Showing posts with label Hyundai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hyundai. Show all posts

April 29, 2012

New Hyundai i20 review

i20,, Hyundai,, New, i20,, test, drive,, road, test,, review,, Swift,, Micra,, Jazz,, Polo, Premium hatchbacks
 It’s easy to see why the first  i20 was popular. When it was launched here in 2009, it was a fresh take on the large hatch and had almost everything buyers wanted – it was stylish, came with plenty of features and was spacious enough to almost justify its entry-level-saloon rivaling price. Fact is, i20 prices have always been on the upper slopes of the small-car hill, and it is no different this time around. At Rs 6.21 lakh for this mid-life refreshed Asta, this new i20 is still more expensive than the top-end Swift and the Skoda Fabia.

So, to make you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, Hyundai has loaded this with even more features than the old i20. Standard on the Asta is a reverse camera, keyless entry and go, electric folding mirrors and climate control, auto wipers and six airbags. You also get Bluetooth connectivity, an audio system and USB and Aux-in ports. So that’s one base covered.

i20,, Hyundai,, New, i20,, test, drive,, road, test,, review,, Swift,, Micra,, Jazz,, Polo, Premium hatchbacks
 The other, more obvious one, is with the styling. It’s been a talking point of every new Hyundai in recent memory, and the i20 is no different. Of course, there have been no drastic, expensive changes to the sheet metal, but enough has been done, at least to the snub nose, to make the i20 look refreshingly new. Those blistered headlamps, for example, give it a very Volkswagen Scirocco-like look and the slim grille, deep front bumper and muscular chin all work well in making the i20 look even more attractive than before. Walk along the side though and you’ll see almost no changes – there’s just turn signals incorporated into the mirrors and chrome door handles. The rear too has hardly changed with just new tail lamps, a slight re-profiling of the bumper and a new spoiler to indicate this is version 2.

The facelift has also increased the length of the car to 3995mm, up 55mm thanks to the new bumpers. The height, width and wheelbase are, not surprisingly, identical.

i20,, Hyundai,, New, i20,, test, drive,, road, test,, review,, Swift,, Micra,, Jazz,, Polo, Premium hatchbacks
 There are no major changes on the inside either – the basic layout of the dashboard is the same and Hyundai has re-introduced that nasty, shiny chrome gearlever that looks really cheap. However, apart from this little detail, the quality of every other surface and switch has been uprated. The new dark-grey surround for the audio, the leather-wrapped steering wheel and the snug seats really improve perceived quality and there’s also an armrest for the driver’s seat. Even the new dials and the digital fuel and temperature gauges between them look really smart. Also, that other i20 advantage remains – its spacious interiors and its rather large boot.

It’s when you dip the clutch in and press the engine start button that the most important change to the car becomes evident. The 1.2-litre Kappa engine now gets variable-valve timing technology for the intake and exhaust valves. So there’s a 5bhp up in power from the old engine, but the torque remains almost identical. This extra power doesn’t reflect in our VBOX times – the i20 VTVT is 0.5sec slower than the old car to 100kph and the in-gear times are slower as well. We put this down to emissions tuning and the fact that this engine makes its peak power of 84bhp a full 800 revs higher than the old engine.

We drove the old and new i20 back to back and it was evident that there was no real difference in performance. The new engine is responsive to part throttle inputs but not as much as the old engine. Hyundai should have tuned the valve timing system for better low-end responses. It does have a marginally better mid-range though. And, like the old engine, this one feels a bit out of breath on more open roads – you need to downshift quite a bit and this will be compounded when the car has a full load of passengers. Where it does score over the old car is with its refinement. This engine is far smoother and quieter – a fact that’s evident all the way from idle to the 6500rpm redline.

i20,, Hyundai,, New, i20,, test, drive,, road, test,, review,, Swift,, Micra,, Jazz,, Polo, Premium hatchbacks
What also helps this feeling of refinement is the re-tuned suspension. Gone is the old car’s low-speed clunking over irregularities and this suspension is far more sophisticated in the way it tackles bumps in the city. That’s not saying Hyundai has got it fully sorted out though. Go faster and it’s obvious that the car has lost some of its high-speed manners. It feels terribly sloppy if and when you have to change lanes quickly and the steering wheel feels like it just might be connected to the front wheels.

So it must be said that the new i20 works best as a city car – it is easy to drive though thanks to its light clutch, easy gearshift, superlight steering and good engine responses. The loose high-speed manners may make it a bit of a handful on highways and in emergency situations. Source

March 17, 2011

Hyundai Santa FE

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a mid-size crossover SUV based on the Hyundai Sonata platform. The Santa Fe quickly became Hyundai's best seller and contributed to Hyundai's success in the United States. The 2nd Gen Hyundai Santa Fe topped the “20 least expensive 2009 vehicles to insure” list by Insure.com. 2009 saw only minor changes for the Santa Fe. The 16" wheels on the base GLS model (USA specification) were dropped and replaced with black steel wheels and plastic covers. Additionally, the GLS received black plastic mirrors opposed to the body-colored mirrors of the higher-tier SE and Limited models. For 2008, only minor changes were applied to the Santa Fe. The next-generation 2007 Santa Fe debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. The first production Santa Fe rolled off Hyundai's Montgomery, Alabama assembly line on April 18, 2006. Newly standard on the latest iteration of the Santa Fe are all the safety features the previous model lacked or charged as extra. The rear seat head restraints caused visibility problems in the previous model due to their size. LATCH child seat anchors are also standard, and a optional 50/50 third row seat allows Santa Fe to seat seven passengers.

In Malaysia, Hyundai Santa Fe is available as a Complete knock down model rebadged as Inokom Santa Fe. The Inokom Santa Fe is only available in CRDi 2.2-liter I4 Diesel and 2.7-liter V6.

A mid-cycle refresh designed in Germany for the Santa Fe was implemented for the 2010 model year. All Santa Fes now include standard Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity and steering wheel audio controls, new darker wood trim, and a metallic steering wheel inlay. Both generate a higher power as well as obtain higher fuel economy than the previous model.

February 24, 2011

Hyundai Elantra Review

The Hyundai Elantra is a compact car with handsome styling, a notable complement of safety features, commendable driving manners, a responsive and fuel-efficient power train, a strong warranty and above-average value for the money.

The Hyundai Elantra comes in four-door sedan and five-door hatchback versions, the latter a sporty model called the Elantra Touring.

The Elantra competes against the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, Mazda3, Ford Focus, and other compact cars. The Elantra offers lots of interior space for the class and, by several other measures, it holds its own against those cars. Hyundai claims the Elantra warranty, of five years or 60,000 miles, plus 10 years or 100,000 miles for the power train, is the best in its class, which gives buyers peace of mind.

New for Elantra is the introduction of the Blue model, which achieves an EPA Highway fuel economy rating of 35 miles per gallon. The Blue model shares with other Elantra models a more efficient alternator system and lower-friction engine components. In addition, it has revised transmission gear ratios, engine calibration changes and a shift indicator, and will be identified with Blue badging. The Blue model is available only as a sedan and only with a five-speed manual transmission; on the automatic transmission the lock-up torque converter has been improved to enhance highway fuel economy.

EPA City/Highway fuel economy ratings for the Elantra models are 26/35 mpg for the Blue model, 26/34 mpg for the sedan with automatic, 23/31 mpg for the Touring with the manual and 23/30 mpg for the Touring with the automatic.

The Elantra's spacious cabin can seat up to five. We found the front seats very comfortable. The back seats offer ample hip room and adequate legroom, though it's more comfortable with four than it is with five people. Storage compartments galore add to its practicality and convenience.

The Elantra can cruise down the highway at 80 miles per hour all day without straining, and it's quiet at high speeds. The ride is good, although a bad freeway with relentless sharp bumps is more than the Elantra can accept without passing on some of the annoyance to those in the front seats. We found the brakes excellent and the cornering good.

Other changes for include standard auxiliary input jacks, a new chrome grille, rear chrome trim, chrome interior accents and the addition of a monotone black as an interior color choice for the SE model.

An all-new Elantra with new styling and new power trains goes on sale Fall.

February 23, 2011

Hyundai Elantra Review

Hyundai has pulled another hit from the factory. The totally redesigned Elantra is an eye catching vehicle worthy of consideration over the Corolla, Cruze and Mazda3. The interior quality is top notch in the Limited model. I'm 6'1' and the driver seat is very comfortable and with my seat set, I can get into the back seat with no problems. The only concern is that if I'm sitting in the back, my head does hit the back roof line, but there is enough room for me to slouch into a comfortable position. And that is the only gripe I have about this car. I've had it for 2 weeks and have put 2,000 miles on it and I'm averaging 36mpg mostly highway miles. The ride is smooth enough, the engine has ample power and just quiet enough. I purchased this car fully loaded and the navigation is great and the sound system more than powerful enough. It has an easy iPod/iPhone interface as well as USB connection. There is even an power outlet next to the passenger so they can charge their gadgets as well. I've not seen the new 2012 Focus other than on-line and the same for the 2011 Civic, but from what I've seen the Elantra will hold it's own. It even has heated back seats. I'm very impressed by this car and I would tell everyone who needs a good looking car that gets great gas mileage to include the Elantra in their search

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