Hyundai i20 Active Diesel Review

This is one recipe every car maker wants to try their hands at. Take a regular hatchback – preferably one that isn't doing too well on the sales front, add a tablespoon of body cladding, roof rails and aggression in the form of new bumpers, a pinch of change to the car’s interior and voila! there’s an all-new car to be had.

Volkswagen did it with the Cross Polo, Toyota made the Etios Cross and Fiat went even further by strapping on a spare wheel on the hatch to give its Punto based Avventura even more road presence. But, so far, only the Etios Cross seems to have worked. And that’s mainly down to the fact that Toyota has managed to create enough design differential between the Liva and the Cross, making the latter a lot more desirable.

Now Hyundai is trying the same with the Elite i20 based i20 Active. And from the looks of it, the Korean car maker clearly seems to have understood the game.

Exterior Styling / Design: rating_4.0_rating

The Hyundai i20 Active is based on the car maker’s best selling car in the country today, the Elite i20. So the Active shares the same proportions, the same styling fare and the same desirability aspect of ZigWheels’ car of the year, the Elite i20. But, because the Active sports a new, more rugged looking front bumper, some body cladding and roof rails, not to mention a pseudo bull bar, skid plates and huge fog lamps, it looks way more purposeful than the regular i20 hatchback. Not just that, Hyundai has upped the practicality co-efficient on the i20 Active as well by raising its ground clearance to 190mm. And lest we forget, we like the new design for the 16 inch wheels and that new fuel filler cap too!

Also See: 2015 Hyundai i20 Active First Look Picture Gallery

Interior & Space: rating_3.5_rating

Not much has changed on the inside. The design elements continue unchanged on the i20 Active when compared to the Elite i20. So, one gets the same dash, the same instrumentation and similar quality as the Polo challenger. And that’s not a bad thing because the Elite i20 is already top of the class when it comes to interiors; be it the feeling of space, the numerous stowage spaces, seating comfort or even space for that matter, the Elite i20 leads the pack.

The equipment list is equally exhaustive. One gets everything from the top of the line Elite i20 on this, the i20 Active SX. So there’s keyless entry and start, a multifunctional steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity, a stereo with 1 GB internal memory, digital climate control and a reversing camera. It also gets automatic lights, ABS and air bags. Additionally, the i20 Active gets cornering lights and aluminium pedals. Yes, we know the latter doesn't really add to the driving experience in any way, but we like it for it looks cool.

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What’s not so cool, is the use of blue on the dashboard, the doors and the seats. It just takes away from that plush feeling the Elite i20 is known for. Now this ‘blue’ is exclusive to the silver car. If you do however choose the brown or the red, all you get is matte orange outlines and inserts for the aircon vents, stereo, seats and the gear-lever. To be honest, we would have preferred an all black interior but if we had to choose between the two existing options – and this reads strange to me even as I write it - we’d settle for the orange.

Ride & Ease of Driving: rating_4.0_rating

One of the biggest changes on the i20 Active compared to the Elite i20, which many of its competitors haven't bothered to implement in their corresponding ‘cross’ versions, is the raised ground clearance. Now, the suspension architecture remains the same as the hatchback but the Active uses taller springs and more travel. However, Hyundai has still managed to keep the ride quality pretty similar to the Elite i20.

So, over poor roads, the i20 Active is quiet and pliant and because of higher clearance, better equipped to handle abuse.  It also remains an easy car to drive with light controls for the steering, clutch or gear operation, good visibility and all the parking help you can get in the form on a reversing camera and parking sensors.

Also See: 2015 Hyundai i20 Active First Look Picture Gallery

Engines & Performance: rating_3.5_rating

There’s no change to the engine or gearbox lineup for the i20 Active. The petrol is still the 83PS, 1.2-litre kappa, four cylinder VTVT engine mated to a 5-speed gearbox and the diesel continues to displace 1.4-litre and develop 90PS of max power. The diesel engine is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. There’s no option of an automatic yet…

The only difference, besides the i20 Active being slightly heavier, is that the Active runs a shorter final drive compared to the Elite i20. The idea, says Hyundai, was to make the Active feel peppier to give it that sporty feel younger buyers crave for. Hyundai says, it has recorded an 11 per cent improvement in acceleration compared to the regular i20 in the diesel and around 6 per cent in the petrol.

As for us, on the narrow roads of Goa, we couldn't really tell. But what we can tell you is that the diesel does continue to feel pretty potent…once you get past that turbo lag. It’s also a reasonably free revving and refined engine for a diesel in its class. And the gear shift quality leaves little to be desired.

Handling & Braking: rating_3.0_rating

Braking was an issue with the Elite i20 with the brakes feeling a little woody and a tad short on bite. Unfortunately, there’s no change to the brakes and the i20 Active too is nowhere near the best in this department. And like the Elite i20, it uses discs at the front and drums at the rear, unlike an all disc setup seen on the previous generation i20.

Handling wise, the i20 Active won't get you all charged up. It is good in a straight line - stable, predictable and more than capable of handling undulations no matter what the speed. But when it comes to cornering, the mute steering is a big dampener. Having said that, the grip levels are fine and even though the i20 Active does roll about, it still remains predictive. It isn't exciting but it's safe alright.

Also See: 2015 Hyundai i20 Active First Look Picture Gallery

Price & Fuel efficiency: rating_3.5_rating

Hyundai expects to sell close to 3,000 units of the i20 Active a month. And to do that – given this segment is still in its infancy – the Korean car maker must price the car aggressively. A premium of Rs 50,000-60,000 over the Elite i20 is reasonable in our opinion. The Active, like the Elite, will remain easy on the pocket to run too; the diesel does come with an ARAI rated fuel efficiency of 21.19kmpl after all. The petrol at over 17kmpl isn't bad either.

Verdict: rating_4.0_rating

Hyundai has got it right with the i20 Active, no doubt. It is a good looking car – the best in its class, to be honest. It is loaded to the gills and because it is based on the Elite i20, a properly successful car (unlike its competitors), the Active will continue to be a hassle free car to own be it engines, service or overall durability. The Hyundai i20 Active then has the potential to rise to the top in the ‘cross’ race, no doubt…and we feel it will.

Also See: 2015 Hyundai i20 Active First Look Picture Gallery