The i20 has great gadgets, safety features, but our correspondent thinks it’s just not made for India
DEEP inside Corbett National Park, having survived the broken shards of what passes off in Uttar Pradesh as the National Highway, perched on a conveniently located rock in the middle of the stream that will morph into the Ramganga River with the monsoon, one can finally pass judgement on Hyundai’s foray into the new premium compact car segment, the i20.

Frequently seen as an oxymoronic segment that has raised several eyebrows, its creation was probably inevitable. Urban India’s roads aren’t getting any wider and the parking of cars is one of the prime causes of a lowered life expectancy. Yet urban Indians, upwardly mobile and savvy, grow keener to be the masters of technology and gadgets that were only to be found in the sedan segment. Therefore the emergence of a precariously placed premium compact car segment, where auto manufacturers bring to compact cars gadgets that were formerly the hallmarks of Civics and SX4s, but at a price that ends up somewhere near base-model sedans.
Though ostensibly an upgrade of the Getz, the i20 looks and feels very much like a slightly larger version of the i10 with six airbags thrown in to justify its price, plus a number of interesting features and gadgets which are sure to delight customers.

This is an extremely spacious, comfortable and intelligent car. Storage spaces and cup holders are generously distributed all around, enabling you to almost live out of your car on long journeys. The boot is equally spacious. A temperature control system allows you to control the weather in the entire car, including the glove box which has its very own vent and therefore doubles up as a refrigerating unit. The front seats are extremely comfortable and adjustable so it is easy for most frames to find a comfortable driving position. The back seats, however, can get cramped in terms of leg room and their upright angle makes for a slightly uncomfortable journey if you have the misfortune of being relegated to the rear.

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