By: IOL Motoring Staff
It's not that there was really much wrong with the previous i20's design but the new one, just launched in South Africa, is sure to stand out a lot more with its daring new design.
Like the original i20, this second-generation hatch was designed by Hyundai's European arm in Opel's home town of Rüsselsheim in Germany.
Those stylists certainly sharpened their pencils and the result is a sporty design that grins at you with a massive lower airdam up front and gets even more distinctive as you walk around it, thanks to a black paneling on the C-pillar that creates a 'floating roof' effect and boomerang-like taillights that wouldn't look out of place on an Alfa Romeo.
This redesign was far more than just a style statement as Hyundai saw fit to stretch to wheelbase by 45mm to give you and your passengers some extra stretching space. Hyundai calls it a true five-seater and also boasts about its “useful” 294-litre boot.
LESS WEIGHT, SAME ENGINES
Despite being bigger, an abundance of lightweight but high-strength steel in the chassis and body have reduced the overall weight of the i20, while also improving torsional rigidity.
Just as well the little-big Hyundai has lost weight because the small normally aspirated 16-valve engines from the previous range have been carried over to the new one, these taking the form of a 61kW/115Nm 1.2-litre and 74kW/133Nm 1.4-litre. The smaller engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox and the 1.4 can be had with either a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic.
To improve the ride and road holding balance, Hyundai's engineers made some improvements to the suspension, which consists of a MacPherson strut set-up at the front and coupled torsion beam at the back.
Jesse Adams attended the local launch and found it to be an especially quiet runner, with a cabin that filters out road noise remarkably well.
“I'm impressed with how smoothly the i20's 1.4-litre engine spins (we didn't get a chance to drive the smaller 1.2), but it does suffer from naturally aspirated altitude sickness.” Jesse said. “It does what it needs to do at commuting pace, but ask it for an overtake or burst of acceleration and its pulling power is somewhat disappointing. I worry that 1.2-litre might be too little for this size of car.”
“The i20 certainly favours comfort over performance, and even with its basic McPherson strut and torsion beam rear suspension, it's a fantastically supple cruiser,” Jesse added. “It's simple to drive with extremely light clutch and manual gear change actions, but its electronic power steering system is rather numb in feeling - not that I'd expect, or want, my average family hatch to be super sensitive in the feedback department - but I think it's an issue Hyundai could improve upon.”
SMARTER CABIN, LOTS OF KIT
Much work has also gone into making the interior a more inviting place to be and in addition to the aforementioned space gains, the new i20's cabin has gained some soft-touch plastics (which Hyundai calls Thermal Plastic Olefin) as well as piano black inlays and chrome detailing around the air vents and gear lever.
As for standard appointments, the 1.2 Motion base model comes with air conditioning, a four-speaker CD/MP3/USB/Aux audio system, Bluetooth connectivity, remote central locking, height adjustable driver's seat, front electric windows and electric exterior mirrors that also have a heating function.
1.4 Fluid models add automatic climate control to the mix, along with rear electric windows, rear park assist, front foglights and 16-inch alloys (the 1.2 has 14-inch steel wheels). Both versions come with dual front airbags as well as disc brakes and ABS on all four wheels.
Your after-sales peace of mind comes in the form of a five-year/150 000km warranty and there's a standard two-year/30 000km service plan in the case of the 1.2 and a three-year/60 000km plan for the 1.4 models.
PRICES
1.2 Motion manual - R184 900
1.4 Fluid manual - R204 900
1.4 Fluid automatic - R214 900