My 2021 Hyundai i20 Turbo iMT: 1000 km ownership experience

The MID displayed an impressive 20 km/l fuel efficiency figure before the first service.

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Greeting Readers.

This is a review of the Hyundai i20 iMT Turbo Petrol in my family. iMT stands for Intelligent Manual Transfer which is the Hyundai terminology for Clutchless Manual Transmission.

As is the norm in my family I drive all new vehicles till the first service is done allowing me to gain adequate knowledge of the car's behaviour. The Odometer at the time of writing the Review is 989kms.

Requirement and Main Criteria:

This car is for my brother-in-law, A State Govt official whose work involves daily 75kms travel to & from the Office and frequent out of town travel on official work. He is 48 and his Left Leg Pains after driving every day and frequent usage of Clutch. He used to drive a Petrol manual Mahindra KUV 100 which has been sold off before taking delivery of i20. He did not want an Automatic for the fear of low Fuel Efficiency. This Dilemma was solved by Hyundai where its iMT (Intelligent Manual Transmission) makes an Angelic entry.

• Budget: Maximum Rs. 10L
• Body Type: Must be a Hatchback due to Parking Constraints.
• Must provide Fuss Free ownership Experience
• Transmission: Strictly a Manual Car for Good Fuel Efficiency
• Colour: White. My BIL likes White Cars.
• Should be comfortable for long drives.
• Good Build Quality and all possible creature comforts.
• Should have good Highway stability.

Cars Considered:

• Tata Tiago - Good Car and strong Build. But it looked like a downgrade from KUV 100. So did not pursue further.
• Tata Altroz mid variant - Strong vehicle, Can win Beauty Peagants. Parking constraints at home worked against Altroz. Showroom guys brought the car home to check the Parking.
• Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS - I already had bought i10 NIOS a month ago so did not want two same cars at home.
• Hyundai Aura Petrol - Again Parking Constraints worked against it.
• Hyundai i20 - The car was a perfect fit in the limited parking space at my Sister's house. So finalized.

Test Drive, Booking and Delivery Experience

After zeroing on the car, we proceeded to the Hyundai dealer, Kusalava Hyundai in Guntur for the Test Drive. The test drive was long and satisfactory and the SA explained all the features of the car. My BIL's requirement was simple - Good Mileage plus Driving convenience. SA suggested iMT and we test drove the iMT petrol and were sold. The only problem was the 2 months of the waiting period. We Booked the car with the hope that we can get it soon. The Budget of Rs 10L was enough for the Sportz variant of iMT i20 Turbo Petrol in White with a few discounts thrown in. While the Booking process was in progress the Dealer inventory showed up one i20 White iMT Sportz variant cancelled by another Customer. Voila, the car was blocked for us and a loan was processed and a downpayment was made. A total Turnaround time of 4 days. Delivery was a standard affair with a customary Photo and sweetbox and off we go to take divine blessings. No special treatment.

So the primary reason for choosing the iMT:

1. Convenience - Free Up left Leg by taking the Clutch out of the everyday equation.
2. Good Fuel Efficiency cannot be achieved by an Automatic car. iMT offers the best of both Worlds i.e. Convenience and Fuel Efficiency.

On Road Price - Rs 10.40 Lakh (Paid Rs 9.80L after Dealer and Hyundai Discount). For Reference Manual Sportz i20 costs Rs 9.4L (Without discounts) On Road.

Side Profile is aggressive and the stance is Sporty.

Notice the big Wheels. They are not alloys but Hyundai calls them Styled Wheels. Regular Steel Wheels look like Alloys.

Rear three Quarters. looks best from this angle. Also, notice the Panel gaps. They are consistent across the length of the car.

Polarizing rear profile. Some will love it some will not. I love it. Gels well with the overall silhouette and front end.

Features of the Sportz Variant of iMT

Exterior:

• Keyless Entry
• Auto (halogen) Headlamps
• Follow Me Home (stays ON for 10 Seconds) Lamps
• Projector Fog Lamps,
• Daytime Running Lights
• 15 Inches Styled Wheels which look like Alloy Wheels and provides more than adequate ground clearance.
• Auto Folding/Power-Adjustable Outside Rear View Mirrors with integrated LED Turn indicators,
• Body-coloured Door Handles.
• Reverse Camera with progressive guidelines on display.
• Electronic Trunk Open

Interior:

• All Black Interiors with Dual Airbags,
• Driver Seat height Adjustable, Driver Armrest (non Adjustable),
• 2 Cup Holders, Storage inside Driver Armrest
• Manual AC with Heater, Rear AC Vents with Charging Port Integrated into the console,
• In Total 2 Charging Ports and 1 USB port,
• Arkamys Touchscreen ICE with Wireless Android Auto (Did not try Apple Carplay) which works very well.
• Sporty Gear Knob, Sporty Steering Wheel with Controls to manage ICE and Driver Information System,
• Sporty Brake and Accelerator pedals.
• TFT multi-coloured Driver Information System with Digital and Progressive Speed and Engine RPM Display, Fuel Level Display,
• Driver Information like Instantaneous Fuel Display, Distance to Empty, Current Trip Meter with Travel Time and Fuel Efficiency, Total Trip Meter with Overall Fuel Efficiency and Trip Time, Present Gear Indicator, Gear Upshift/Downshift
• Recommendation, TPMS (Only Tire Pressure no Temperature readings)
• MID also lets you adjust settings related to Follow Me Home Lamp duration, Lane Change Indicator Duration (3,5,7 blinks), Service Reminder.
• In Total 3 Individual Lamps - 2 Upfront and one over the Rear Seat, Front 2 Lights can be switched on individually as Reading lamps, Sunglass Holder is small Size.
• Artificial Leather Seat Upholstery.

Hyundai lets you choose your preferred Warranty Duration. You can choose from:

• 3 Years/100,000 Kms (we selected this due to high usage)
• 4 Years/50,000 km
• 5 Years/40,000 km.

In terms of looks, the current generation i20 may not win a lot of hearts but for me, it has an Aggressive Stance. The previous Two Generations had Smiley faces. The Car feels Solid and the Front Doors, Bonnet, Boot doors have Weights to them and close with an assuring feel (Not the Volkswagen Thud though) but the rear doors feel light. All doors for Passenger Compartment open in 2 stage action. Step inside the Cabin and you feel it is spacious for a hatchback with an Adequate Head and Leg Room. Note: For people who are used to beige Interiors the cabin may feel Claustrophobic and they will require time to get used to the all-Black theme. The Quality of materials used is (Hard but) excellent and I can say Hyundai has not cut corners. The gaps are consistent and you will be hard-pressed to find cost-cutting at least in the visible areas. The Front Seats have good under-thigh support and are Chunky. The rear seats offer adequate under-thigh support for average Indian Heighted people say up to 5.8". Taller people may feel less thigh support. The Steering Wheel is Chunky and feels good to hold onto and feels just the right size i.e. neither too bulky nor too small. The Buttons in the Cabin offer good Damping and provide tactile feedback. They don't make any Click Sounds but soft dampened sounds.

The driver seat can be adjusted for Height and the Travel (both Vertical and Horizontal) range is very good. Drivers of all Heights will feel Comfortable. I am 5.7" and with the Seat at its highest position, I can see the end of the Bonnet easily. I personally counted, the driver seat height adjuster has a range of 32 adjustments.

Overall the cabin is built tight and should last the distance without rattles. The cabin is adequately damped and filters out almost all sounds. The cabin is silent with very minute sounds making entry inside. When driven on potholes or rough roads the suspension makes dampen sounds and there is no rattling inside the cabin.

The AC chills really fast. Tested this in Guntur afternoon where the temperature reaches 42 or so even during winters.

There are 3 cabin lamps provided with two at the front along with a Sunglass holder and one over the rear passenger seat. The front two lamps also double up as reading lamps and can be individually turned ON and OFF.

Driving the Turbo-GDI

The Hyundai i20 iMT comes with a 998cc Turbo GDI Petrol Engine which makes 120PS power and 172nm torque between 1500 - 4000 RPM. The Transmission is a 6 Speed manual without a Clutch. Turn the ignition ON and the System initializes. Start the Engine starts at 1200RPM and settles into a Silent Rhythm at 800RPM. You can hardly make out that the Engine is ON in Neutral. Press the Brake Pedal and Shift to Gear 1 and the car moves slightly forward and settles at a speed of 6kmph without Accelerator input. The gear shift is very smooth and precise. The power is transferred to the wheels instantly. The forward motion is seamless and there is no sudden jump say like in an AMT. Shifting through the gears is Quick and Precise. You will never miss a Gearshift and the shift is seamless & Sure Slotting. Turbo Lag is minute and not felt and the power is delivered in a linear but quick fashion. You get a feeling that the Engine expects (also evident from the Gear Recommender on MID) a Gear based on the vehicle speed hence is able to smoothly deliver power at the right gears. However, selecting any other gear other than the desired gear results in Jerking.

For e.g. Say the iMT is in 2nd gear and the Vehicle speed is 32kmph, the Engine expects 3rd gear but if you slot into 4th gear, there will be a slight resistance along with a Head nod (Kind of AMT Head Nod). In short, the Gear Shift will not be smooth and the Power delivery will have a slight lag.

No matter what you do it is very difficult to lug the Engine because as soon as the vehicle speed goes below a threshold limit the MID displays a "Please Shift Down" message with continuous beeps. Say in 3rd gear the speed reduces to below 20kmph, iMT does not transfer power to the wheels and you have to shift down to 2nd Gear.

The steering is a telescopic one with adjustments for Rake & reach and is light at low speeds and weighs up nicely as the speed increases. By working through the gears you can attain speeds pretty quickly. i20 cruises at 100kmph at 1500 RPM in 6th Gear whereas in 5th gear at 2200 RPM. 6th Gear is a Boon for long-distance cruising and will return a good Fuel Economy. I was able to get 20kmpl on the MID by keeping RPM below 2000. I am yet to try the Tankful method. Will do it after the first service.

In-Car Entertainment

i20 Sportz iMT variant comes with an Arkamys 10.24 inches Touchscreen ICE with Wireless Android Auto & Apple Car Play. The display is big and placed at a comfortable angle. The interface is a breeze to use with Touchpoints being a size big. The Sound Quality is very good say 70% of Harman and 50% of Bose. The sound quality is crisp. The ICE also comes with a DRVM feature wherein you can keep the rear camera ON permanently. The ICE is standalone which means you cannot configure MID from ICE. External connectivity with ICE can be done through USB, Bluetooth Connectivity, Wired and Wireless Android Auto & Apple Carplay.

Driver Seat is accommodating for all sizes. Has good under-thigh support. The Seat Height adjuster has a large travel range. Notice the difference in levels of Driver and Front Passenger Seat.

The rear door is lighter compared to the front door and also closes with a not so assuring sound. You will instantly notice it is very light by the sound it makes upon closing. Cost Cutting. Rear Seats are accommodative for an average-sized person. However, you have to sit down with them. Provides adequate under-thigh support. Tall people will feel their legs pointing upwards and under-thigh support lacking

Rear Camera neatly tucked near number plate. It is angled down and somehow this position does not give a clear view of the rear. Shows the road and half portion of the bumper.

Other features

Door Open warning with the Ignition Off. MID shows exactly which door is closed. Shows a graphical representation whenever a door is opened or closed. Nice touch. Distance To Empty, Door Open Warning, Current Gear Position, Odometer and Outside Temperature

Turn the ignition ON and the last used display is retained and displayed Notice the TPMS display before starting off and after driving around a bit. Average Fuel Efficiency. Can be reset by a long press of the OK button on the Steering. Accumulated Info shows the Overall Drive Report, AFE and Engine ON Time. Can be reset from Steering.

Rear AC Vents can be individually adjusted. Keeps rear passengers happy. Notice the Charging port beneath. The AC vents assembly does not interfere with a middle passenger. Notice the Driver Armrest. It is useless when the seat height is adjusted to maximum.

Positives:

• Excellent Drivability due to Quick Shifting Transmission, Turbocharged Engine and good highway stability. Exciting and Confidence-inspiring.
• Upmarket feel with well-built cabin, Big Touchscreen ICE, Digital MID different drive parameters, Display for Speed and Engine RPM with a Blue Backlight.
• Driving Ergonomics are spot on.
• Value for money with all possible creature comforts and features.

Negatives:

• Bit Pricey. Rs. 10L budget opens up a whole lot of options for e.g. Honda Amaze CVT is at 9.70L on road.
• Hyundai Service is a bit on the costly side.
• You sit low. Tall people may not like it.
• Turbo Petrol if driven spiritedly will return low mileage.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.