HYUNDAI I20

For this generation, the ‘Elite’ name has been dropped and it has grown a fair bit in width around 41mm. It is also much stiffer using 40 percent stiffer materials while being 100 kilos lighter than before. It also has a Cd of 0.33, the lowest in its class.

- Vivek Venugopal

Vivek Venugopal is one of India’s top automotive writers with over a decade’s experience in road-testing and reviewing cars. He is currently the Editor of Quarter Mile magazine and a columnist in several leading magazines and newspapers. He is also a highly sought after consulting engineer and market analyst for many automobile manufacturers.

Hyundai has had a great run in the premium hatchback category with the i20 for over 12 years. The way it offers the perfect blend of practicality, space, comfort, equipments and the ease to drive around, has appealed to many who often upgrade from one generation to the next. And now, there is a new one that wants to rewrite the i20 story.

Previous generations of the i20 have all been designed with the European markets in mind and they all looked the better for it. For this generation, the ‘Elite’ name has been dropped and it has grown a fair bit in width around 41mm. It is also much stiffer using 40 percent stiffer materials while being 100 kilos lighter than before. It also has a Cd of 0.33, the lowest in its class. While the car looks wide, the raised suspension spoils the stance. The styling is a bit on the daring side, with exaggerated lines and too many details fighting for attention. The side profile has two or more creases that feel too many. The front is set low, the rising beltline only accentuating that. The grille is massive and has a lot of detail. There is so much of glass area with the entire C pillar being a quarter glass too. The rear styling is perhaps the most polarizing bit, with massive tail lamps angled downwards and connected by a strip. The styling may not to be everyone’s tastes, but as with most adventurous Hyundai designs, one will get used to it.