The Hyundai i20 is no show-stopper, but with its dashing good looks and eager-beaver feel, it does seem pretty keen to get the party started.
As a replacement for the successful Getz, the i20 plays in the same league as the Ford Fiesta, Mazda2 and Opel Corsa – not exactly weak competition.
The Hyundai i20 is no show-stopper, but with its dashing good looks and eager-beaver feel, it does seem pretty keen to get the party started.
As a replacement for the successful Getz, the i20 plays in the same league as the Ford Fiesta, Mazda2 and Opel Corsa – not exactly weak competition.
Fortunately, Hyundai have realised that bang for buck is the chief concern for most buyers in this segment,and with the i20 they’ve delivered admirably in this regard, which is probably a large part of the reason why this car was a Car of the Year Finalist for 2010.
Bells and whistles come standard on this baby: you get electric mirrors and windows, onboard computer, air conditioning, power steering, ABS brakes, airbags, a cooled glove box and a surprisingly powerful sound system complete with USB, an aux jack (for your mp3 player) and an mp3 CD-player.
Sleaker and sexier than the Getz, the i20 is a welldressed city slicker that oozes confidence. Drab and dull it is not, and it’s got a lively and sporty presence that hints at invigorating performance levels.
Sadly, that hint fizzles away as soon as you get a bit demanding with your right foot. The i20 is available in three variations: 1.4-litre auto and manual (74 kW @ 5 500 rpm, 136 Nm @ 4 200 rpm) and 1.6-litre manual (91 kW @ 6 300 rpm and 156 Nm @ 4 200rpm).
We drove the 1.4 manual, and were expecting a bit more oomph than what we got. Sure, it’s got a bit of zip around town, but it’s not going to throw you into hysterics.
Hyundai lists this model’s 0-100 km/h time as 11.6 seconds, but somehow we managed a 10-point-something. Top speed is listed at 180 km/h, but we didn’t feel too confident about confirming that on the twisty, bumpy road (Southwell) that we chose to test this car on.
That road is, however, a perfect test of a car’s handling abilities. The i20’s cornering prowess is more than acceptable, and sometimes even fun.
This is a light car, but it feels firmly planted on the road most of the time. There’s good, reassuring feedback from the steering, and the car doesn’t tend to waft around the road like the new Polo we drove a few weeks ago did.
Suspension up front is McPherson type strut while at the rear a coupled torsion beam axle does duty. On the way back into town, between the Southwell turn-off and the on-ramp onto the N2, a big, boxy Hi-Tec van appeared in our rearview mirror.
Right, let’s put some distance between us and this oversized tinny loaf of bread, we thought. Through the bends we managed to shake it off, but on the straight bits, it quickly caught up.
Turning onto the highway, the embarrassment reached its peak. Foot flat, let’s go… nowhere, slowly. The van zoomed past on our right, leaving the i20 as the definite loser of that little contest.
The i20’s cabin is a reasonably pleasant place to be, and the budget interior materials suffice rather than surprise.
As you’d expect, being a small car with a small engine, the 1.4-litre i20 sips like a cactus: Hyundai reckons you’ll get 5.6 litres/100 km on the combined cycle (urban plus highway) if you aren’t playing games with Hi-tec vans, of course.
Overall, the i20 is good solid value for money, especially when you consider the five year /150 000 km warranty thrown in.
Hyundai has been taking on the more traditionally trusted brands with great zeal of late, and the i20 is a price-war warrior that could prove to be Hyundai’s hero.
Visit Hyundai Grahamstown in Bathurst Street to take the i20 for a spin. Prices: 1.4-litre: R149 000; 1.6-litre: R159 000.
