Drive an old Hyundai back to back with the Elite i20 and you can’t help appreciating how much the Koreans have marched ahead
Recently, I had the opportunity to drive a friend’s Hyundai i20. The car he has is the previous generation vehicle, albeit in facelift garb. The hour-long drive reminded me why I am increasingly convinced that the Koreans are the ones to watch out for in the years to come. The old i20 felt nervous round corners at speed, the interior (though feature-rich for the time) now feels dated, and the steering feels vague. Before you go for my jugular for running down one of India’s most popular hatchbacks, please understand that the car I was sub-consciously comparing the i20 to was none other than the Elite i20. Once you’ve driven the two back to back, you are left in no doubt that Hyundai have made a tremendous leap in vehicle development between the two generations of the same car. From handling to steering feel to the quality of the interior, everything seems to have bounded ahead in the Elite i20. Now, admittedly, the car is still not perfect and, yes, there are others who can outdo the Elite i20 in one parameter or another. But that is hardly the point. The point is the progress that Hyundai seem to be making in a given time frame. And that, I believe, will be the key to their success in the years to come. Not just in India, but globally too. Meanwhile, life continues without drama in the Elite i20, an able companion for all sorts of driving.
— Aninda Sardar
