Whatshot
Hyundai's i20 Delight
Hyundai's i20 Delight
Author: Tomas Yoko
Date: 2014-02-28
Date: 2014-02-28
Gliding down the N2 heading for Umhlanga I marvelled at how the new i20 1.4 CRDi just got on with the job. The speedometer recorded a speed I cannot report at this instance; however what I can report is that the Hyundai i20 was as smooth as I could have ever wished it to be.
I put it down to the refinement that Hyundai's ride and handling engineers designed into the i20. The front MacPherson strut and rear coupled torsion beam axle suspension not only provided a smooth ride at top speed but gave the i20 taught road manners in tight curves at low speeds.
Over the "raised pedestrian crossings', which are speed bumps in disguise, the i20 behaved extremely well. It was no wonder to me, as I allowed my thoughts to drift while driving, that the i20 had become such a fantastic success for Hyundai. With five derivatives of this model, including the diesel derivative, there is something for almost everyone in the range.
The manual six-speed gearbox shifted just as smoothly and the five litres per hundred kilometres added to my delight in the i20. The 1.4-turbo diesel version I was testing pushed out 66 kilowatts while the petrol derivative produced 73 kilowatts.
I filled the car with friends, all of them overweight, like me, and all of them over five foot five, except for one shorty, however they managed to climb into the i20 and we set off for a journey. I waited for the moaning and complaining but it never came. The headroom and legroom in the i20 seemed substantial enough to keep my complaining buddies quiet.
To make the i20 even more affordable it comes with a five year / 150 000 km warranty and 5 year / 150 000 km roadside assistance and a 3 years / 60 000 km service plan. To make the i20 yours, call 032 551 1408.
