Hyundai India has launched its new car i20 recently and I went for a test drive of this car. This post is all about the review of i20 Asta. On the outlook i20 external appearance is more or less no different from i10, with few tweaks here and there. Though it is said that i20 will be replacing Getz, it is slightly a bit wider and lengthier than Getz. Also the height of the car has reduced a bit I would say. There are three levels of trim and a choice of 7 body colours to choose from vibrant or muted according to an individuals choice.
Seating:
In i20 front seats are excellent with good visibility though a bit lower than Santro. I felt a little bit uncomfortable since I am very much used to Santro Xing which gives an excellent visibility plus driver seating comfort for me :). Driver seat is spacious and comfortable for my height. However, I would doubt if seating will be the same for people over 6 feets. They would certainly feel the seat to be upright, steering to be low and not very comfortable. However the good news is that the front seats are adjustable in many ways. So make sure you get the right adjustment before you drive. My thighs were slightly brushing against the steering wheel when I sat initially, later on I managed to adjust the seat and then it was comfortable. Even the streering is adjustable. However the comfort level is not the same with rear seats. The legroom space is just about enough for rear seats and unfortunately is just okay for kids. It would be tough for elderly people to sit comfortably since the rear seats are too low. Also, the rear seat is very upright and this may make long journey for the passengers at the back slightly uncomfortable. Middle portion has a bulge and it will be uncomfortable for the person sitting in middle. Hence I would call it a 4 adult seater vehicle instead of 5.
Interiors:
The quality of plastics used is very good and instrumental panel captures the immediate attention. It has aux-in and ipod/usb ports built into the mp3 system. It is very well laid out with smooth lines and soft edges. Even a/c and music controls are well placed. The music system can be controlled from the driver seat with ease. Also, the side mirrors can be adjusted with electronics. Another interesting aspect about i20 is that it has a very large boot space, which can easily fit it a lot of luggage if you are planning for a vacation!
Engine, Driving Comfort and Mileage:
Ride quality is incomparable with i10 and much better than Getz. However, I felt at times the drive was very bumpy. This may be attributed to Bangalore roads or the condition in which the vehicle was. The car is totally in a different league with respect, ride, build quality, directness of steering, tough body and good tyres with a respectable petrol engine of 1.2 litres Kappa felt smooth. But not smooth enough due to the bumpyness which I have mentioned already. The gear ratios seemed very short, resulting in often gear shifting at low speeds making driving a little bit stressful in heavy traffic. Also, I noticed that pickup in the second gear was poor. However, gear changing is as good as in any Hyundai branded car. Company sales executive claimed a fuel efficiency of 12-13 kmpl in city limits for i20. I doubt that, don’t go for Hyundai car if you have mileage as priority.
Price:
As usual, pricing is a big prolem for Hyundai cars. Getz failed because of pricing for its segment cars and here again we have another example. With an on road price of 5.6+ lakhs for the basic i20 model, I feel it is on the higher side. The Swift is undoubtedly the king in this segment and has the best looks, the best engine in both the petrol and diesel variants as well as the best servicing network amongst competitors. Mentioned below is the onroad price in Bangalore for i20 versions of Magna, Asta and Asta(O).
| i20 Price in INR – Bangalore | |||||
| Model | Price | Insurance | Road Tax | Delivery Chgs | Total |
| i20 Magna 1.2 | 479,900 | 15,502 | 63,348 | 5,000 | 5,63,750 |
| i20 Asta 1.2 | 559,900 | 17,913 | 80,067 | 5,000 | 6,62,880 |
| i20 Asta(O) 1.2 | 581,900 | 18,576 | 83,214 | 5,000 | 6,88,689 |
Disclaimer: This article is based on my personal opinion and observations only. Prices, features and availability are subject to change without prior notice w.r.t city, time, dealer etc. For more information, please check with your nearest Hyundai dealer.
saurabh says
can anyone tell me the between ritz,a-star and i10….. which one to buy…
my priority would be interiors,powerfull engine and milage….
rahul says
I have a tata indigo marina and am planning to change it. I stay in the nilgiris and have quite a bit of driving in the hills and plains and the roads are not the best. I want a diesel car. The vehicles i shortlisted are ford fusion, hyundai i20 and skoda fabia. I did not like the fabia as its ground clearance is too low. Kindly give your opinions.
Kishor Kurde says
hi,
I am an mechanical engineer and from various readings and some experience from some people i will like Fiat Punto as best car in it’s segment. The car gives very good driving control and pretty good build up in the sense of safety.
Skoda’s Fabia as per my reviews is not that good from the point of view you have mentioned.
bennith says
Hyundai always failed in the back seat and also in the pricing. the grande punto top end model = i20 base model/////////////very highly priced i2o
Prashant says
In My opininon, i20 has a class look, in terms of Interior ad Exterior.And this car is categorize in B+, so need to compare with Punto(Fiat).
Swift………………….naaaaaaaaaaa 🙂
BK says
Hi Guys,
Very muck invloved in the above discussion in terms of reaing n discussing with frins.
I tried swift,i20,U-VA.
My observation (considering petrol versions ) is :
1. UVA is good in terms of space, looks 6.5/10,engine performance is just fair, interior jus ok,there is plastic fell and empty/flat ,milage around 11-13.
2. Swift less space, looks 7 /10, engineperfomance better than U_VA, interior is bad plastic, empty big dash board, milage 12-13-
3. i20, Space just bit better than swift, looks 9.5/10, engine performance better than UVA but bit less than swift, but is not underpowered., interior BEST BEST in class, milage 12.
Driving comfort, stability, shock absorbing capability, driving pleasure, presence on road ….. in all these terms i20 is far ahead then mentioned cars. Although 1.3 L engine would have given it sporty feel. 1.2Lis jus ok ofcrse not bad.
Compare down payment,EMI …..n m sure i20 will be your choice. Also make note that Central Locking, all power window 2 din stereo, night rear view mirror are standar featur and you dont have to get it retro fitted @ extra cost.
i20 WINS for sure……….
Satnam says
Hi there I am planing to buy a new car my budget is 6 lak. looks dost not matter.. boot space matters . i would love if it would be diesel and with good performance… suggest me between indica CS, swift VDi, vista, only CS has good boot space.. but as for performance of the engine of CS and Swift… which one is better
SD says
Hi Satnam,
If you want a good boot space with a great diesel engine, around 6 lakhs and more you can try the following options. All these cars will get you great after sales service and great engines within your budget.
1.Hyundai I20 – CRDi
2. Swift Dzire -LDI
3. Hyundai Getz CRDi
The hyundais are hatchbacks with reasonable boot space, the i20 diesel is one of the best hatchbacks and the best safety features in its class.
The Swift dzire is a great car but has some issues with poor plastic quality and door rattles. But it has the best diesel engine from FIAT (1.3L multijet) and good legroom for the rear passengers unlike the hatchback swift. It is a drivers car who want to have fun with every drive.
The Hyundai Getz CRDi is actually a road rocket with Verna’s 1.5l diesel engine , it is the fastest among all the three with great liner acceleration. It has got one of the smoothest clutch and gear operation. If you drive in city area you may like it for its smoothness. The interior is spacious and a great glass cover. Hyundai has recently reduced the prices, you may also bargain more to get more discounts and freebies.
Remember with new cars you get longer waiting periods and no discounts.
As far as Indigo CS is concerned, well the car is good in boot space but can’t really talk much about the engine’s performance, the interiors and looks are dated. Also if you like go check the FIAT’s new Punto diesel which has the same diesel engine as Swift. But A.S.S could be a problem including resale. Also Fabia could be another option with great interiors and boot space.
Thanks
SD
SD says
You forgot to mention that i20 is the most loaded hatch today and has a 5 star NCAP safety rating. Swift is a great adrenaline rushing car but am sorry can’t buy a car which has rattling door from day one and makes you go over the potholes like a auto rickshaw. I guess hyundai strikes a fine balance between comfort and performance.
Btw Getz definitely failed because of its pricing but try it out for a month to drive around the busy city, you will like the refined and apt drivelability. You may think twice before writing it off. Oh! Suddenly you will see what competitors offer is a cheap hard dingy and dull plastic car.
SD
Shanx says
i think i should agree with you totally.
Harsh says
i too agree with you!
Mohan says
@tejas
Not sure when it will be launched.. i personally prefer swift vdi 🙂
@Babu Chandran
Thanks for the link and details.
tejas says
when will be i 20 disel car will be launched ? also as asked before what is best option if u have 2 choice of i 20 asta or swift vdi ? we cant make conclusion so pl tell it very clearly which is best choice.
Babu Chandran says
Dear Mohan , Thanks for your reply . The details for the purchase of cars for retired uniformed personnel (PBOR) are avilable in the link.Hope it will be useful for some of your friends/contacts.
http://csdindia.com/Upload/Pages/DOWNLOAD.asp
Mohan says
@Babu Chandran
There is no straight answer for your question. I would suggest you to take a test drive of all the cars after short listing few that match your choice and budget. Upon test drive, you decide which one you want to go for. You can go through all my cars review here. I have mostly covered that cars that are around 1200 CC 🙂
@mahesh gidwani
I wasn’t aware of that. Thanks for your information.
mahesh gidwani says
One thing that nobody seems to care about is the safety. i 20 has safety rating of 5* where as swift I think has four.
Babu Chandran says
Dear Mohan,
I am a retired sergeant from Indian Airforce .Cars below 1200 CC can be purchased through canteen now.Can you suggest one good car in this segment ?
Mohan says
@Narayan
Thanks for being so regular here and answering some of the questions posed by the readers on this blog. Appreciate your contributions very much.
@Shanx
You somewhere need to find the balance between the looks, comfort and the price! All can’t go hand in hand most of the times 🙂
Shanx says
thanx mate for sharing my thought. But you know what, one of my friends just bought an i20 (asta-pertrol). It’s mind-blowing in terms of interiors and features. The interiors look like an high end imported car. It’s too good to resist. So, after seeing that I kinda feel empty to drive my indica. But ofcourse, I’m in no position right now to buy i20 coz it costs somewhere around 7 lakhs!!! @Narayan
Narayan says
@Vijay S Iyer
Please, don’t go for both – A vista diesel (TDI/QJ) is the best in India for Indians – Just look at the space and the ride quality (very imp parameters) – The Swift just does not compare.The only thing good about the Swift diesel is the Maruti tag – but what the heck -it’s a fiat engine anyways.Also the mileage and the resale value is better on the Swift- but why buy a car just to resell it ?(Unfortunately that’s how most Indians think ,only in terms of resale value!!).Have fun and all the best deciding which one to buy!
Narayan says
@Shanx
Same state as you. I have a 2006 red Indica Turbo DLG.My conclusion – Keep your Tata Indica turbo.It’s very hard to bring yourself to sell it.It is one car that is adequate (if not the best) for both city and highway ,and it is simply foolish to sell such a good car,get a pittance and then pay through your nose for a small difference.
-Narayan
Mohan says
@Shanx
You are welcome 🙂 I personally liked Indica vista quadrajet. You can read my review on that car here.
@Abu Sandeep
Thanks, appreciate your thoughts.
@Vijay S Iyer
It is better to take a self test drive of the vehicles you have shortlisted and then make a choice on what you want to buy 🙂
@saurabh singh
You question boils down to an individuals likes and perception. It would be wrong to suggest something at this juncture since you have a sound knowledge already on the existing cars, go with your own preference.
saurabh singh says
hiiiiiiiiii,
me saurabh, very much confussed for my new car i.e which one to buy,swift petrol,i20 or i10…
i am pressurising my family for i20….. because of its good look n interior features….one more +point with i20 is that it comes with 1.2kappa engine, which has been proven much reliable..
my brother says swift or i10…. but i dont like swift interior n look of i10…
so, can anyone tell the satisfactory ans for my confussion….
one thing more what about the i20’s average in city….
Vijay S Iyer says
I am confused whether to go for i20 or swift. can any one help me out in giving their suggestion
Vijay S Iyer
@Abu Sandeep
Abu Sandeep says
Very nice review Mohan. I also had the test drive on i10, i20, Swift, Spark and Ikon Duratec.
Comparing all these.., i feel i20 is good for driving. Swift is also good, but its very difficult to handle in cities. We wont get good view from the driver seat.
Lookwise, Swift is good.
i20 got good drivign comfort and best option among these.
Shanx says
thanx all you guys for your very valuable opinion. I love the shape and features of i20, but as one of you guys have mentioned the lack of power. how about indica vista quadrajet?
harsh says
hey who told u i20 lacks power,let me tell u im a proudly ownmed customer of i20.ndwant 2 say that,i20 has a good engine in terms of power..it has equipped with 1.2 l kappa engine ,wid low noise frequency n..
Mohsin Khan says
can you plz tell me the acctual mileage of i 20 1.2kappa .. acctuly i am very confused i am planning to buy a car, it may be swift dzire or i20 but mileage matters for me. plz help me i need your assistance.
Mohan says
@Abhilash, @Ved Prakash
It boils down to an individuals taste and choice. Thanks for your views.
@Shanx, @Tarun Kapoor
Thanks for your inputs.
@mkh
Good stats, can you point us to the source of your stats?
@George
Goes back to the choice of individuals!
@sharath BR
Yes, i20 is available with diesel engine (CRDi). If you ask my choice, I prefer Swift than i20.
sharath BR says
whether a diesel variant is availabe in i20. between i20 & maruti swift which would be a better choice?
George says
I20 has a serious flaw.A big body with lack of power.Space is not a big issue but seems bit overpriced.I would prefer Fabia at any case:-)
dev says
mate drive fabia ,,u ll get to know …..lolz
mkh says
@Abhilash
well if crap can be the fastest selling 3 lacs ever…looks like crap is what people want and not anything else dude
harsh says
hey.. i had taken test drive for both swift as well as i20,but let me tell u that maruti has installed very cheap materials in terms of dashboard ,steering ..only swift sells on d name of maruti otherwise d outer body of swift is what we can call a DABBA.The qulaity of of bumper used in swift is very cheap…it gets off whenever u hav a slight hit wid d car….seriously telling u, swift is not up to d mark as compared to i20..
Tarun Kapoor says
@Suhail
Dear i think go & watch both cars Magna & Asta..u will get your question answer.
Tarun Kapoor says
@Abhilash
i agree with U swift is crap & outdated now. maruti is playing with those people who are just maruti freak. They cant think above maruti
Tarun Kapoor says
Considering its all sexy features its not overpriced. Those features dont come even in car whose price tag is on 2 figurs & specially swift is outdated now & very very common. So if want something new Kappa Engine Specially go for i20.
It has charm of attracting people eyes.
If any1 want 2 drive some new tech go for It…U will nt regret yr decision!
Shanx says
Very good review Mohan. I presently own a Indica v2 Turbo DLX. I’m OK with it. Mileage and power are not as I expected it to be. I was planning to change the vehicle some tome in the near future. I have always liked GETZ, but for it’s pricing. Now that this i20 has been released, I am in a confused state. Which should I go for. Actually, I also like Indica Vista (though I have not taken a test drive in either Getz or the Vista). My brother has a Swift diesel. it’s quite good, has very good mileage and power, but a little cramped feel. Can you help me in deciding which car to go for among i20, Getz diesel, & Indica Vista Quadrajet. Comments from others will also be appreciated. Thank You.
Ved Prakash says
@Abhilash
Every model has its own advantages and similarly drawbacks. I do agree with you on the fact that i10 has a good quality of plastics, style, engine., etc. But the fact is that Maruti has a proven record in terms of performance and after sales service.
Through out the country Maruti has service stations and no one understands indian roads better than them. However, now they are experimenting with looks which is good for end user. I like that toad look better than i10.
Abhilash says
I think the Swift looks like crap! That car is built to look like a toad and has very little going for it but the Maruti Tag, which makes Indians all sentimental and makes them gravitate towards that bug of a car.
The engine is good but definitely not India’s best small car engine. It has no space on the inside even after looking like a bloody toad from the outside.
There is a reason for the higher price… when you look at the quality of the fittings and materials you can tell that Maruti really doesn’t care with its substandard plastics.
When I was buying a small car I tested each and every one of them. I finally bought the i10. I don’t mind paying a little more for quality.
Singh says
Very well said! kudos to you man, and Swift sold – becoz it didnt have any competition, Guys wait for 2010 to come many hatches are coming – i 30, Chevy Beat – as good as a-star on comfort, Toyota Yaris, VW polo, Golf, u ll become mad just by looking at the competition and the range!
rajat says
totaly right man!!!!!!!!!
Mohan says
@Anand
I will post my review on fiat linea soon, i took a test drive last week.
@Baba Rays
@Andy
Thanks 🙂
@bmw fan
BMW is far ahead of comparison with small cars like Hyundai i20.. certainly, this won’t help you.
@bijoy
400mm is just 0.4 meters! Though your question is logical, the legspace and boot space seem to have eaten up that extra length.. I have no clue on how it used, but certainly you wont feel comfortable sitting in the back.
bijoy says
Hi
i20 is 4000mm length which is around 400mm moer than i10, still why the rear leg-room is same as i10 ? where does the extra space gone. i20 boot space is bigger but, if you compare with Fabia, which is having the same length, but have got very good rear leg-room. Any idea where does the extra space gone ?
So from i10 i20 has got more boot space, then why we need to pay 1-lakh more ?
bmw fan says
Nice Auto Hyundai i20 and good review . but I prefer BMW:)
Andy says
Great review. About the I20 . I think the car is overpriced and iam sure it would be another ELANTRA which did not see some good numbers on Indian Roads. I would Any day go for the Swift . The swift may be a little cramped up than the I20 but overall the SWIFT is a Great buy and a better value for money. Complacency form the i10 would be the main reason for the car to be overpriced.
Baba Rays says
Thanks for the good review!
Kishore says
@Suhail
The only difference in Asta & Asta(O) is that the O variant comes with side and curtain airbags which is a first for a car in this segment in India.
I didn’t like the rear seats comfort lever either. It is a big drawback on i20.
Anand says
Good review mohan.. any thoughts on Fiat Linea? I see too many ads of that car on tv off late.
Mohan says
@Chitra
Thanks for your inputs
@Suhail
Well, Magna is a basic model while Asta is a middle and high end models of i20. So there exists the price difference. Also the security features are more in Asta compared to Magna.
@Ruchi
Thanks!
Ruchi says
That is a good review
Suhail says
Any idea why there is such a huge difference in the price between i20 Magna and Asta?
Ved Prakash says
@Mohan
Advaith hyundai dealer in Bangalore is the one who calls it either as delivery charges which is alternatively called service charge. I have read a number of reviews on i20 and most of them talk about the back seat comfort as major disappointment. Nice review once again Mohan.
Chitra says
Dad, brother and myself went for a test drive yesterday for this i20. I did not like the back seats at all. It will be very tough to sit at the back. Not at all comfortable. I would say, it is okay for a short drive within city limits and definitely a big NO for long drives.
Singh says
It is comfrotable at the back. u dont expect it to be a sedan do u?
See it’s pretty simple, this car is a Premium HATCH! Common its not an Accent, get over it, dont expect more from it! Its better than the competition – Swift(outdated,boring, poor plastic quality, no coloured orvms and door handles on basic version, always has problems wid servicing, and arent u bored of so many swifts on d road already?), Punto(poor pricing, horriblily high cost of spares ,fiat, servicing – who’ll do it? Tata? ), and JAzz(8 lakhs lol!!!! who in the whole wide india be a fool by spending 8 lakhs on a hatch? crazy honda guys)
sorry but i dont have a better explanation. Nice blog.
Rahul Dutta says
@ Singh
if honda jazz cums for 8 lac, wht will happen to hyundai i30 which is supposed to be priced between 8 to 12 lacs….
sujith says
@singh
dood ! wt ya told is so dam correct !
em bored of too many swift on road ! amd i20 and polo is good !
Mohan says
@Shrinidhi Hande
Even I had a question on that. The executive there told me that it includes the registration charges with RTO and few more, not sure what all. I shall call him up tomorrow and get more details on that.
Shrinidhi Hande says
What exactly is this delivery charge? and why? They don’t have to deliver it to my doorstep- I can drive home…
Ashish says
Hey Mohan nice review. I think you have missed few more things to add.
Fully loaded Asta comes with following features:
* Adjustable front and rear head rest
* Height Adjustable Driver’s Seat
* Dash Integrated 2 DIN Music Player with USB port, 4 speakers & 2 front tweeters
* Steering mounted audio controls
* Cooled Glove box
* Electrically adjustable rear view mirrors
* Electrically foldable rear view mirrors.
* ABS with EBD
* Dual front, side & curtain airbags
These features look really awesome.. but cost is the factor. I too feel it is grossly overpriced.
Deepak says
I don’t understand why hyundai always keeps its price so high. That is one of the reason why it fails in Indian market. I would prefer to go for a sedan instead of going for a hatchback car at 6+ lakhs. I thought this car would give a better mileage, but 12-13 kms is pretty average.
Isn’t there a diesel variant of this i20?
naufal says
b segment hatches wont be priced low.
isaac says
Good review . The rear seats are a big minus.
rachna says
hi, want to buy a small car with good performance … dont want a maruti…need suggestions….. pls
SD says
Hi Rachna,
What is the budget that you looking for? What will be your daily travel? Do you prefer a sedan or a hatchback?
This will narrow down your search. am sure one of us can then help you.
sujith says
hi SD .,
em planning to buy a small car ., nd confused with polo and i20 (petrol)
suggest me . my budget is 5.5-5.7 ! and totally bored with too many swift on road ! if there any better car suggest that too ! waiting for ur reply ! thank you !
regards
sujith