Complete Guide on Buying a Hyundai i20

The Hyundai i20 is one of the most recognisable and popular cars on Indian roads, with over a decade-long presence in the country. Now in its third generation, the Hyundai i20 has become even more popular on account  of its excellent styling, vast range of powertrains, and features, with the latest model driving exceptionally well.

 More so, with its mix of variants and powertrains, the Hyundai i20 caters to a vast segment of people with varying needs. So, if you’re looking to bring the latest generation of the Hyundai i20 home, here is everything you need to know about the hatchback before doing so.

Hyundai i20 Specifications

Why should you consider the Hyundai i20?

The Hyundai i20 is quite a versatile car and that means if you’re looking for a car that can do it all, the Hyundai i20 might just suit your needs. It’s a jack of all trades in that sense and in fact, the very best in some areas. Some of the things that stand out about the Hyundai i20 are its styling, features and performance. On the styling front, it looks a lot like the bigger cars in Hyundai’s line-up which is always a good thing. On the features front, the Hyundai i20 is the most loaded car in its segment, potentially putting a few cars above its segment to shame, and as far as performance goes, the addition of a turbo-petrol engine with the latest generation model takes it a notch higher.

Looks

The Hyundai i20 is a stunner. There are no two ways to put it. Generally, design can be subjective, but the i20 leaves no room for debate. Hyundai has employed the use of sharp lines all over the body of the car and sleek elements such as the headlights and tail lamps to accentuate the hatchback’s design. This gives it a very edgy look, something that immediately stands out in a sea of cars. The colour options are great too, with the red in particular standing out. The i20’s design language is in line with Hyundai’s global design direction giving it a sense of uniformity. The front grille with its bold and sporty design makes a memorable first impression, even making the hatchback look wider than it really is. So, if you want a car that wows you everytime you look at it, and stands out on the road, the Hyundai i20 definitely ticks that box.

Interior

There are two things about the Hyundai i20’s interior that stand out.. The first is its interior design. Hyundai has used higher quality plastics inside the cabin, especially the dashboard. The interior space has also grown, giving you space to appreciate the more premium interiors.The second thing that you will appreciate about the i20’s cabin are the features, and they tie exceptionally well into the design.  Examples of this are the digital instrument cluster and the free-standing touchscreen on the dashboard. They both have good quality displays and crisp graphics, all of which match the i20’s interior theme. The seats have a leather-ish feel to them and the ambient lighting uplifts the appearance of the cabin, especially at night. Overall, the i20’s cabin feels premium and can compete with cars from a higher segment.

Performance

The i20 has always been a good performer, but with the range of powertrain options that are present in the latest generation model, it truly offers all that Indian buyers are looking for. When it comes to outright performance, it is the turbo-petrol engine that stands out. Mated to the dual clutch transmission, the engine is capable of quick acceleration that adds a bit of zing to the drive, and if you keep your foot planted, high triple digit speeds start appearing quickly on the digital instrument cluster. The handling of the i20 has also gone up with the latest generation model, with the steering offering more feel and feedback than before. The chassis, too, feels pretty planted when executing swift turns.

Why shouldn’t you consider the Hyundai i20?

The Hyundai i20 doesn’t have all that many downsides to it, but if we had to look really close to find its Achilles heel, we would have to narrow down on two things.  The first would be that the price of the hatchback, especially its top-end variants, is too high. Second, while the performance of the turbo-petrol engine is electric, it can be quite thirsty when it comes to fuel consumption.

Expensive

If you look at the top-end variants of the i20, they are priced well into SUV territory. Obviously, the SUV at that price will be quite bare bones as compared to the feature-loaded Hyundai i20, but, anyone looking to buy a hatchback will ideally not want to spend like there is no tomorrow. Therefore, it puts the top-end variant of the i20 out of reach for a lot of budget buyers.

Fuel efficiency of turbo-petrol engine

The turbo-petrol engine of the i20 is quite ferocious in the way that it performs, but it is quite thirsty as well. If you have a heavy right foot, chances are, your fuel efficiency number will never creep into double digits. If you are a budget conscious buyer, this could very well explode your daily running costs to astronomical levels. It’s not just that, with the amount of performance on offer, it becomes really hard to drive the i20 slowly, and you end up burning up more fuel in the process.

Hyundai i20 Variants

Hyundai offers the i20 in four major variants: Magna, Sportz, Asta and Asta (O). On top of that, you also have the multiple powertrain configurations, and some of them are only available in certain variants. Have a look at the table below to understand the full variant and powertrain structure of the Hyundai i20.

Best Hyundai i20 Variant to Buy

When it comes to suggesting the best variant of the i20, we’re going to have to make some classifications. Broadly, this will be between your choice of petrol or diesel, and whether you like to drive comfortably or in a spirited fashion. Starting with petrol and a comfortable driving approach, the i20’s Asta (O) variant with the 1.2-litre petrol engine and CVT is the best bet, due to its relatively low price and fully-loaded nature. If you want performance, on a budget pick the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with the DCT in the Sportz variant, and if you don’t mind splurging, then upgrade that to the Asta (O) variant. Lastly, if you are going for the diesel engine because you want a low running cost, we once again recommend the Asta (O) variant.

Summary

The Hyundai i20 is a very accommodating hatchback with a lot to offer all types of buyers. If you want features, there is a variant for you. If you want performance, there is a powertrain for you, and if you want good looks, well, all of the variants look pretty good. The Hyundai i20 is then very good at being the jack of all trades.