themed cabins.
The metal-finish on the pedals
also adds a bit of sportiness and distinction to the Active's cabin. Different colour
combinations and minor details apart, the Active's cabin is just like the
regular i20's. That means it features the same neat dashboard and well
thought-out storage spaces, and comes finished in high-quality materials. Cabin
space is excellent as well and, in fact, the most among cross hatchbacks. Seat
comfort is good too and the boot is sizeable as well.
Being a Hyundai, it's almost a
given that the i20 Active will be well equipped. Well, base trim cars don't get
all that much by way of features, though, rear air-con vents and an audio
player are standard. Middle-spec S trim cars are fairly well-equipped with a driver's-side
airbag, steering mounted audio controls, Bluetooth connectivity, rear-view
camera and sensors, electro-chromic rear-view mirror, cornering headlights with
daytime-running LEDs and 15-inch alloy wheels. Top-spec SX trim
cars add to this by featuring larger 16- inch alloy wheels, automatic headlamps,
keyless entry, push button start, rear wiper, automatic climate control and dual
airbags. Interestingly, only the diesel engine version of the Active is
available in SX form. The petrol car can only be had in base and S versions.
Coming to the mechanicals, the
i20 Active uses the same engines as the regular i20, that is, an 82bhp
1.2-litre petrol and an 89bhp 1.4-litre diesel. However, both engines have been
tweaked and, as per Hyundai's claims, are 6 percent and 11 percent more responsive
at low engine speeds, respectively. We drove the petrol car but didn't find real
world performance to be noticeably different from the normal i20's. Still, the petrol
did feel peppy enough for everyday driving, with the smooth-shifting gearbox and
light clutch adding to the engine's city-friendly nature. The motor scores for
refinement too and runs quietly for the most part. There's a nice surge in the
mid-range of the smooth diesel and acceleration is quite strong in general. If
you're looking for a sporty driving experience, you are likely to be slightly
disappointed. There isn't nearly enough punch from either engine to satisfy the
enthusiastic driver and so, it's best the Active is driven in a relaxed manner.
Given that the Active sits 20mm
higher than the i20, the car rides and handles differently too. There's a
slight improvement in low-speed ride, especially over sharp bumps, and this means
it's better at city speeds. And while stability is acceptable too, there is a
bit of looseness at high-speed, especially if you drive the car in an
aggressive manner. That said, city based users will take keenly to the light
and easy to-twirl steering that makes it quite effortless to drive in traffic.
So, in many ways, the i20 Active
is just like the regular i20. It's well built, smart, comfortable and well equipped.
The additional cladding and different detailing do make the Active stand out
amongst the thousands of i20’s that are already on Indian roads. For many, that
would be the main reason to be interested in the Active and the extra ground clearance
will come as a bonus for most too. The i20 Active, however, comes at a bit of a
premium. Hyundai has priced the petrol i20 Active at Rs 6.38 lakh (ex-showroom,
Delhi) while prices for the diesel version range from Rs 7.63 to Rs 8.89 lakh.
This means the Active costs about Rs 90,000 more than similar-spec versions of
the regular i20, itself not the most affordable of hatchbacks. So yes, while there's
more appeal here with the higher clearance and the new nose, new rear and all the
extra cladding, remember, there's a price to pay too, and quite a steep one at
that.
Published by :
What Car ?
Words by : NIKHIL
BHATIA
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