2018 Hyundai Elite i20 CVT Review
Car Tested: 2018 Hyundai Elite i20 CVT; Road Test No. 957
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 8.21 to 9.48 lakhs
The 2018 Hyundai Elite i20 is the most affordable premium hatchback with a CVT gearbox in the country
Initially, Hyundai offered the i20 automatic with a 1.4-litre petrol engine mated to a 4-speed torque converter transmission. What this resulted in was a massive asking price for the automatic hatchback due to the larger engine. Subsequently, the car was excluded from the sub 4-metre excise duty benefits resulting in higher taxes and premium pricing. However, that’s history now. The Korean carmaker has ditched the 1.4-litre petrol engine and now offers a CVT gearbox with the tried and tested 1.2-litre Kappa petrol engine. How is it to drive? We find out.
Motor Quest: The facelifted Elite i20 was launched earlier this year and the premium hatchback has been consistently selling in good numbers. At the time of launch, the Korean automaker offered the facelifted car in manual transmission variants only. Launched in 2014, the Elite i20 has consistently been among the best-selling models from Hyundai in India.
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Apart from the ‘Auto’ badge on the right front fender, there is nothing to tell you that this is a CVT variant
Exteriors – The 2018 Hyundai Elite i20 CVT comes in two variants – Magna Executive and Asta. Hyundai isn’t offering the CVT transmission in the top-spec Asta (O) trim and what that means is a lot of goodies have been given a miss. For starters, there are standard halogen headlights up front instead of projector units. While the grille is identical, the LED DRLs have been housed near the fog lights. The Magna Executive variant misses out on a lot of niceties such as fog lamps, keyless entry, steering mounted controls and auto-folding rear-view mirrors. Opt for the Asta grade and you get 15-inch gunmetal finish alloy wheels but crucial things such as side & curtain airbags, rear wiper (with washer) and ISOFIX mounts are still exclusive to the Asta (O) trim. The CVT trims ride on 15-inch wheels wrapped in 185-section rubber instead of the 195-section tyres.
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Part quality and fit & finish inside the cabin is impressive
The current Elite i20 with CVT is more affordable than the previous Elite i20 automatic
Interiors – The cabin of the 2018 Hyundai Elite i20 CVT is more or less similar to that of the manual transmission Asta variant. The dual-tone dashboard with a 3-spoke multi-function steering wheel and a 7-inch touchscreen AVN system looks similar to the one on the manual gearbox variants. However, the steering wheel and gear knob miss out on the leather wrap while the infotainment system loses out on the Auto Link feature. It still gets Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, MirrorLink and Bluetooth connectivity. Other features on offer are steering mounted audio controls, automatic climate control, rear-view camera, keyless entry, rear AC vents and electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs. The seat comfort and the space at the rear are identical to the manual gearbox variants.
