SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8
This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.
My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.
Posted: 28 February 2015
The cheat sheet
Price: R204 900
Engine: 1368 cc, chain driven D-CVVT DOHC, 16-valve four-cylinder
Power: 74 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 133 Nm at 3500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11.4 seconds
Maximum speed: 182 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7.1 l/100 km
Tank: 45 litres
Luggage: 294 – 1010 litres
Turning circle: 10.4 metres
Warranty: 5 years/150 000 km; with roadside assistance
Service plan: 3 years/60 000 km; at 15 000 km intervals
“The name’s the same,” announced Stanley Anderson, Hyundai Automotive SA’s director of marketing, “but it’s a new model, not just a redesign.”
Outward appearance seems much the same to uncritical eyes even though a new designer, Casey Hyun, has taken up the drafting pencil. Moving in closer, one notices that the overall look is a little smoother and rounder, lamps and grille have changed, there are rubbing strips along the lower door panels, tail lights have been reshaped and placed across the boot lid and fenders rather than vertically, a high-level brake lamp found its way into the mix and its reversing lights are now in the rear bumper.
There’s more. The car is built on a new platform. Its wheels have been moved farther apart, both front-to-rear and left-to-right - for greater sure-footedness - and the longer wheelbase provides more interior space and comfort. Occupants gain noticeable head- and legroom and more shoulder space – all in a body that’s the same length as before, just 24 mm wider and 15 mm taller.
Stronger steels and more rigid construction not only reduce flexing – aiding handling and safety – but it’s lighter too, for quicker acceleration and lower fuel consumption. It’s not only because of “added lightness” however. The new engine plays a part too. Still displacing a nominal 1400 cc, it’s marginally smaller than the old one and from a different series – Kappa rather than Gamma.
Power output grows by one kilowatt, at slightly higher revs, and maximum torque is down by three Newton-metres – not that the seat of your pants will notice. The secret is that the torque kicks in 700 rpm sooner, making the car less reliant on revs and easier to drive casually. The numbers say it gets to 100 km/h almost half a second sooner and tops out marginally faster. You won’t really care, of course; the car is just nicer to drive, steer and stop. We’ll get to the “why” of those, shortly.
But first, attention was paid to soft-touch surfaces; then noise reduction by means of more sound deadening material, reshaped wing mirrors and tighter door closing by adding an inner belt to the door frames. Then they took advantage of the stronger steels by making the pillars narrower so you can see outward better.
There are new shock absorber valves in the front suspension; harmonising ride and handling, providing a smoother ride and decreasing noise, vibration and harshness. Rear wheel-arch cavities and floor pan were redesigned to accommodate vertically mounted, long-travel, shock absorbers. These reduce friction, resulting in better wheel control and handling, quicker response to driver input and improved ride quality so you’re more comfortable. Briefly, the new i20 rides smoother than the previous model - with sharper handling and responsiveness.
New tie rods within the brake booster provide a number of benefits: improved braking power, better braking stability, increased pedal feel and less ambient vibration. The brakes are still 256 mm vented discs up front and 262 mm solid units at the back; with ABS and EBD as before.
The new cars are fitted to GL specification, so if you owned a GLS previously you will lose out on the side and curtain airbags, but gains include follow-me lighting and automatic climate control.
Getting practical, the hatch lid opens at 74 cm above ground level to reveal a neat rectangular box eight centimetres deep and fitted with four tie-downs and a pair of bag hooks. The fully sized alloy spare is placed upside down, providing space for jack and tools stored tidily in separate bags. Ambidextrous pull-downs mean no curses from the 20 percent of lefties. Seatbacks split one-third, two-thirds and fold all the way down but leave a step.
Rear seat fittings cover the bare essentials with seatback pockets, door bins, grab handles, two head restraints, a pair of full belts and a lap strap. Space is generous for a small car, on the other hand, with ample headroom, better than average knee space and enough for feet under a completely lowered driver’s chair.
The centre console is basic with two cup holders (one with ashtray) and three open storage slots. The power point, USB and auxiliary plugs are in the front-most slot below the RDS radio and CD player that boasts a second slot for mini discs.
Seat adjustments are all mechanical and the hand brake is placed for right-hand drive, while the six-speed manual gear lever is easy to reach and use. Pedals are comfortably spaced and there is plenty of room for big feet to get to the footrest. Interior fittings are well made and well fitted, using quality materials. That’s expected from Hyundai, but almost surprising in a car manufactured entirely in India. As you may guess, we don't generally see this quality from there.
Finally, this new i20 is still the son of Getz that we know and respect. It’s simply better.
Test car from Hyundai Automotive SA press fleet
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.
Comments?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you thoroughly disagree with what I say? If you have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.
This site is operated by Scarlet Pumpkin Communications in Pietermaritzburg.
Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are courtesy of www.quickpic.co.za
Copyright this business. All rights reserved.
SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8