Hyundai i20

There are only a few premium hatchbacks in the Indian automotive market and when someone emphasizes on the word “premium”, the first car that comes to mind is the Hyundai i20. This family-oriented hatchback packs a lot of tech in a package that promises good space and performance, and goes up against the recently updated Tata Altroz among other rivals like the Maruti Baleno and Toyota Glanza.

But does it deliver on the promises it makes and is its modern design and youth-friendly tech package enough to go up against its rivals? We find out in this review.

The i20 has a very sleek and mean looking face which makes it look modern and sporty at the same time. It does not look as performance-oriented as its N-Line version, but the design is no doubt attractive.

The mean look at the front is due to the sharp LED headlamps which are complimented by sleek LED DRLs. These headlamps merge with the black hexagonal grille which is made of small L-shaped elements that add a sense of detail. There are flared triangular housings below the headlights which house the fog lamps, and the bumper is split into two slim elements.

It looks like a basic hatchback from the side but there are prominent cuts and creases on the doors, around the wheel arches, and around the tail lamps. This, along with the chrome window line, adds muscle and premiumness to the side profile.

As for wheels, it sits on 16-inch alloys in the top-spec variant. Lower variants get 16-inch styled steel wheels, 15-inch steel wheels with full covers, and 14-inch steel wheels with hub wheel covers.

At the back, the design is as sporty as it is at the front. You get triangular LED tail lamps with a chrome connecting element. The Hyundai logo is placed in a gloss black housing between the chrome strip and the windscreen. Lower down you get more gloss black elements around the bumper, and the bumper itself houses a grey skid plate for a muscular look.

Hyundai offers the i20 in six monotone shades: Fiery Red, Amazon Grey, Atlas White, Titan Grey, Typhoon Silver, and Starry Night. There is also a dual-tone Atlas White shade which is available with a black roof. 

If you want an even more menacing looking i20, you can opt for the Knight edition which comes in an Abyss Black shade, and elements like the alloy wheels and cabin are also blacked out. 

But if I had to pick the i20, I’d go for the i20 N-Line which gets a sporty design with red brake calipers, a dual-exhaust tip, and N-Line badging inside and out.

(4 out of 5)

Design & Quality

Getting in and out of the i20 is fairly easy due to its wide opening doors and a neutral seat height. Ingress and egress at the front does not require much effort and save for the elderly who’ll need to duck, getting inside the rear doors is also easy for everyone.

With the i20, you get a dual-tone black and off-white cabin which matches its sporty appeal. To some, this fairly dark theme might look dull, but the off-while elements really do add the necessary contrast. Additionally, you can find brushed aluminum inserts on the steering wheel and door armrest, and there is some use of gloss black elements in the centre console. These elements complete the look and make the design feel a little less dull.

With the Knight edition, you get an all-black cabin. The brushed aluminum elements are also blacked out and the only contrasting elements are the metal pedals.

In terms of quality, there is less room for complaints. The dashboard plastics are silky smooth and the door armrest along with the steering wheel are covered in soft touch padding. The horizontal textured finish on the dashboard feels nice to touch and it merges with the AC vents seamlessly.

However, the plastics on the doors and in the centre console do feel a little grainy and loose.

Front Seats

The base variant of the i20 does not get a height adjustable driver seat, so finding your ideal driving position does take some time. However, to make it easier, the steering wheel gets both tilt and telescopic adjustability.

Front seats are wide enough to provide good space for occupants of all frames, and there is ample headroom even for 6 footers. They are finished in half fabric and half leatherette, and both front seats get adjustable headrests. 

Front seat occupants also get a central armrest for added comfort.

Rear Seats

Due to its width and the scooped out door pads, the i20’s rear seat has enough space to seat three passengers. The middle passenger does sit slightly upright due to the raised seat base and seat back, and there is no middle headrest, but for short journeys three people can sit here in adequate comfort.

Here, the headroom is enough for tall passengers and there is no shortage of knee room and legroom. The underthigh support is also adequate for an average sized adult but taller passengers will be left wanting for more.

For amenities, rear passengers get AC vents, a USB type-A charging port, and a seat back pocket behind the front passenger seat for storage. But, there is no central armrest which takes away some of the comfort from long drives.

Storage Options

The i20 is a fairly practical car, but it could have been better. All four doors get 1-litre bottle holders, two cupholders in the centre console (one small, one big), an average sized glovebox, a tray to keep your phone which doubles as a wireless phone charger, a sunglass holder, and storage under the front armrest.

Rear passengers get one seatback pocket behind the front passenger seat and a tray under the rear AC vents to charge their phones.

Hyundai missed out on a very practical car by not offering rear cupholders, decent sized front cupholders, and seatback pocket behind the driver’s seat.

Charging Options

To charge your phone, there is a wireless phone charger in the front along with a USB Type-A port, a USB Type-C port, and a 12V socket. Rear passengers only get a single USB Type-A port.

Overall, the cabin experience of the i20 is on par with the segment when it comes to quality and space. The practicality quotient of the hatchback could have been better, but as a package, it offers a pretty holistic experience.

Boot Space

The boot space on offer is limited but usable. It is 311-litres, which isn’t a lot, but you can keep a medium-sized and a cabin-sized suitcase here along with two small soft bags. Due to the lack of depth, a large suitcase won’t fit properly. Also, there is no 60:40 split in the rear seats which means you'll have difficulty carrying large items.

On the plus side, due to a low boot lip, loading and unloading luggage is fairly easy.

When it comes to features, the i20 offers all the basic necessities along with some tech and comfort features. Here is a list of all the daily use basic features on offer.

Apart from these features, it also gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system which is the same one you get in the Verna and Creta. The user interface looks neat, it is easy to use and understand, and it supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. However, this wireless connection is done using a wired to wireless adaptor.

This setup is paired with a 7-speaker BOSE sound system which offers a clean and crisp audio quality.

Next to the touchscreen is a semi digital driver’s display with a coloured MID in the middle. While this screen does show all the drive information in a neat and well readable manner, there aren’t many customisation options save for different colours for different drive modes.

It also gets a single pane sunroof which brings some light into this fairly dark cabin, and there is a wireless phone charger which charges your phone at an acceptable speed. However, the phone tends to heat up after some time, which stops the charging process.

In terms of safety, it gets 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), hill start assist, vehicle stability management, rear parking sensors, day & night IRVM, and ISOFIX child seat anchors as standard.

Higher variants get a rear view camera with dynamic guidelines, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), puddle lamps, auto headlamps, a rear defogger, and a dashcam.

While the current version of the i20 has not been crash tested, the pre-facelift i20 received a 3-star rating from Global NCAP in 2022.

Engine Performance & Options

The i20 comes with a single 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated (NA) petrol engine which is paired either with a 5-speed manual or an CVT (continuously variable transmission). If you want a more powerful i20, go for the i20 N-Line as it comes with a 1-litre turbo-petrol engine.

This is a well refined engine which can do city duties with ease. There is enough power which is delivered in a smooth manner, but it does feel a little dull on the highway. 

City Performance

While driving in the city, you have enough power to cruise around and perform overtakes easily. The power is delivered smoothly and there is no sudden jerk when you start driving. However, you do need to be a little careful with the clutch at crawling speeds in order to avoid stalling the car.

Being a hatchback, it offers a low driving position and its size along with a light steering wheel makes it easy to navigate it through city traffic. For city commutes, we’d recommend the CVT as it offers a smooth driving experience.

Under normal conditions and average traffic, this engine can easily return a fuel efficiency of 12-13 kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

Once you get on the highway, you realize this engine is not as powerful as you’d want it to be. You can get to triple digit speeds and perform overtakes, but both of these things take time. Till 80 kmph, the acceleration is good, but beyond that, it can feel like you’re pushing the car.

Even for high speed overtakes, you’ll need to downshift to get the required power. On hilly areas, to keep momentum in order to climb, you’ll also need to frequently change gears.

The manual transmission will be better as it will allow you to quickly change gears on the highway, but if you prioritize convenience over performance, the CVT will do a good job.

On the highway, the i20 will give you a fuel efficiency of around 16-17 kmpl.

Ride Comfort

A key role of a premium hatchback is to offer good ride comfort. The i20, while does well on that count, doesn't quite excel. Its suspension setup is slightly firm for daily use, but it cushions the passengers well over speed breakers and potholes, and also keeps the harshness away. It is quite silent as well, and hence, offers a peaceful experience. 

However, the ride quality is not as comfortable as the Altroz. And for a car asking Venue-like money, a more sophisticated experience would have been better. Even on the highway, better damping would have made it more stable at higher speeds.

Handling

The i20 feels light and agile and that is down to its lightweight. This means quick direction changes happen effortlessly and the light steering aids to that nature. However, there is still some vagueness when it comes to feedback which holds you back from a spirited driving experience.

The Hyundai i20 is available in 9 broad variants: Era, Magna Executive, Magna, Sportz, Sportz (O), Sportz (O) Knight, Asta, Asta (O), and Asta (O) Knight.

Hyundai i20 Era (Now with revised pricing)

• Gets halogen headlamps, body coloured door handles and ORVMs, and 14-inch steel wheels.

• Cabin comes in a dual-tone black and grey theme with fabric seat upholstery and silver inserts.

• Features include a semi-digital driver’s display, manual AC, front power windows, manually adjustable ORVMs, and tilt and telescopic steering wheel.

• Standard safety kit gets 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), hill start assist, vehicle stability management, rear parking sensors, day & night IRVM, and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

Hyundai i20 Magna Executive

• Exterior upgrades include 15-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers.

• No design changes inside the cabin.

• Feature additions include electrically adjustable ORVMs, rear power windows, front and rear speakers, USB connectivity, and steering mounted controls.

• Safety kit gets a tyre pressure monitoring system (TMPS), auto headlamps, and keyless entry.

Hyundai i20 Magna

• Entry-level CVT variant.

• Exterior gets LED DRLs and the cabin comes with a fixed front central armrest.

• Additional features include a single-pane sunroof, drive modes (CVT only), rear AC vents, and a rear USB Type-A port.

• Safety features see no change.

Hyundai i20 Sportz

• Exterior comes with LED tail lamps with connecting chrome insert, ORVM mounted turn indicators, and 16-inch dual-tone styled steel wheels. 

• Cabin gets a height adjustable driver seat along with a parcel tray.

• Additional features include push button start/stop, cruise control, auto AC, and auto folding ORVMs.

• Sunroof gets taken out in this variant.

• The main addition is an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, front tweeters, bluetooth connectivity, and voice recognition.

• Safety kit gets a rear defogger, a rear view camera with dynamic guidelines, and a smart key.

Hyundai i20 Sportz (O)

• No change to the exterior or interior design save for leatherette padding on the front central armrest.

• Feature additions include a 7-speaker BOSE sound system and an electric sunroof.

• No changes to the safety kit.

Hyundai i20 Sportz (O) Knight

• Gets a tailgate spoiler, dark chrome tail lamp connecting element, black skid plate, blacked out ORVMs, and black 16-inch styled steel wheels.

• Also comes with Knight badging and red brake calipers along with an exclusive Abyss Black exterior shade.

• Cabin comes in an all-black shade with brass coloured highlights and it also gets metal pedals.

Hyundai i20 Asta

• Exterior gets LED headlamps with integrated LED DRLs, side sill garnish, chrome ORVMs, and 16-inch alloy wheels.

• Cabin gets a soft touch crashpad, blue ambient lighting, leather wrapped gear knob and steering wheel, and a sliding front armrest.

• Additional features include a wireless phone charger, auto up and down driver window, rear wiper and washer, and a luggage lamp.

Hyundai i20 Asta (O)

• No changes to the exterior and interior save for semi fabric and leatherette seat upholstery and adjustable rear headrests.

• Comes with a 10.25-inch touchscreen along with Amazon Alexa and Hyundai Bluelink support.

• Gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto only in the CVT variant.

• Voice enabled electric sunroof is the only additional feature.

Hyundai i20 Asta (O) Knight

• Gets the same cosmetic treatment as Sportz (O) Knight.

• No other comfort or safety changes

CarDekho Recommends

• Go for the base-spec Era variant only if you’re on a really tight budget. Pick the Magna variant for a better package and even in that case, keep some money aside for an aftermarket infotainment system.

• Pick the Sportz variant as it offers the best value for your money. It covers all the basic necessities, gets an automatic option, and comes with an infotainment system.

• Go for the Asta (O) variant only if you want the best experience. Otherwise stick to Sportz or its optional variant for better value.

The i20 is definitely not the best in the segment when it comes to tech, safety, and premiumness. The powertrain on offer is just enough for relaxed drives, and it does not get a diesel engine anymore unlike the Altroz.

However, what it offers is in no way less than what you’d expect for its price. The features are enough for your everyday use, the space on offer will keep your family comfortable, and the design has aged gracefully, which most people will like.

If your expectations are not towards flashy features, then the i20 will cater to all your needs.

Other Options To Consider

Tata Altroz

Reasons To Consider

• Better cabin quality

• Better infotainment package

• More comfortable ride quality

• Gets both diesel and CNG powertrain options.

• Better rear seat experience

Reasons To Ignore

• No sporty turbo-petrol version like the i20 N Line

Maruti Baleno/Toyota Glanza

Reasons To Consider

• More comfortable ride quality

• More fuel efficient

Reasons To Ignore

• Not as premium 

• Less features