Driven: updated Hyundai i20
By khulekani / on August 9th, 2018 / in Car Reviews, featuredBy: Rebaneilwe Semakane
The compact car segment has always been a personal favourite of mine because it manages to cater to almost every South African there is out there. Not too small and not too big. The segment has also matured with all the car makers putting the best materials and features possible to convince you that your hard earned Rands should be invested with them. I have always seen the i20 on the roads and always admired its maturity over the years, and I was excited to know that it will be my first test car and well, it became one of my favourites overnight.
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Exterior
This facelifted one looks so amazing. It now embodies a cascading grille – the family identity uniting all Hyundai models. Additionally, the rear and front bumpers have been tweaked and so have the rear and front lamps. A personal favourite has to be the newly designed 16inch alloy wheels which make the Hyundai i20 look extra appealing. The new backdoor design now allows the number plate to sit comfortably under the Hyundai emblem. Hyundai has also added on a dual tone exterior colour. Although my test car had a solid Marina Blue colour (one of 6 colours to choose from), the Hyundai i20 has a dual colour option which certainly add more personality to the Hyundai i20. In fact, that is what I would go for.
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Interior
The revised Hyundai i20 offers an infotainment system with a 7 inch touchscreen in the middle console that integrates seamlessly via Bluetooth with the driver’s smartphone. Touchscreen quality resembles that of a dated smartphone though but it is so easy to use. There is also an AUX and USB port available and a little pocket that allows you to put your phone there with ease. The side door pockets are small but manage to hold one water bottle, which is all you’ll need really. The quality of the sound system could be better though. Without revealing my age, I have heard my Lionel Richie sound better elsewhere. The steering wheel has knobs that you can flick up or down to change a song or control the volume, which ensures that you do not get distracted. In terms of practicality, the Hyundai i20 is really spacious. There’s ample room for passengers both in the front and back plus, the boot space is decent at 285 litres which extends to 1001 litres. This means you can fit a suitcase and couple of extra bags for a solid vacation.
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Safety
Hyundai keeps things very serious when it comes to safety and that is to be appreciated. The car comes with a driver and passenger’s airbag in all versions, and four three-point safety belts, two in the front and two at the rear, which are equipped with pretensioners and are height-adjustable for front occupants. A lap belt is provided for a third, middle occupant on the rear seat.
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The drive
I had the 1.2 Motion manual. It has 61kw of power and115Nm of torque. 61 kW might sound a bit on the low side with the torque factored in; the car does not feel underpowered but really drives well. The gear changes are smooth and it even tells when to shift up or down. In terms of consumption, Hyundai claims 5.9/100km and a range of 678km but my range was at a max of 579km. I did quite a lot of driving between Johannesburg and Pretoria but managed to stay above a half tank throughout. The i20 does tend to lose power just a little on inclines which requires the odd shift down but once it gets back on track, the drive is incredibly smooth and comfortable. What I love about compact cars is how easily they can manoeuvre in and around traffic, which is necessary because traffic is inevitable in Gauteng.
At the end of my test, which came too soon, I could see why the Hyundai i20 is the third bestselling compact car, it scores high on comfort, practicality and quality in my books and you will certainly enjoy it if you give it a go.
Pricing
i20 1.2 Motion MT R229,900
i20 1.2 Fluid MT R241,900
i20 1.4 Motion AT R254,900
i20 1.4 Fluid AT R284,900
i20 1.4 Fluid MT R266,900
i20 1.4 Active MT R279,900
The updated Hyundai i20 prices include a 2-year/30 000 km service plan for 1,2-litre versions, a 3-year/60 000 service plan for 1,4-litre versions, as well as the standard 5-year/150 000 km manufacturer’s warranty which is extended with an additional 2 years or 50 000 km powertrain warranty across the range.