Hyundai i20 facelift: which variant you should buy

The well-rounded Elite i20 has been a hot seller for Hyundai. It’s got great quality and spacious interiors. It’s also practical, looks contemporary and has a set of refined engines too. The Korean carmaker has just given the Elite i20 a minor facelift and shuffled the equipment list across its ten variants. We help you pick the best variant.

Diesel or petrol?

The price difference between the diesel and petrol i20 varies across the line-up by Rs 1.20-1.40 lakh, with the former being more expensive. If your daily run is a few kilometres in the city, the petrol will do the job just fine and will deliver a satisfactory performance. However, if you drive mostly on the highway, irrespective of your annual usage, we’d recommend going in for the diesel for its punchy and effortless performance. What’s nice is that it is very refined too and the controls are light, so if you need to use it in the city too, the diesel i20 is equally easy to drive.

Variant on a budget

If on a tight budget, opt for the Magna Executive variant (P/D: Rs 6/7.31 lakh) which costs Rs 58,000-67,000 more than the base Era variant. While you get basic features like dual front airbags, ABS and speed-sensing door locks from the base variant, the Magna Executive gets the addition of a music system with six speakers, rear air-con vents, four power windows, cooled glovebox, electrically adjustable outside mirrors, front armrest and then some cosmetic features like wheel caps, body-coloured door handles and mirrors.

Our pick

The pick of the range is the Asta variant (P/D:  Rs 7.12/8.36 lakh) that’s Rs 1.05-1.12 lakh more than the Magna Executive and Rs 53,000 more than the Sportz variant. This variant strikes a good balance between value for money and features. It gets 15-inch alloy wheels, 7.0-inch touchscreen with navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Arkamys Sound Mood, automatic climate control and a tilt/telescopic steering wheel. You also get kit like steering-mounted controls, electric-folding outside mirrors, eight speakers, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, rear defogger, front fog lamps and daytime running lamps (near fog lamps) carried over from the Sportz variant.

For those looking for maximum safety kit, there’s the Asta (O) variant (P/D: Rs 7.91/9.16 lakh) that offers side and curtain airbags as well. In addition, this variant gets automatic projector headlamps, keyless entry-go, Isofix child seat mounts, 16-inch alloy wheels, a rear seat armrest, an advance MID; all this at a premium of Rs 80,000 over the Asta variant.