BHPian Tony2298 recently shared this with other enthusiasts: Hi all, The life has been absolutely delightful right from the day my i20 as has arrived into my life and no I ain’t exaggerating even a single bit. Be it my personal or professional life, both have magically become so much more nicer and only good things have had been happening so far in my life! So, to say that she is my good luck charm would be an understatement . i20 has been go to choice for most of my intracity trips especially mall and resturant visits because firstly, its compact form factor helps it so much manueverable on the urban roads, secondly it fits easily even in tight, small and crowded parking lots(which seems to be the situation of most of the malls and restaurants of Bombay/Pune) and lastly, I feel genuinely happy whenever I’m behind the wheel of my lovely car! Now, I decided to amp it up further by taking her on outskirts of the city and a few intercity trips too since the previous month or so and the experience again has been absolutely fantastic, so much so that I recently purchased the annual pass for the FasTag as I decide to embark on cross country road trips with her! Really looking forward to it!Trip to plateau of flowersKaas plateau, one of the very famous plateau of the Sahyadri range is a biodiversity hotspot and sees an annual, seasonal bloom of wide variety of wild flowers, many of those happen to be endangered/threatened species and have a very important role in maintaining ecological balance. The bloom is at its peak during this part of the year and offers a site that is literally mesmerizing and worth once a visit in a lifetime! No wonder it’s been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! The procedure is pretty straightforward as described to visit the plateau.You need to procure an entry pass which can be done online or physically at the entry gate. I personally did an online booking via the official website, entered my personal details, date and time of visit and paid the fee of 150 INR. It is advisable to carry a printed copy of the receipt as you can easily show it to the guards whenever demanded instead of taking out your cellphone each time. Else, you can purchase the entry pass at the checkpoints too. Do what suits you best.Regarding route, it’s a pretty straightforward route, make your way on to the Mumbai/Pune-Bangalore national highway(NH48) and continue until you reach Satara, from thereon you need to make your way to the Kaas road which happens to be one of the nicest roads I’ve been during recent times! First of all, the sudden change in landscape from fast motorway scenario to serene countryside roads with lush greenery on either side presents a delightful contrast and refreshens the soul almost instantly! Just beware that a couple of unmarked speed breakers appear and it would be prudent to maintain a safe speed limit on these countryside roads.Through these countryside service roads, you’ll soon make your way onto the Kaas ghat road which again happens to be butter smooth and almost devoid of any potholes and in way better shape than the adjacent national highway funnily enough! Anyways, jokes apart, the road happens to be a driver’s delight offering you some very enjoyable twists and turns spaced by amazing straights though I must highlight again, please err on the safe side and maintain a safe speed on these roads, it’s the best for everyone!Near the entry of the plateau, there is a checkpoint where guards ask you to show the pass or book one if you haven’t. Since I was carrying a printed copy of the receipt, showed the same to them and got clearance to proceed. There’s a dedicated parking facility where you’ll be required to park your fancy ride. From thereon, a shuttle minibus service will take you to the gates, remember to carry that pass along with you as you’ll be asked to produce again when you arrive at the gate(s).Once you enter in the plateau, it’s magical, words fail to describe the beauty of the landscape and you’ll just thank yourself you made it here! Even better if you’ve your loved ones alongside you! Those small flowers blooming in zillions, the wild grass, the vast, expansive open ground with beautiful sky above you and the horizon at the distance is truly breathtaking! I’ll be attaching some photographs too, but man, even the best of cameras won’t do a justice to this site and it’s something you need to visit and experience! The beautiful plateau, just see how nicely the sky with its horizon presents a lovely contrast to the lush greenery and colourful flowers! Beautiful white lady. I dedicate this to my lovely i20 and… One more flower out of many, many different ones. A botanists’ dream is this plateau! One more shot highlights the full bloom of the plateau and as I said this place is something you need to visit and experience the tranquil this place has to offer! Shuttle minibus service takes you to&fro from parking site to plateau gates.Experience with the carNow before winding up, let me touch upon some points which I think I should share about my i20 which is helpful to both existing and potential buyers of the car.The design, is truly very good and something that’ll grow upon you as you spend more time with the car. At first, even I wasn’t very impressed with the design of the all new i20 and thought the previous Elite i20 was better, no doubt the predecessor is elegant and is a looker even today especially in top end white shade but this new i20 is stunning too! The way the beautiful jewel like headlights merge with the grille, the creases on the side gel well with the beltline highlighted by the beautiful looking 16″ diamond cut alloys and neatly designed fuel lid which fits so seamlessly with the taillights is a good attention to detail! At the rear, the Z shaped lamps look beautiful especially when lit up and for some the chrome strip might not be to their tastes but for me, I really like it as it provides a nice contrast to the black highlights on the tailgate and rear bumper. All in all, the more you notice, more you’ll appreciate the design and fall in love with this beautiful machine!Sadly, as good as those lights look, I hope I had nice words about their performance too which I unfortunately don’t. The lights just lack that brightness and since for some reason Hyundai omitted fog lights too, the throw is unsatisfactory and can prove to be a potential hazard especially during cross country trips since most of the highways and expressways are pitch dark with zero street lights and only source of illuminance will be your cars’ headlights. In contrast, its closest competitor the Maruti Baleno offers so much better and brighter LED headlights as well as LED foglights as OE fitment. I’m not saying this means Baleno is overall a better car but headlights are a basic but crucial safety feature of any vehicle and I seriously didn’t expect such sloppy lights from the Korean giant. Anyways, I’m looking at some aftermarket solution regarding the same and will keep the thread updated with all the upgrade(s) as and when I happen to do.The interiors are best in segment too with the twin 10.25″ screens and a wide dashboard making it seem very upmarket and even though there’s no soft touch elements on the dashboard, very good quality plastics have been used on the crashpad and overall cabin quality is impressive! The steering too with its flat bottom is absolutely spot on with its size and shape, it’s festooned with all the necessary buttons which one gets used to very easily. The ergonomics too are in place and I literally don’t have any issues with the same, seems like Hyundai has taken a lesson or two about ergonomics from Honda!The space on offer is quite appreciable for what essentially happens to be a compact hatch and again the smart interior packaging mirrors more of Honda’s man maximum machine minimum philosophy than anything else! Also, the seats have very good cushioning(though I prefer the extra hard compound of my erstwhile 1st gen i20 which made me feel comfortable even after 1000kms of continuous driving!), also the upholstery happens to be part leatherette which I personally appreciate as the middle areas are fabric which stays breathable and prevents sweating while the rest of the parts are leatherette which give it a premium appeal but that fabric is a lint magnet and installing genuine side airbag compatible seat covers from Mobis is recommended.Coming to the elephant in the room, the engine. Most of the people complain that the 1.2 NA engine is the worst link in the i20 package since it neither delivers punch nor efficiency but I’ve something different to tell. For me, the engine is adequate enough, yes a more sprightly engine is always appreciated but if you get to know the characteristics of the engine and time the gearshifts properly and don’t unnecessarily stress out the engine, it’s quite good for what it offers. I’ve personally no problem in keeping up with the flow of traffic be it on expressways or ghats, yes overtaking requires a bit of planning but you do get used to it and keep the engine in a happy zone and it’ll deliver you good efficiency too. I’ve been consistently eeking out 15kmpl or so with mixed usage including a lot of bumper to bumper traffic too. Apart from that, it’s supremely refined and offers you an EV like silence most of the time. Clutch is quite light, if a little bit springy and gearbox offers short, predictable throws with well spaced out ratios and in fact 2nd gear can even get you to speed from almost stationary scenarios with a light slip of clutch. So, don’t go blindly by what people say, experience it yourself, understand your driving scenario and then decide.So, yeah, that was my short travelogue plus mini review of my i20 after 7k kms. Will keep the thread updated whenever I’ve something new to report. Till then, take care and stay blessed! My beautiful friend wishes a very safe and prosperous life ahead to you all! Thank you TonyCheck out BHPian comments for more insights and information.Enjoying life with my beloved Hyundai i20 NA petrol
BHPian Tony2298 recently shared this with other enthusiasts: Hi all, The life has been absolutely delightful right from the day my i20 as has arrived into my life and no I ain’t exaggerating even a single bit. Be it my personal or professional life, both have magically become so much more nicer and only good things have had been happening so far in my life! So, to say that she is my good luck charm would be an understatement . i20 has been go to choice for most of my intracity trips especially mall and resturant visits because firstly, its compact form factor helps it so much manueverable on the urban roads, secondly it fits easily even in tight, small and crowded parking lots(which seems to be the situation of most of the malls and restaurants of Bombay/Pune) and lastly, I feel genuinely happy whenever I’m behind the wheel of my lovely car! Now, I decided to amp it up further by taking her on outskirts of the city and a few intercity trips too since the previous month or so and the experience again has been absolutely fantastic, so much so that I recently purchased the annual pass for the FasTag as I decide to embark on cross country road trips with her! Really looking forward to it!Trip to plateau of flowersKaas plateau, one of the very famous plateau of the Sahyadri range is a biodiversity hotspot and sees an annual, seasonal bloom of wide variety of wild flowers, many of those happen to be endangered/threatened species and have a very important role in maintaining ecological balance. The bloom is at its peak during this part of the year and offers a site that is literally mesmerizing and worth once a visit in a lifetime! No wonder it’s been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! The procedure is pretty straightforward as described to visit the plateau.You need to procure an entry pass which can be done online or physically at the entry gate. I personally did an online booking via the official website, entered my personal details, date and time of visit and paid the fee of 150 INR. It is advisable to carry a printed copy of the receipt as you can easily show it to the guards whenever demanded instead of taking out your cellphone each time. Else, you can purchase the entry pass at the checkpoints too. Do what suits you best.Regarding route, it’s a pretty straightforward route, make your way on to the Mumbai/Pune-Bangalore national highway(NH48) and continue until you reach Satara, from thereon you need to make your way to the Kaas road which happens to be one of the nicest roads I’ve been during recent times! First of all, the sudden change in landscape from fast motorway scenario to serene countryside roads with lush greenery on either side presents a delightful contrast and refreshens the soul almost instantly! Just beware that a couple of unmarked speed breakers appear and it would be prudent to maintain a safe speed limit on these countryside roads.Through these countryside service roads, you’ll soon make your way onto the Kaas ghat road which again happens to be butter smooth and almost devoid of any potholes and in way better shape than the adjacent national highway funnily enough! Anyways, jokes apart, the road happens to be a driver’s delight offering you some very enjoyable twists and turns spaced by amazing straights though I must highlight again, please err on the safe side and maintain a safe speed on these roads, it’s the best for everyone!Near the entry of the plateau, there is a checkpoint where guards ask you to show the pass or book one if you haven’t. Since I was carrying a printed copy of the receipt, showed the same to them and got clearance to proceed. There’s a dedicated parking facility where you’ll be required to park your fancy ride. From thereon, a shuttle minibus service will take you to the gates, remember to carry that pass along with you as you’ll be asked to produce again when you arrive at the gate(s).Once you enter in the plateau, it’s magical, words fail to describe the beauty of the landscape and you’ll just thank yourself you made it here! Even better if you’ve your loved ones alongside you! Those small flowers blooming in zillions, the wild grass, the vast, expansive open ground with beautiful sky above you and the horizon at the distance is truly breathtaking! I’ll be attaching some photographs too, but man, even the best of cameras won’t do a justice to this site and it’s something you need to visit and experience! The beautiful plateau, just see how nicely the sky with its horizon presents a lovely contrast to the lush greenery and colourful flowers! Beautiful white lady. I dedicate this to my lovely i20 and… One more flower out of many, many different ones. A botanists’ dream is this plateau! One more shot highlights the full bloom of the plateau and as I said this place is something you need to visit and experience the tranquil this place has to offer! Shuttle minibus service takes you to&fro from parking site to plateau gates.Experience with the carNow before winding up, let me touch upon some points which I think I should share about my i20 which is helpful to both existing and potential buyers of the car.The design, is truly very good and something that’ll grow upon you as you spend more time with the car. At first, even I wasn’t very impressed with the design of the all new i20 and thought the previous Elite i20 was better, no doubt the predecessor is elegant and is a looker even today especially in top end white shade but this new i20 is stunning too! The way the beautiful jewel like headlights merge with the grille, the creases on the side gel well with the beltline highlighted by the beautiful looking 16″ diamond cut alloys and neatly designed fuel lid which fits so seamlessly with the taillights is a good attention to detail! At the rear, the Z shaped lamps look beautiful especially when lit up and for some the chrome strip might not be to their tastes but for me, I really like it as it provides a nice contrast to the black highlights on the tailgate and rear bumper. All in all, the more you notice, more you’ll appreciate the design and fall in love with this beautiful machine!Sadly, as good as those lights look, I hope I had nice words about their performance too which I unfortunately don’t. The lights just lack that brightness and since for some reason Hyundai omitted fog lights too, the throw is unsatisfactory and can prove to be a potential hazard especially during cross country trips since most of the highways and expressways are pitch dark with zero street lights and only source of illuminance will be your cars’ headlights. In contrast, its closest competitor the Maruti Baleno offers so much better and brighter LED headlights as well as LED foglights as OE fitment. I’m not saying this means Baleno is overall a better car but headlights are a basic but crucial safety feature of any vehicle and I seriously didn’t expect such sloppy lights from the Korean giant. Anyways, I’m looking at some aftermarket solution regarding the same and will keep the thread updated with all the upgrade(s) as and when I happen to do.The interiors are best in segment too with the twin 10.25″ screens and a wide dashboard making it seem very upmarket and even though there’s no soft touch elements on the dashboard, very good quality plastics have been used on the crashpad and overall cabin quality is impressive! The steering too with its flat bottom is absolutely spot on with its size and shape, it’s festooned with all the necessary buttons which one gets used to very easily. The ergonomics too are in place and I literally don’t have any issues with the same, seems like Hyundai has taken a lesson or two about ergonomics from Honda!The space on offer is quite appreciable for what essentially happens to be a compact hatch and again the smart interior packaging mirrors more of Honda’s man maximum machine minimum philosophy than anything else! Also, the seats have very good cushioning(though I prefer the extra hard compound of my erstwhile 1st gen i20 which made me feel comfortable even after 1000kms of continuous driving!), also the upholstery happens to be part leatherette which I personally appreciate as the middle areas are fabric which stays breathable and prevents sweating while the rest of the parts are leatherette which give it a premium appeal but that fabric is a lint magnet and installing genuine side airbag compatible seat covers from Mobis is recommended.Coming to the elephant in the room, the engine. Most of the people complain that the 1.2 NA engine is the worst link in the i20 package since it neither delivers punch nor efficiency but I’ve something different to tell. For me, the engine is adequate enough, yes a more sprightly engine is always appreciated but if you get to know the characteristics of the engine and time the gearshifts properly and don’t unnecessarily stress out the engine, it’s quite good for what it offers. I’ve personally no problem in keeping up with the flow of traffic be it on expressways or ghats, yes overtaking requires a bit of planning but you do get used to it and keep the engine in a happy zone and it’ll deliver you good efficiency too. I’ve been consistently eeking out 15kmpl or so with mixed usage including a lot of bumper to bumper traffic too. Apart from that, it’s supremely refined and offers you an EV like silence most of the time. Clutch is quite light, if a little bit springy and gearbox offers short, predictable throws with well spaced out ratios and in fact 2nd gear can even get you to speed from almost stationary scenarios with a light slip of clutch. So, don’t go blindly by what people say, experience it yourself, understand your driving scenario and then decide.So, yeah, that was my short travelogue plus mini review of my i20 after 7k kms. Will keep the thread updated whenever I’ve something new to report. Till then, take care and stay blessed! My beautiful friend wishes a very safe and prosperous life ahead to you all! Thank you TonyCheck out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
