Maruti Baleno Owner REVIEWS New Hyundai i20

by Harish Kumar | 21/12/2020
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In this article, we share the thoughts of a Maruti Baleno owner who spent some time behind the wheel of a new Hyundai i20

The premium hatchback segment in India has been led by Maruti Baleno for a quite a long time, then comes the Tata Altroz, which managed to garner a huge band of fan-followers in the domestic space. With the ever-increasing competition, Hyundai has no choice other than giving the Elite i20 a comprehensive update. Just a while back, Hyundai launched its latest-gen i20 in India, pairing massive revisions on the outside, inside and under the bonnet. How is the new Hyundai i20? Is it setting off all good weapons to take the crown from the Maruti Baleno in India? In this article, we share some thoughts of a Maruti Baleno’s owner on the new Hyundai i20.

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This Baleno’s owner is driving the top-end Asta (O) variant of the 2020 Hyundai i20 which makes use of a 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine that churns out 83 PS of max power and 113 Nm of peak torque and comes coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission. It is worth noting that the new Hyundai i20 is lighter than the previous-gen model by 100 kg, thereby enhancing its fuel economy rating from 19.8 kmpl to 21 kmpl.

In the video, the Baleno’s owner thought that the seating of the new i20 is a bit low, which leads to limited visibility with the steering wheel in front. However, this might become a grouse with people of his height merely.

2020 hyundai i20 white colour front angle

The driver supposed that the new i20 gets a very premium instrument cluster compared to the other models in the premium hatches segment. Nevertheless, it also takes us time to get used to the displays as the speedometer is now on the left while the tachometer is on the right side. Besides, it’s better if the sunroof could have been larger. He notices a defect with the steering-mounted button for the volume control but it’s not a big deal-breaker, still.

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On the plus side, the Baleno’s owner compliments the superb sound quality of the Bose sound system. The seats are comfortable with decent headroom and legroom for the rear passengers. There are even AC vents and a USB charger at the rear. The rear windshield and ORVMs gets good visibility as well. In terms of driving dynamics, the new Hyundai i20 features a very light, responsive steering wheel. As per the reviewer, the steering can weigh up properly at high speeds. The brakes perform nicely to put the car to a halt. The engine of the 2020 i20 Asta (O) is smooth and refined. Unlike the previous petrol-powered version, it doesn’t feel underpowered at all, which could be attributed to the lightweight construction of the vehicle.

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The clutch action is good and the same goes for the transmission.Overall, the Maruti Baleno’s owner thinks that the new-gen Hyundai i20 offers a much better build quality than the Maruti Baleno but it’s inferior to that of the Tata Altroz. Frankly, it is much costlier than other models but this is rather paid-off nicely by the premium features on offer. The new Hyundai i20 is currently priced in between Rs 6.79 – 11.32 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

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