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| Hyundai's i20 CRDi has no real competition in the diesel hatch stakes |
TO create the rhythms
for the throbbing tunes that have made the Rolling Stones timeless, drummer
Charlie Watts once explained that he had to change his jazz style “to play swing
with a straight four”.
Watts may as well have
been describing what it feels like to drive the Hyundai i20 diesel, for swing is
when the music sounds like it’s going faster while it is not.
In the same way, the 1 396 cc straight-four engine in the Korean hatchback has a way of feeling that it is going faster up a steep hill, while moving at the same speed, because it is leaving mere petrol hatches far behind. The ability to maintain speed uphill has more to do with raw diesel power and less with the kilowatts. One could say that the Newtons show how big an engine’s muscles are, while the kilowatts indicate how fast the engine is. Using this comparison, the little i20 CRDi, which has 220 Nm between 1 500 rpm and 2 750 rpm, is like the weightlifters from eastern Europe. Immensely strong, but not that fast.
In the same way, the 1 396 cc straight-four engine in the Korean hatchback has a way of feeling that it is going faster up a steep hill, while moving at the same speed, because it is leaving mere petrol hatches far behind. The ability to maintain speed uphill has more to do with raw diesel power and less with the kilowatts. One could say that the Newtons show how big an engine’s muscles are, while the kilowatts indicate how fast the engine is. Using this comparison, the little i20 CRDi, which has 220 Nm between 1 500 rpm and 2 750 rpm, is like the weightlifters from eastern Europe. Immensely strong, but not that fast.
Lots of legroom up
front cuts the boot space a tad, but in the cabin the i20 Glide is superbly
equipped. There are four air bags, ABS, automatic air conditioning, a CD front
loader with MP3, RDS, USB, and iPod connectivity. Voice-activated Bluetooth and
audio controls on the steering wheel make phoning while driving less
distracting.
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| The only diesel hatch competitor for the i20 is a Pug. |
The driver’s seat also
allows for a high steering position, for petite drivers. Most i20 buyers are
attracted by Hyundai’s 150 000/five-year warranty, but they should not, as the
Stones sang, “be blinded by the rainbow”. The warranty basically covers the
engine and transmission — parts that these days last twice this distance and
time.
That said, for about
R200 k, Hyundai’s i20 diesel is one pretty hatchback, with room and power to
spare. For those who lug a family up and down hilly country, the only other
diesel hatch that comes close is Peugeot’s 1,6 208, which offers almost the same
power but costs less at just over R190 k. (Driving impressions gathered in a
vehicle sponsored by the manufacturer.)
