The Korean automobile giant has come up with the all new Hyundai i20 Elite to take on the growing competition in the hatchback segment. The Hyundai i20 was launched as a premium hatchback in the year 2008 and was the first Hyundai car to feature the famous fluidic design in the Indian sub-continent. This car which was available in both petrol & diesel variants was very popular because of its value for money proposition. Over the last couple of years, the company has launched 8 cars (namely i10, Eon, i20, Verna, Elantra, Xcent, Santa Fe and Sonata) and has frequently kept the product range updated.
Hyundai i20 Elite is the revamped version of the already existing i20 model. Designed at Hyundai’s Design Centre Europe in Russelsheim, Germany, this car gets the ‘Fluidic Sculpture’ design concept along with loads of features both inside and out which were never heard of before in the segment. Hyundai is already impressed with the success of i20 Elite, as it has bagged more than 15,000 bookings in mere 20 days of its launch.
With the new Fluidic v2.0 design theme, the Hyundai i20 Elite has a minimum resemblance to the old i20. This new car gets a sophisticated external look with refined outfits all over, making it look more modern and sportier than ever.
Starting from the front profile, the i20 Elite gets a hexagonal shaped web grille on the Front Air Dam. This new concept with a chrome element on the boundary conveys an image of style & sophistication for the car. Above this you can find the wraparound headlamps, best of style in the new i20, which casts a brighter and longer beam of light on the road. As you move further upwards you can clearly notice the sharp characteristic hood line which has moved wider compared to the previous version.
Coming onto the sides the first thing that should catch your attention should be the distinctive line bulging out just above the door handles, that starts from the top edge of the front headlamp and is carried all the way to the rear tail lamp. Also the 16 inch diamond cut alloy wheels with Disc brakes inside should definitely impress you. Other things on the side profile includes the aerodynamically sculpted stylishly-shaped body colored ORVM mirrors with integrated LED turn indicators and the new black coloured C pillar which doesn’t get the height till the top of the window line, thus taking out the floating roof effect found in some cars.
And lastly the rear side gets a voluminous bumper and elongated rear combination lamps giving the car an all together athletic, luxurious, graceful and strong look. Those rear combination lamps bulge out to give a perfect flow from the side to the rear, and though they seem to be made out of LED’s just like in the Audi cars, they aren’t actually. The rear bumper gets slightly bigger than the previous i20 version and includes a pair of reflectors. Overall the car measures 3985 mm in length, 1734 mm in width and a height of 1505 mm.
The Hyundai i20 Elite gets stylish and good quality interiors with certain features that has been introduced for the first time in the segment, making it a tough competitor. As soon as you enter into the car the car, the first thing that will catch your attention will be the new dashboard integrated with a cluster of buttons on it.
Let’s start with the steering wheel, which is quite different from the previous i20 model. The new Elite gets a premium class steering wheel which is leather wrapped and has tilt and telescopic adjustment system. It’s a three spoke refined wheel with multi-functional switches on it. The instrument panel that gets illuminated during the day time as well, gets glossy black treatment. Towards the centre, one can find an eight speaker 2-Din audio system with first in segment 1GB internal memory. Top of it is the central locking button positioned above the hazard light button and the AC ducts on either side of it. The left end of the dashboard is a medium sized Glovebox, unlike the one in older model which was a bit bigger. The cooling vent inside it is clearly visible on the top right.
Now the main feature inside the car which decides your comfort level for long journeys; the seats. These are ergonomically designed spacious and well cushioned both on the front and the rear. These seats are integrated with adjustable head rests and have been covered with a dual tone premium quality fabric upholstery that gives a luxurious look to the cabin. The top end model of the i20 Elite gets a 60:40 split folding facility along with height adjustment function for the driver’s seat. The boot compartment gets an impressive 295 litre of space which can be extended further again.
Other notable features inside the car includes seat back pockets for stocking books or magazines, Cooling inside the Glove box to keep beverages/confectionaries cool, luggage lamp that activates with the opening of the boot lid, cup holders, front console armrest that serves dual purpose to support the arm as well as provides a generous storage box offering more convenience and a fully automatic AC that maintains the desired cabin temperature and cluster ionizer generates ions to purify & deodorize cabin for a healthier & pleasant ride.
The new Hyundai i20 Elite is energetic and lively just like its previous model in terms of acceleration and pickup. It gets the same petrol and diesel engines as used in the older version. The 1.2L kappa dual VTVT (Variable Valve Timing) petrol engine is coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission gearbox offering an optimum fuel efficiency and performance. The engine churns out a maximum power of 83PS @ 6000 rpm and a torque of 115 Nm @ 4000 rpm, enabling the car to hit 100 km/hr in 15-16 seconds. Top speed achievable with this engine is 140 to 145 km/hr.
The diesel variant of this car gets an advanced 1.4L U2 CRDi engine which is coupled with a six-speed manual gear box. This engine gives a maximum power output of 90 PS @4000 rpm and a torque of 220 Nm @ 1500-2750 rpm, enabling the car to reach the top speed of 100 km/hr in 13-14 seconds, while the top speed achievable will be 160 to 165 km/hr.
The i20 Elite gets a highly responsive motor driven electric power assisted steering system, that makes handling the vehicle much easier. The front axle is paired to the McPherson strut with a stabilizer bar and coil spring while the rear axle gets a coupled torsion beam axle with coil spring. With regards to the braking system, the front wheels gets disc brakes while the rear is paired with drum brakes, top of which is also the ABS (Antilock Braking System) which combines to give a skid free and highly efficient braking mechanism to the vehicle.
Onto the safety aspect, the car gets a number of features that protects the vehicle as well as the passengers inside. In order to prevent injuries in case of the front impact, the vehicle gets dual airbags in the form of supplementary restrain system. Other safety features consists of central locking system for doors and tailgate, anti-pinch power windows, smart pedal- which overrides the accelerator pedal and applies brakes only incase both of them have been pushed together, rear parking assist system, rear defogger and auto light controls that automatically turns headlights ON at dusk and OFF at sunlight.
