It’s perfect for people who values refinement, relaxed nature, interior comfort, and the sheer amount of features it packs in.
BHPian Shreyfiesta recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
UPDATE : 22,000kms up! Few updates, and second free service completed.
This has been an amazing journey – I completed 20,000 kms on our i20 on June 25th, in just about 20 months. Considering this milestone being crossed, I thought to pen down some more observations and updates regarding the periodic service done.
The car is proving to be quite the city slicker, and it isn’t bad on the highway either.
A click en-route home to pick the 20k number!
Few observations :
- The car has been running great, no hiccups, no major issues till date, everything is stock. I am currently getting an average fuel efficiency of 14kmpl on highway and 11kmpl in city. Highest figure achieved is 18.8kmpl.
- There isn’t a single creak or squeak from any of the interior panels. If there is any, it will be quite evident, given the levels of insulation in the cabin and general refinement.
- Features like cruise control, remote start/stop function, keyless entry, cooled glovebox, wireless charging, connected car features, etc are a bliss and are regularly used by all of us.
- After a while of driving the car extensively, I have observed that the in-built navigation (supported by MapMyIndia) is not as great as Google Maps. Wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay is a serious feature omission from Hyundai.
- Battery of the first key fob had drained out. It asks to touch on the start button with key fob to start the engine. Replaced the old one with a fresh Panasonic CR2032 3V battery from a local key repair shop.
- The textured finish on the dashboard is a dust magnet and I find myself reaching for a microfiber cloth to remove fine dust regularly.
An unplanned service visit, dent repair :
No matter how safely you drive, you cant control your fate. A careless lady opened her Kwid’s front RH door into the road without looking back for passing vehicles. The biker on left lane suddenly flicked his motorcycle to the right side to avoid hitting her. I didn’t get enough time to apply brakes and got hit by the falling bike. The bike fell to my car’s rear LH door, causing a deeply cut line and a dent. Fortunately, nobody was injured, except for his bike and my beloved i20, as I was driving at a slow speed. Traffic was queuing behind my stationary car, and they were honking despite seeing the chaos unfold. In that rush I even forgot to click some pictures of the accident.
I knew there was no point in arguing with the biker, it’s not his mistake anyway. What surprised me was the lady’s attitude, she just walked away from the scene with no signs of regret. Took the car to PPS Motors next morning to get the door repaired. They did commit the work and promised to return the car within two working days. I didn’t claim the insurance to avoid loss on no claim bonus. Also if insurance is claimed, they will push for panel replacement and not repair. Dent removal alone was easy in my case as they had enough access to the dented area from behind the door pad. Other deeply scratched areas were sanded carefully, followed by filling and putty work.
Putty work in progress. Hope this won’t bulge or deform later.
Primer applied, with the front door and glass area masked properly with newspapers. 
They then masked the corners partially and applied primer. Once the best-possible paint match was achieved, the car was driven to spray booth for base coat and clear coat applications. The status after clear coat application was decent, factory paint quality cannot be replicated anyway. All I wanted was the best paint match, even a tiny difference in the shade between panels will be hard to ignore. I left the tiny scratches on the side chrome moulding unattended since it was not available as a single piece. Purchasing a fresh set of side moulding (4 pieces) would have costed me another few thousand bucks.
The final result. I’m 100 percent satisfied with the colour matching.
Left these tiny scratches unattended for some wabi-sabi.
20,000kms/2-year periodic service update :
I have been regularly driving the i20 as my daily for the last few months. The car has been munching approximately 1,200 kms a month nowadays, used mostly for city errands and sister’s school commute. Since I was out of town, the scheduled service delayed by two months. The odo reading currently stands at 21,983 kms. Hence, booked an appointment last Friday at Popular Hyundai Vytilla, which has been the go to place for many Hyundai owners in central Kerala. I had only one issue to raise, the driver-side window was making a squeaking sound. The glass was moving against the rubber beading, they adjusted the glass alignment and the issue got resolved.
Costs involved :
- Air Cleaner Filter = ₹ 311
- Climate Control Air Filter = ₹ 409
- Engine Oil Filter = ₹ 108
- Engine Oil (Shell Helix Ultra 0W30) = ₹ 2957
- Oil Drain Plug = ₹ 265
- Oil Plug Gasket = ₹ 51
- Windshield Washer 50ml = ₹ 34
Total expense = ₹ 4135/-
Starting with the next service, the labour charges and consumables become paid.
Verdict :
After nearly 22,000kms of usage, mostly at the enthusiastic hands of a 21-year old, the i20 seems to have fared quite well. It’s a comfortable and well-equipped car that’s just the right size for a small family living in a big city. Fuel efficiency is not that great, always hovering around the 10-11kmpl mark in the city. In my time with this car, the MID rarely showed 15+ kmpl figures. So, after a good 22 months of living with the i20 1.2 IVT, is it a car I’d recommend? My answer would be a strong yes. This isn’t an enthusiast’s choice but is perfect for people who values refinement, relaxed nature, interior comfort, and the sheer amount of features it packs in.
I got the windows tinted (well within legal limits), a worthy investment indeed!
While the i20 may not be the most desirable car in my lot, it definitely is the most dependable one.
Watch this space for further updates. Time to dig deeper into the i20’s box of tricks!
Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.
