The Hyundai i20 is India's second best selling premium hatchback but its far from being perfect. Many customers (including me) have had to put up with rattles and squeaks from the dashboard and numb steering.
Would-be customers of the i20, a car that offers fantastic fuel economy, rear seat comfort and the feel of driving a big car are going to get a better model through the the redesigned model shown at Geneva which is more than just a facelift. Several improvements have been made to the car's interiors.
What has changed to the interiors?
The electrically assisted steering system has been retuned to improve responsiveness. The NVH level of the diesel model, Hyundai claims, has been drastically improved on the facelift. The vibration transmitted from the road, wind resonance, noises from the intake and exhaust have been brought down. This has been achieved by introducing structural reinforcements to the dashboard panel, steering column mounting and cowl cross member.
What are the modifications to the powertrain?
The engine and transmission supports have been enhanced to reduce vibrations as well. The exhaust systems now misses a center muffler that reduced weight and decreases booming noise.
The new bumpers have increased the car's overall length by 55mm (30mm at the front and 25mm at the back). Only by taking a test drive will we know if these efforts have helped in making the i20 a quieter place.
