Hyundai Elite i20 review, road test

Hyundai hasn’t quite understood the nuances of chassis dynamics that make the difference between average and great ride and handling. While the new i20’s stiffer chassis has helped tidy its dynamics, it’s not a very entertaining car to drive.

 

Starting with the steering. This EPS unit still has some vagueness around the straight-ahead position and doesn’t weigh up proportionately at speed; the petrol version, specifically, feels a bit too light. The i20 hasn’t developed much of an affinity for corners either and there’s a fair bit of body roll. On the plus side, the fat 195/55 R16 tyres on this Asta version grip well, instilling some confidence.

 

The silent suspension is tuned on the softer side and does a good job of cushioning passengers from bad roads. It’s only sharp edges and deep potholes that thump through and we suspect that’s more because of the low-profile rubber on these 16-inch wheels. The lower-spec variants that come with 14-inch wheels and with taller tyre sidewalls are likely to have an even cushier ride. Up the pace on an uneven surface and the damping gets a bit erratic – it feels secure, but the ride quality isn’t as flat or settled as some of the other European hatchbacks.

 

The brakes too don’t inspire great confidence. In yet another example of feature deletion from the old car, Hyundai has scrapped the rear disc brakes and left the job to drums instead. We also found the initial bite to be a bit weak and the brake pedal feels wooden under hard braking.