Hyundai i20

Hyundai’s bestselling premium hatchback gets a raft of changes

- BERTRAND D'SOUZA

Type 998cc, threecylinder turbo-petrol

Max power 120PS@6,000rpm

Max torque 172Nm @1,500-4,000rpm

LxWxH (mm) 3,995x1,775x1,505

Price ₹13.35 lakh (on-road, Mumbai)

+ Balanced ride quality, brilliant engines, dynamics, and features

- Not too fond of the styling

A quick drive in the new third generation Hyundai i20 tells you much. It shows just how far Hyundai has come as a car maker. It also shows how far the much humbler Getz, the first generation premium hatchback has come since it was first introduced in 2004 before it spawned into the i20. The new i20’s styling is bold, the engines small but powerful, and the technology packed in up to the window sills is as contemporary as it Getz, and the features are nothing short of generous. We’ve been getting glimpses of the new i20 for several months now, and a walk around last month revealed several new details. Here is finally what it feels like to be driven.

PLATFORM

The new i20 sits on an all new monocoque platform, called the K platform. This is a new lightweight structure, that has a lower kerb weight than the previous generation i20. At the same time tensile strength has gone up by 13 per cent by using more advanced high strength steel, 36 per cent more than before. This results in a 66 per cent stronger and thus a safer crash structure while at the same time enhancing fuel efficiency by being lighter as well.

The body shape also has a lower coefficient of drag, and at 0.33 it’s one of the lowest in the segment. The smoother airflow is one more step in improving fuel efficiency.