15th April 2016, 06:09
| #1 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: New Delhi
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| My Earth-Brown Hyundai i20 Active 1.4L CRDi SX Hey all. This is my first review, ever. Hope it's useful. It all started with the almost niggle free Santro XG finally showing its age, after 9 years and 1,08,000 kms on the odometer. The exhaust had started emitting white smoke and the engine felt lethargic. Engine oil levels were dipping really fast and that low end pep was significantly reduced. Was given an estimate of approximately 35,000/- for bringing it back to life, which included an engine overhaul amongst other repairs. Spending 35,000/- didn't seem like a wise choice, as evaluations revealed that it wouldn't fetch beyond 80,000/ - 90,000/- in the near future even after the suggested repairs. The series of events brought out the itch to upgrade that I had been suppressing for a while. After a quick discussion we decided to let go of the Santro without any fixing. My requirements from the new car were:
Hence the search began. For almost a month explored online, visited showrooms and took test drives. That's exactly when I stumbled upon Team-BHP googling for reviews. The following options were considered keeping in mind the requirements: Honda Jazz iVTEC VX Liked:
Did not like:
VW Polo GT TSI Liked:
Did not like:
Called a couple of people I know with VW's, both advised to avoid as they weren't too happy with their cars lying at the service station for nearly a week on multiple occasions awaiting parts, plus a general displeasure with the service. This was the one I had a hard time dropping even with its cons. Had taken it for a couple of test drives on the Barapullah flyover for a little ripping, slotted it into S mode and to say the least, it was exhilarating! Had almost booked it. Ford EcoSport Liked:
Did not like:
Went to the showroom on 3 different occasions, looking to test drive the manual petrol. Every time would get the same response, "Petrol not available to test drive sir, why don't you try the diesel", blah blah blah. The third time around I got so riled up, just for the heck of it I demanded a diesel test drive. This is when I consciously felt the torque of a diesel engine for the first time, in my head I'm going wow, while keeping a straight face in front of the sales advisor, who I had blasted 20 minutes back for their inability in providing a petrol car to test drive. Instant dislikes were the diesel car vibration and a longer traveling clutch which was considerably heavier. Hyundai Elite i20 Asta petrol 1.2 Liked:
Did not like:
After test driving the petrol elite i20, I asked the sales advisor to arrange a test drive of the 1.4 diesel, remembering the torquey feel from the EcoSport. Though the diesel clatter and vibration was instantly evident, it turned out to be a fun drive, playing with the turbo. Now I was further confused as all the petrol cars test driven weren't able to even match the out going Santro.  I thought to myself, why don't I get a diesel. Took a longer test drive of the 1.4 diesel from the showroom via Barapullah flyover, to the DND Noida expressway U-turn and back. The Santro like low end response was missing here too, but this machine made up for it with the torque and felt quite eager in the lower gears. Middle to high gears were awesome with the turbo doing it's job brilliantly. The route taken had stretches to do a little spirited testing of the higher gears and I had a grin, almost ear-to-ear. With a little more discussion at home, decided to get a diesel car. On my visits to the Hyundai showroom, every time I looked at the Active avatar of the Elite i20, it always looked more appealing. I remembered it from the launch in April of 2015. I had stopped by the authorised Hyundai showroom and service centre in Dehradun to replace the left ORVM for my Santro, looked great but I hated the horrendous blue dash and door panels on the white Active. Fast forward 5 months, visited a different Hyundai showroom than the one for the initial test drive, they had the Active on display in brown, with black interiors and minor orange accents. Looking at it brought an instant smile to my face. I asked for a test drive of the 1.4 diesel, they had a white Active and we hit the road. Took the same route via Barapullah, the Active felt sprightlier than the Elite. I don't know what it was, probably the newly gained info about the 11% gain in performance, due to change in gear ratios creating a placebo effect, or probably the black interiors. I don't know... Had forgotten about a heavier and longer clutch travel, the diesel clatter and vibrations. Was more engrossed in letting the turbo go. Seriously, this thing goes once it kicks in. The car felt stuck to the road and the steering weighed up just like the TSI. Whatever it was, my mind was made up. The Active had ended my quest for a new car. Finally. Hyundai i20 Active 1.4 CRDi SX  Liked and still do: In addition to what I liked on the Hyundai Elite i20.
 Didn't like:
A list of likes and dislikes after 6 months of ownership is at the end of the 4th post. Front    Side  Back   Last edited by harsh79 : 29th April 2016 at 21:59. Reason: Compiling. |
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16th April 2016, 00:32
| #2 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: New Delhi
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| re: My Earth-Brown Hyundai i20 Active 1.4L CRDi SX Booking experience with the dealership The Active was booked with Elroy Motors after an evaluation of the Santro by their representative, valued at 75,000/-, we went ahead with a booking amount of 10,000/- and were communicated a wait period of 10-14 days during the last week of September 2015. Ten days later received a call that the car has arrived at their showroom, and am welcome to come down for the PDI. As requested. Same day I reached the showroom and started looking around for a brown Active. The only Active I see there is a brand new white one with those atrocious blue interiors. While still looking around I see the assigned sales advisor walking up to me with not exactly a smile. We're told that due to some miscommunication somewhere in the chain, the factory has sent the wrong colour and they also only got to know, once the car reached the showroom from their yard. Their paper work revealed that indeed a brown Active was ordered as booked by me, for some inexplicable reason they had received a white one. Though irked and disappointed, I chose to accept the situation after giving them a piece of my mind, and decided to wait for another car to arrive from Chennai. Which would again take 10-14 days. Was offered free seat covers and floor mats for the colour debacle. In retrospect which I shouldn't have accepted, as the finishing & fit of the seat covers left a lot to be desired and the OE mats were equally bad. Plus I lost out on the waiver of handling charges which the showroom manager had agreed to if I didn't take the covers and mats. Another twelve days had paaaassed... and I got a call confirming arrival at the showroom. Twenty minutes later I was looking at my new to-be car, with the Team-BHP PDI checklist in hand. The Active had 28 kms on the odo, J as the last character of the VIN , everything else looked in order and it passed with flying colours minus the orange peel + panel gap, and a few customary swirls. For which I made my displeasure very apparent. Remaining paper work, payment and other formalities was completed within the next 2 days and on 27th of October 2015, very late in the evening, thanks to the stupid seat covers that turned out rubbish anyway. We got the delivery of our new Hyundai i20 Active Sx CRDi 1.4 Earth brown.  On-road price & discounts Unit price - 8,14,831/- VAT - 1,01,854/- Road tax - 84,923/- Insurance - 33,960/- HDFC Ergo. Including zero depreciation. Add on coverages (ZD, Consumables, Engine protect and RTI - Return to invoice) Extended warranty - 9,399/- Handling charges - 6,990/-  HSRP Number plate + frame - 913/- Total - 10,52,870/- No discount. Number of kms driven In 6 months the Active has covered 9,200 kms and is due for it 2nd service very soon. The mileage includes 3 outstation trips totalling around 2,400 kms and the rest owing to long drives at night and daily commute. Safety & related equipment The Active comes with 2 front airbags and ABS in the Sx variant which is a major upgrade from the Santro. The ABS kicked in on hard braking once, while going over a broken patch. The seat belt material is not stiff and doesn't dig in or get uncomfortable around the waist, even on long trips. The seat belt latch assembly is not fixed in one position, it has a little play forward and backward, allowing adjustment for a more comfortable restrain. Exterior Styling & design Sporting the newer fluidic design which is miles ahead of the last generation, the Active is a head turner. From the bonnet's front lines, neat front grille, the exquisite front corner wrapping projector headlamps, chunky door guards and plastic cladding on the sides of the body, bestow a sporty look to the Active. The roof rails, a sturdy wiper and stubbier antenna, along with the beautiful 3 cluster tail lamps and the dual tone bumper continue the sporty look flowing from the front and sides. The new headlamp assembly looks very chic in my opinion, adds a lot to the front and side view. If the roof rails were not as tall as they are, it would have led to a much classier and toned down look. Projector headlamp with cornering light and DRL   ORVM  Tail light  Fog lamp  Fuel lid (that's a reflection, not a smear)  Roof rails, quite a gap  Build quality, fit & finish, paint quality and panel gaps Hyundai can't hold a candle to the likes of VW and Ford, where it comes to, the often mentioned tank like feel due to the heavier & thicker sheet metal and the resultant solid construction. Isn't a Polo, but ain't no Swift either. Overall build quality on the Active is decent, doors and panels don't feel flimsy or light. Plastics used for the cladding, B pillars, bumpers, door guards, ORVM assembly, roof rails are sturdy and have a well finished matte look. The paint quality is the only flaw on the exterior, there is not a single panel without orange peel. During the PDI, once the orange peel was visible on the Active, I checked all the cars in their delivery area, all of them were affected to varying degrees. Hyundai seriously needs to up their game in the paint department, makes me cringe whenever I look at the doors and spoiler, from certain angles. The orange peel and an inconsistent panel gap on the sides of the bonnet almost resulted in a failed PDI. Momentarily though, after looking at all the other cars there suffering a similar fate and my impatience against waiting another 2 weeks, my sensibilities accepted the Active with its two flaws. Needless to say that there were no guarantees that it wouldn't happen again with the next one, if I'd waited. Again! Come on! Hyundai. You can definitely do better. Orange peel  Inconsistent panel gap  Last edited by harsh79 : 29th April 2016 at 21:11. Reason: Compiling. |
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20th April 2016, 02:35
| #3 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: New Delhi
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Thanked: 798 Times
| re: My Earth-Brown Hyundai i20 Active 1.4L CRDi SX Interiors Design and quality This is where the Active shines with its all black interiors, the design though identical to the Elite, is leaps and bounds ahead in the looks department. The interior space has to be gratifying to the eyes, without quirky audio and centre consoles or those gaudy chrome inserts. Orange accents took a little getting used to, but over time I've come to like them. Plastics used inside the cabin vary from place to place in quality and finish, from grainy, glossy to matte. Overall quality is good and matte finished panels around the audio console, ACC and odometer cluster add to the modern styling. I'm unable to comment on the material of the seats as they were covered up in all black from the very first day. The little time spent with the OE seats during the test drives, the fabric and finishing looked and felt satisfactory. Did not like the excessive orange on the seats and had a mind to cover them up anyway. Design of the entire dashboard, premium quality buttons and stalks, armrest console, centre console area, neat storage space, and the very well integrated USB and power socket fascia, blend to create a premium and sophisticated look. Leather wrapped steering wheel & gear shift knob feel good to hold and chuck around. Audio, phone and MID control buttons on the steering add a lot of convenience without being obstructive. The good-looking armrest's lack of ability to slide forward, renders it useless in my seating position. Saving grace being the space inside and comfort for the passenger. Rear split seat design with the adjustable headrests and plush padding, enhanced by the all black covers looks very upmarket. Grab handles, roof liner and parcel tray look like they're made with quality materials. Space and ergonomics Cabin is ergonomic and spacious. The all black, including seat covers don't take away much from the relatively airy feel. All the buttons, dials and controls are laid out well and can be mostly operated without taking your eyes off the road. Front seats are well cushioned, comfortable and provide ample support laterally, the side bolstering helps keep you in place while cornering on winding roads, under-thigh support could be better. Jacking up the seat to the highest position helps me achieve a comfortable driving position. Still miss using the headrest. Why can't manufacturers tilt the headrest a little forward or at the least, charge a little more and provide an option to do so? Would go a long way towards a comfortable drive. Back seat is well padded and with its contoured bench design and bolstering, for two occupants it's a very comfortable ride. Elbow and head room is sufficient, front & back. Storage options boot space The cooled glovebox is on the smaller side. User manual + car papers folder and a couple of microfibres fill up the space. Space under the armrest is useful for the wallet, keys and flash drives, or anything small you want to keep away from prying eyes. Two cup holders ahead of the armrest suffice for most half litre and smaller bottles + cups. The front door storage space accommodates the big one litre tupperware bottles with ease and the narrow space is great for the wallet on short errand trips. Back door storage space is smaller than the front, still manages to accommodate slimmer bottles. Never have or will use the parcel tray as it obstructs the rear view and nothing on it stays where you put it. Cladding around the wheel wells and rear shocker adjusters eats up quite a bit of space in the boot. Medium size suitcases don't fit easily without digging into the back of the rear seat. Two suitcases and a couple of small bags strategically placed, can fill up the entire 285 litre boot. Front cabin area  Driver side area  Tachometer, odometer and MID cluster  AVN  Cabin lights Control  'Rattle box', sunglasses holder. If there is a rattle in your Elite or Active. This is the first place you want to check!  Cup holders  That almost useless armrest  Side AC vent  USB, AUX and power sockets, with the Mini and Capdase chargers plugged in  Door handle  Rear seat belt clip holder  Last edited by harsh79 : 29th April 2016 at 19:55. Reason: Compiling. |
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22nd April 2016, 11:53
| #4 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: New Delhi
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| re: My Earth-Brown Hyundai i20 Active 1.4L CRDi SX Engine driveability & performance The Active's 1.4 diesel motor starts with a noticeable shudder and vibration. Diesel clatter is loud on the outside and reduces to a great extent inside the cabin, with windows rolled up. Vibration is felt through the car, gear lever and pedals too. I've been following the initial run-in method posted by DieselFan on the 'How to Run-In your new car' thread. After 9,200 kms the engine feels a lot less strained and revs freely, without that constricted feel at higher rpm's in lower gearing. The motor idles at 800 rpm. Slotting it in 1st gear and slowly releasing the clutch, without any accelerator input gets the Active rolling. The torque, just from clutch work is enough to amble at single digit speeds in bumper to bumper traffic. The 2nd is also relatively torquey and good for slow moving traffic, demanding light acceleration. At around 25 kmh & 1800-2000 rpm, you feel a need to shift up. During the first couple of weeks it took a lot of getting used to the surge of torque, lunging the Active forward on downshifting to 2nd gear. 3rd is capable of comfortably reaching a speed of 40-50 kph. With the turbo coming into play this is a very comfortable gear to use in slow speed city driving. Even at 2500 rpm, it's doesn't feel strained or crying for a gear change. 4th along with 3rd is the most used gear for normal daytime city driving and has a good range. This is where I stop following gear shift suggestions displaying on the MID, as 4th can do all duties of the 5th, within city limits or on a not so open highway, without needing to downshift often. Gear shifts suggested by the MID display seem a little on the conservative side for upshifting while in higher gears. Downshifting I follow the MID suggestion in order to avoid lugging the engine. Lugging is rare. I've used 5th and 6th gears extensively during long night drives around Delhi NCR and outstation trips. They both let you cruise in comfort and that power on tap is always available. With the undulated, broken and hazard laden roads we drive on, not to mention ghastly speed breakers, 6th has definitely been used but never for too long. City driving is easy, relaxed and comfortable as long as traffic keeps moving. Bumper-to-bumper traffic is torture on the left foot and leg. On the highway it cleanly pulls away and maintains good speeds, pushing the accelerator surges one ahead with abundant confidence. Overtaking in those tricky situations where the Santro desperately struggled, the Active is never worried. Raising or maintaining the rpm around 2200-2400 in mid to higher gears before upshifting, keeps one from avoiding the lag. Good NVH levels due to superb insulation, mounting and engine refinement, contribute a great deal towards eliminating most of the outside noise. Albeit refined, it's noisy on the exterior or if windows are down. The vibration, pronounced shudder on turning ignition on & off, heavy and long clutch travel, initially were big dislikes of diesels in general. Have understood and warmed up to the characteristics of a diesel motor to a great extent. Vibration on the clutch and accelerator pedal is still bothersome. I still compare it to the super silent Santro, many a times I'd tried turning the key after idling at a traffic signal, only to realise that the engine is running. Gear shifts are short, smooth and precise. Clutch as mentioned is heavy and travels far. Overall, engine with the turbo feels torquey, eager and is fun to drive. I do feel the need to mention that the same engine with air conditioning on, does lose a bit of it's oomph. A cousin who drives a diesel Amaze, was remarkably amazed at the superior refinement and NVH levels.  Gear lever  Steering with audio and MID control buttons  Suspension, handling, steering and ground clearance Suspension is not overly soft and doesn't jounce the car around too much on billowy surfaces and the Active feels stable, very much unlike the Santro. Steering is light and quite like the Santro, but similiraties end there. As the speed picks up, you start feeling the tightness and weight. I find it precise and responsive. The wheel is good to hold and doesn't slip. The car feels very stable, planted and grips the road well around corners, roundabouts, spiral overpasses and exits. Never do you feel thrown around or out of your seat on bumps and bad roads. The Active with a ground clearance of 190mm devours speed bumps of all shapes & sizes with ease and is relatively rough road friendly. Wheels & tyres The Active runs on 16" alloy wheels, shod with Goodyear 195/55 R16 tyres. The alloy design is definitely an eye catcher. The tyres are loud on some tarmacs and road noise does filter in with an increase in speed. Ride quality over varied terrain is satisfactory at appropriate speeds and they feel grippy enough while braking. I had requested for Apollo alnac 4G's as the Active had been rolling out of the factory with Apollos, but was told by the dealership that they had no say in what comes fitted from Hyundai. Alloys and tyres  Controls and information display Buttons & stalks in a matte finish are built and finished to last, feel great to touch or operate. Outstanding quality. The MID offers useful information and settings including, steering wheel alignment display, reverse parking sensor display (not used as AVN displays the reverse camera with adaptive guiding lines), outside temperature, mileage remaining till next service, door or boot open visual display, dual trip meters, indicator flash count customisation, illumination level control, amongst others. Still misses out on the fuel efficiency and distance to empty display. Ignition button  Mid control  Audio and telephony control  Windscreen washer control  Exterior lighting and indicator control  Power windows control buttons and ORVM control  Headlight level adjustment and console area illumination level control  Automatic climate control and ticket/card slot  Visibility & size of mirrors Seat height adjustment cranked all the way up helps as the dashboard sits on a higher side. Front and side visibility suffices, thanks to the reasonably narrow A pillar. IRVM fully covers the limited view available through the rear windscreen. With precise angling of both the IRVM's & ORVM's, it's not difficult to get a full and uncut view. Air conditioner cooling & efficiency Bought almost before the start of winter in Delhi, air-conditioning usage was sporadic at best. With ample running in the past two months, I can safely say that the cooling is more than satisfactory. The real test of it's effectiveness is underway with onset of peak summers. At 42° celsius nowadays, it's coping well. Audio system & sound quality AVN Having read user reviews and the era OEM HU hardware & software is stuck in, I didn't have high expectations to begin with. Variant with the AVN head unit was purely selected based on how it looked over the single DIN one, integrates beautifully and in a seamless manner with the dash and consoles. One of the major contributors to the modern look, bearing a big touchscreen and good quality buttons & knobs. Only if it worked or performed half as good as it looks. Ironic. Touch works relatively well on the telephony, media and FM radio menus with a little effort, rest is a sad story. Equaliser and balance menu is a disaster, sometimes taking over 10 presses to register a click. Touch in the GPS navigation menus, map area, type & search area is dismal. Requiring multiple presses & slides to select things and navigate around. Keyboard entry is the worst of all, best of precision also fails in getting the entry right on first attempt. If patience is one of your virtues, you'll probably manage fine, I've stopped using the navigation part and chosen to forget it's existence. Bluetooth works well and always connects automatically to my M8 Eye, provided it's on before I enter the car. Telephony menu is flawed too. Never syncs all names & numbers. Doesn't display name of the caller on some contacts during incoming calls, even though stored as a favourite on head unit. I've also had the AVN screen randomly not turn on approximately 8-10 times in the past 6 months as reported by others. Turning off the ignition, locking and unlocking the car solves the problem (you don't need to step out of the car).  Sound The front and back speakers + tweeters weren't much to write about. Lacking in lows, mids and highs, plus the jarring and loss in clarity as volume went up. Demanded an urgent upgrade. Quality of after sales and service I have dealt with most Hyundai service centres in south Delhi over the last ten years. HMP mathura road was the best of the lot. MGF service centre, now taken over by Elroy has been average to good, overall, in last years of the Santro. Plan on sticking with them for now. First service at 1,000 kms was uneventful. Had instructed them not to do any washing or cleaning of any kind on the body and it was adhered to. I was near the car throughout. The Active was inspected as per the checklist. Wheel wells and underbody were carefully pressure washed, mats and interiors were air blown + vacuumed. The second service is due soon, will update the experience of the first actual service once completed. Niggles and replaced parts The boot's hydraulic struts were replaced within 4 months of ownership. Boot lid wouldn't open past the midway point and would only go up further on a slight nudge. Was probably the weight of additional damping, nevertheless the new struts are a lot better. Replacement took a couple of weeks and some following up with the service advisor, as the service centre had to report the same to Hyundai in form of a video and wait for approval, being a new car. I understood their point of view and helplessness but as an owner of a new car just starting it's warranty years, it should be a simple and on the spot replacement. A self created rattle over broken patches from the front passenger door, due to removing door panels on multiple occasions to access the mid bass and crossovers was rectified with a simple all around clip change. What I like and don't after 6 months of ownership Like:
Don't like:
The Active has delivered and then some, towards what I was looking from a new car and is definitely a keeper.  Before ending this initial review and moving on to the list of upgrades carried out to address a few things I didn't like and changed. As a newbie, I would like to thank Team-BHP and all it's members who painstakingly write and compile astoundingly detailed and informative reviews & articles.Thus enabling right decision making in the process of buying, owning and maintaining your cherished ride for years to come. I feel blessed that I discovered Team-BHP during my search for a new car and for having learnt a lot about cars in general. The plethora of information available at one's disposable is mind boggling. Thank you. Last edited by harsh79 : 29th April 2016 at 19:55. Reason: Compiling. |
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27th April 2016, 01:40
| #5 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: New Delhi
Posts: 426
Thanked: 798 Times
| re: My Earth-Brown Hyundai i20 Active 1.4L CRDi SX Upgrades, enhancements and additions Paint protection - Max protect UNC-R The coating was done at Dazzle Detailing, found them right here in the Delhi NCR directory section. The Active had to be left overnight as it couldn't be exposed to the elements till the UNC-R had cured. Next day, the result was brilliant. Why get an orange peel ridden car coated and make the orange peel pop out even more? You may ask. I was looking for that extra shine and the protection a coating like UNC-R brings and that's exactly what I got. The coating was done by Jaspreet personally. Had a lot of questions for him, from the coating process to waterless washing, interior cleaning, microfibres and the works. Was impressed with the expertise he possesses, where it comes to detailing. Got decanted quantities of APC and their self formulated QD. The quick detailer is awesome! The shine after 6 months is still intact. The included post 6 month checkup and decontimination session is also due soon. After 6 months   Audio As the OEM speakers weren't doing justice to my taste in music or sound levels, plus the loss of clarity and jarring at higher volumes. A change was imperative. Went to Motor Concept solely based on the user reviews shared here on Team-BHP. Started with just front and back components on the first visit, along with copious amounts of Dampmat for all the doors. Second visit included damping the entire floor, boot lid with STP and addition of an amplifier and subwoofer. On my third visit, more damping was done in the boot & wheel-well area and a mono amplifier was added. After a lot of permutations & combinations and minor upgrades, plus me being completely against changing the HU due to lack of a good quality dash-kit, current gear residing in the Active includes: Front - Flux Audio BC 261 Rear - Rainbow DL-C6.2 4 channel amplifier - Rainbow iPaul 4.300 Mono amplifier - DD AM1 Subwoofer - Rainbow SL-S12 I'm more than pleased with the attention to detail and how neatly everything has been installed and set up. Also the invaluable inputs and advice available on every visit is worth appreciating. Aman and Manmeet have reiterated that they can get the available dash-kit powder coated and try to match the general dash area as much as possible, but I still haven't fully warmed up to the idea. Also the dash-kits available will have a lot of blank space around the HU where all buttons and knobs currently sit and I can only imagine how terrible it'll look. I hate how the rear speakers feel so underpowered in the back due to the OEM HU and its wiring. Sound is warm. The sealed sub is tight and provides enough thump for those bass lines. Clarity is outstanding. I am aware that the OEM HU is not doing justice to other components in the setup but till I'm convinced that I can live with a modified dash-kit, the crappy AVN stays. Amplifiers  Subwoofer  Current set-up  How I want it to be, will get a new box for the subwoofer, with the connector on the left.  3M Nomad mats, underbody + silencer anti corrosion protection The mats and underbody + silencer corrosion protection was done at the 3M outlet in Green park. Both were sprayed after proper masking of all exposed parts in close proximity. Mats were cut from a big piece after a lot of calculation by the installer in order to avoid wastage or errors. I was completely satisfied with the quality of work done. The installer had recommended to leave a little extra at a few places citing a better hugging fit once the mats take shape of the surrounding area, that did not happen even after four months. Had gone back to the outlet to get a little more cutting done on the mats for a better fit. I saw the outlet manager closely inspecting the car for swirls and scratches. He was hard pressed to find any clearly visible clear coat scratches, swirls were nowhere to be found. Was very happy to say the least on hearing his feedback. Karcher 3.500 Pressure washer The pressure washer was bought for a weekly wash cycle, as I had decided to let go of the Santro cleaner and take over his duties with the new Active. Got this particular model as it has a water-cooled induction motor and comes with a vario lance. Got the foam nozzle and hose adaptor separately. K 3.500 - http://www.amazon.in/Karcher-3-500-P.../dp/B003GUNC0Q The pressure washer unit and foam nozzle were bought from a local dealer after enquiries with distributors in Delhi. Got the Karcher universal car wash brush and a 500 ml pouch of Karcher car shampoo at no extra cost from the dealer. The universal car wash brush is only used for the alloys. The shampoo I haven't tried yet as I've been using the Sonax and Valet Pro snow foam till now.  FJ6 Foam Nozzle - http://www.amazon.in/Karcher-2643147...=sr_1_3&sr=8-3 Karcher end hose adaptor - http://www.ebay.in/itm/Karcher-unive...cAAOxy86RSYwQM Tap end hose adaptor - http://www.ebay.in/itm/GARDENING-TOO...oAAOSwx-9WxWX9 The washer works well and pressure is more than adequate to wash cars. Dirt blaster is not used on any part of the car as it will definitely strip, paint or plastic. Autoform nappa, all black art leather seat covers The complimentary covers fitted by the dealership were a far cry from acceptable and were turning into an eyesore day by day. Went to AutoZone in Lajpat nagar. My, also all black art leather seat covers in the Santro were fitted here to perfection some 8 years back and I was thoroughly satisfied by how well they'd aged without cracking, tearing or coming loose. The fit in the Santro had garnered many compliments over the years. The Autoform seat covers were ordered and a week later installed by their main installer with utmost care and patience. I was specific in my instructions about the finish sought and kudos to the installer, he did a satisfactory job. The seats material is soft to touch and looks great. The fitting took 5 hours and I was called on a 'light day', as I had made my expected fitting requirements abundantly clear. Front seats  Driver seat  Front passenger seat   Back seat   Front headrest  Back headrest  Back bench  Projectors - Morimoto Mini H1 projectors with XB55 ballasts and 4500k bulbs While driving around for a couple of months including highway trips and being highly unsatisfied with the OEM halogen projector's light output. I was back at AutoZone for the seat cover installation. While installation was on, the owner Mohit showed me newly installed P8 6000k HID's on his Creta for both the projector headlights and fog lights. Needless to say, on looking at the output, I was sold. The demonstration was brief and I did not get a chance to take close look from the outside. Having read that halogen and HID projectors differ in design and my consequent apprehensions about sticking HID's in a halogen projector setup. I still hesitantly agreed to install the Osram 35W 4200k HB3 9005 HID kit with Canbus, out of desperation for more light and just to see for myself, what the whole hoopla is about. The result was disappointing, there were hotspots, too much glare and light leaking ,plus you could hardly see the DRL's. Not to mention, I was almost blinding oncoming traffic. A little more searching and 2 days later, I reached Retro Rides on M.G road. Before any changes were made, Dikshit checked if the Osram bulbs were seated properly and if the hotspots and glare could be corrected, but to no avail. I was given the option to change the projectors to Morimotos along with a 55W Morimoto XB55 HID kit & 4500k bulbs. After two days and much deliberation I decided in favour of the retrofit. Lights were opened up and a closer examination revealed that space within the fixed projector frame where the lens goes, was enough only to fit a Mini H1. Due to the convoluted design of the OEM projector setup, the FXR was totally ruled out. Fixing the H1, alignment and sealing the lights back up took a good 6 hours or so. With the Osram kit out of action, I asked Dikshit if the same could be dropped into the fog lamps, the answer being affirmative and with a switch of the harnesses, the 35W Osram kit was plonked into the fogs with Morimoto 4500k bulbs. By the end of evening and a little more adjustment I was very pleased with the output. The DRL's were also visible again. I was a happy man! Due to complex design of the OEM projector setup and it's fixed frame we were forced to use, opposed to easier fixing of a projector on blackened reflectors with nuts & bolts, the experienced workmanship reflected in the end result. A lot of well executed jugaad was required to fix the new projectors into the existing frame. For some reason the left projector's alignment did not stick after a couple of days, the light was reopened and alignment corrected. The lights were removed after setting the headlight levelling control to the middle, enabling lowering and raising as need be later. Very happy with the output and cutoff. No glare to oncoming traffic whatsoever. The fogs with the 35W Osram's are rarely used as the projectors are more than enough, most of the time.   Is the right one a little off, or is it supposed to be like this?  This is what the OEM halogen projector's components look like, minus the frame that holds them together in approximately this arrangement.  Anti theft clutch lock - Onam VG-140 As the diesel Elite i20 and the Active do not support the pin type gear lock, I found this unsophisticated but robust device that gives you complete peace of mind. Clumsy to use but super secure.  http://www.amazon.in/Technologies-th...=sr_1_1&sr=8-1 Once locked in, the clutch doesn't budge, rendering the car immovable. Mini 0805 dashcam The mini was bought from Aliexpress and arrived via Yanwen express exactly 21 days later. The daytime video quality is decent, nighttime quality being not that great. It's definitely not actual 720p, leave alone 1080 or higher as claimed. Interpolated, I'm guessing. It suffices for now. There is a lot of dashboard reflection and I have ordered a (yet to arrive) CPL meant for the Mini 0806 in hopes to 'DIY' it somehow onto the 0805. If it doesn't work, I'll think about getting the Mini 0806 as a replacement till a Mini version with the Sony sensor and a capacitor is released. If ever. I had also gotten a hardwire kit along with fuse taps from Aliexpress. The hardwire kit turned out to be a party pooper and blew the mini instantly, it wouldn't shutdown cleanly and go to a grey screen till the battery ran out. 600/- in shipping charges via SpeedPost and 11 days later the camera was back with the supplier to be replaced. Another ten days and $8 for shipping, I had a brand new Mini 0805 in my hand, ready to go back on duty in the car. The mini was sent back without any of it's accessories to save on shipping charges. To my surprise I received a full package with all the accessories as a replacement, which I think made up for the return shipping paid. Yay! I have not bothered with a hardwire kit again as the Active has two power outlets and the included charger works well. A special mention about the vendor, E-Prance. Very responsive and eager to help. As I had opened up the Mini to see what had gone wrong (impatient & inquisitive me), during the complaint phase of our communication, I did not hide the fact that the warranty seal was broken. Seller was still very accommodating and offered a replacement or 80% refund if I could return the camera to them. Great customer and after sales service. It's been working well till date, without any niggles so far. I would have gone for the Transcend drive pro series without thinking twice over the Chinese offerings, only if they were a little more discreet. The Mini is as discreet as it gets barring the A118/B40 variety. Mini 0805 8GB Internal no GPS - http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2014-...780235311.html Hard wire kit that blew the Mini - http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Micro...361526950.html The hardwire kit vendor wiped his hands clean with lame excuses as I had confirmed the order. Fuse taps - http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Add-A...225438279.html CPL ordered - http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Highe...339513222.html Mini 0805 from outside the car  Mini 0805 mounted  3D Storage boot organiser This smart looking bag holds my sets of microfibres, waterless wash + APC + quick detailer spray bottles, glass cleaner, tyre puncture kit and concentrated liquid bottles with relative ease, without cluttering the boot space. I got the bigger one earlier and used it for a month or so but it was too big for the boot and half unused most of the time, so got this smaller one.   Black 3D Boot Trunk Organiser - http://www.amazon.in/3D-Small-Beige-...f_=aag_m_pw_dp Capdase Pico dual 2.4A micro USB charger - http://www.amazon.in/Capdase-CACB-PM...=sr_1_1&sr=8-1 A tiny charger that sits almost all the way into the power socket. Really like the non-protruding design.  Coido tyre inflator - http://www.amazon.in/Coido-Electric-.../dp/B00K7B3T5A Have had this from my Santro days, very useful. Has saved me a few times with the Santro. Haven't needed it with the Active yet.  uGreen 25cm micro USB cable - http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Ugree...393512255.html Not much to write about other than the fact, that it's very small length allows it to stay within the confines of the storage compartment without coiling up or cluttering the space below.  AVN screen guard - http://www.aliexpress.com/item/10pcs...263317194.html As per my memory of using resistive touch screens from the iMate Jam era, I remember the scuffs they're prone to at regular contact points, therefore ordered these to avoid those unsightly marks. Perfect fit but scratches easily. At the throwaway price, I'll keep changing them every month. 152X91mm. Perfect fit. Tubeless tyre puncture kit - http://www.ebay.in/itm/Complete-Tube...UAAOSwRLZULoLn Thankfully, haven't had to use it till now. Cleaning and detailing supplies Jopasu Duster - http://www.amazon.in/Jopasu-Car-Dust...ilpage_o08_s00 It's a boon for daily cleaning. On my 2nd duster, rejuvenator was not available so chucked the first one, lasted 4 months. Don't think this one will last as long as the new one is much lighter, strands are greatly reduced. 3M Glass Cleaner - http://www.amazon.in/3M-IA260166342-...ilpage_o00_s01 Very effective. Doesn't smear and cleans to a shine. Meguiar's Water Magnet Waffle Weave Drying Towel X 1 - http://www.amazon.in/Meguiars-Microf...ilpage_o04_s00 Does what the manufacturer claims but is getting rough with use. Expensive too. Meguiar's Wash Mitt X 1 - http://www.amazon.in/Meguiars-X3002E...ilpage_o05_s00 Good soft mitt, takes a while to dry. Meguiar's Supreme Shine Microfibre Towel X 1 - http://www.amazon.in/Meguiars-Suprem...ilpage_o06_s00 Not good. Lints. Amor All Luxury Microfibre Polishing Towel and Large Sponge Combo X 1 - http://www.amazon.in/Armor-All-Luxur...ilpage_o06_s01 Super plush microfibre, excellent for buffing. Haven't used the sponge as I've been using a mitt. 3M Car Care Microfibre Cloth X 1 - http://www.amazon.in/3M-Car-Care-Mic...ilpage_o09_s01 Disappointing. Run of the mill microfibre. Ultimate Detailerz Premium 530 GSM Microfibre X 5 - http://store.ultimatedetailerz.com/w...52-25837821148 These are wonderful, great for waterless washing and quick detailer, also buffing. X-static 365 GSM Microfibre 50x70cm X 4 - http://www.ebay.in/itm/X-STATIC-MICR...AAAMXQVERSuW-4 X-static 365 GSM Microfibre 50X50cm X 2 - http://www.ebay.in/itm/X-STATIC-MICR...cAAOSwGvhUKmj~ Good microfibres, not plush and do not lint. Good for windows, interiors, trim and a dirty roof. X-static Glass Cleaning Cloth X 1- http://www.ebay.in/itm/X-STATIC-MICR...0AAOSwT5tWMzhU This was leaving fibres at first but after a couple of washes, it works ok. I prefer the non plush side of the 530 GSM for the windows anyway. Transparent zip lock bags for washed microfibres - http://www.amazon.in/VC-Transparent-...ilpage_o01_s00 Absolute necessity if you want to keep your microfibres clean post wash, considering the amount of dust around. Leifheit Laundry Sprayer X 3 (twice) - http://www.amazon.in/Leifheit-72416-...ilpage_o03_s00 Most uniform and contained spray pattern, sadly retired due to spray heads falling apart. Have had 4 heads fall apart in the past 6 months. Sonax Gloss Shampoo - http://www.amazon.in/Sonax-314300-Co...ilpage_o09_s00 Beautiful shine but as I do not use the 2 bucket wash method, have moved on to the Valet pro, it's foam is thicker and clings to the car much longer. Sonax Trim Protectant Matte - http://www.amazon.in/Sonax-383241-Tr...ilpage_o09_s01 Not used as the trim is in pristine condition, I think it was protected too by Dazzle during UNC-R. Meguiar's Foam Applicator Pads - http://www.amazon.in/Meguiars-W0004-...ilpage_o02_s00 Not used. To be used with the trim protectant. Proklear Raw Waterless Wash Concentrate - http://www.ebay.in/itm/PROKLEAR-RAW-...AAAOSwJQdXB1JL Satisfactory muck, road film and poo lifting ability, about to finish my second bottle. Will try ONR or Ultima WW next. Inputs solicited. Proklear Nano Bond Anti Rain/Glare Treatment - http://www.ebay.in/itm/PROKLEAR-Nano...MAAOSwFqJWswcx Not used. Will use this coming monsoon. Proklear Anti Fog Spray - http://www.ebay.in/itm/PROKLEAR-Anti...8AAOSwEppUQrJD Not used. Will use along the anti rain treatment. Proklear Windshield Wash Additive - http://www.ebay.in/itm/PROKLEAR-WWC-...sAAOSwewJTn732 Refilled the chamber once till date, seems ok. Grit Guard X 2 - http://www.detailedclean.in/washing-...ket-filter-320 Kept in case I need to do the 2 bucket wash, will carry it with me if going out of town. Valet Pro Dash Brush - http://www.detailedclean.in/accessor...dash-brush-232 Not good. Hair keeps coming loose and falling into the vents. Retired. Please suggest a good brush, preferably one that can reach a little further. Valet Pro Ph Neutral Snow Foam - http://www.detailedclean.in/washing-...-snow-foam-323 A very satisfying snow foam, thick and clings well, eventually runs but outperforms the Sonax even in higher concentration. A little warm water helps even further. DC Basics Blue Giant Drying Towel X 2 - http://www.detailedclean.in/washing-...ying-towel-221 Nice absorbent towels but unwieldy and cumbersome to use. Kennedy Heavy Duty Trigger Hand Sprayer 500ml X 3 - http://www.autofresh.in/kennedy/kenn...420-9627833594 The bottle part is best suited as it has an embossed scale but the spray heads are a disaster, liquid goes all over the place and they leak too. Chemical Resistant Spray Head X 3 - http://www.detailedclean.in/accessor...spray-head-319 The best construction and plastics of the lot. Only con is that even on rotating the nozzle cover all the way shut, it still sprays. Not an issue for me as the bottles have enough vertical space in the organiser and the spray lever does not get pressed by the neighbouring items. That's it for now. Any further noteworthy additions or upgrades will follow in this thread as and when they happen. Till next time... Last edited by harsh79 : 29th April 2016 at 21:35. Reason: compiling. |
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30th April 2016, 11:06
| #6 |
| Team-BHP Support   | |
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30th April 2016, 12:30
| #7 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 1,229
Thanked: 3,839 Times
| Re: My Earth-Brown Hyundai i20 Active 1.4L CRDi SX Congrats on the new buy Harsh. Those seat covers look nice. Even I prefer the looks of the Active over the elite i20, except for the fuel lid .Did you consider the S-Cross? |
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30th April 2016, 13:28
| #8 |
| BHPian Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Chennai
Posts: 66
Thanked: 54 Times
| Congrats and Awesome review bro. The car looks brand new and shiny even after 6 months. BTW,Boot will remain unused all the times? I guess there is no space for luggage anymore |
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30th April 2016, 13:31
| #9 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: TecHalli
Posts: 333
Thanked: 293 Times
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30th April 2016, 14:56
| #10 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Noida
Posts: 61
Thanked: 31 Times
| Re: My Earth-Brown Hyundai i20 Active 1.4L CRDi SX Many congratulations for the active. Very well written. Active is a perfect car in a city like Delhi as it is spacious enough and yet easy to drive in tight traffic situations. Keep updating and sharing your experiences. |
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30th April 2016, 15:52
| #11 |
| BANNED Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: India
Posts: 74
Thanked: 59 Times
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30th April 2016, 16:15
| #12 | ||||
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: New Delhi
Posts: 426
Thanked: 798 Times
| Re: My Earth-Brown Hyundai i20 Active 1.4L CRDi SX Thank you guys. Quote:
Quote:
No, there definitely isn't. The boot space is only required for outstation trips, which I've managed and will have to manage without the subwoofer. The rest stays, just moves around.Quote:
Most of my purchases, additions and upgrades are a result readily available 'R&D', done by fellow members and posted here. Quote:
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30th April 2016, 23:32
| #13 |
| Distinguished - BHPian   | |
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1st May 2016, 12:45
| #14 |
| Newbie  Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Doha/Chennai
Posts: 24
Thanked: 62 Times
| Re: My Earth-Brown Hyundai i20 Active 1.4L CRDi SX Congratulations on your new purchase Harsh. She looks right out of showroom even after 6 months. That was one detailed ownershipr review. .Between, did you consider the Abarth Punto. She retails for 10 lakh exshowroom and should not have been a streach. Happy driving. |
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1st May 2016, 16:29
| #15 | |||
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: New Delhi
Posts: 426
Thanked: 798 Times
| Re: My Earth-Brown Hyundai i20 Active 1.4L CRDi SX Thank you. Quote:
Regarding the headlamps, it was a direct plug 'n' play connection for the ballasts. The only wire that needed cutting, was the solenoid motor connector wire. Which was connected to the new projector, properly. I'd rather take my chances and get the essential modifications done the right way, when required. Than waiting for the warranty period to get over. Also Hyundai is not as fussy with modifications and add ons in my experience. As far as audio goes, Hyundai dealers offer upgrades too, that involve the same amount of tinkering and wire cutting. Quote:
Cost was: Morimoto mini HI 6.0 x 2 - 9000/- Morimoto XB55 Ballast with harness x 2 - 7000/- Morimoto XB HID 4500K x 2 pairs - 6000/- There was an offer for free installation on their FB page at that time. So I saved 3000/- Quote:
Last edited by harsh79 : 1st May 2016 at 16:35. Reason: added 'pairs' to avoid confusion. | |||
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