An unlikely candidate for a sporting treatment, this warmed-up i20 nevertheless packs surprising charm...

As a comfortable, dependable B-segment hatch, the i20 has been a hit with South African consumers. Last year, it might not have come close to posting sales figures to rival those of the Volkswagen Polo, but it did comfortably outsell both the Ford Fiesta and the Toyota Yaris in our market.

To shift 11 700 units is a big achievement and, to put a Mzansi-flavoured cherry on this particular cake, Hyundai South Africa has added a locally tweaked Sport derivative to the range. Reflecting Hyundai's establishment of its "N" performance badge and the debut of an i20 in the World Rally Championship three years ago, Hyundai SA has created the i20 Sport (it was originally called the N Sport, but the Hyundai mother ship has reserved that badge for a later model).

Any performance derivative can only be as good as its donor range and, in the i20 Sport's case, that means inheriting some of that vehicle's inherent shortcomings. In our initial test of this new-generation i20 1,4, we praised its improved ride, interior space and good NVH damping, but we did note a flat spot in the lower revs and criticised the lifeless steering and drab interior. Can the Sport make up for these shortfalls, as well as live up to the sporty badge on its rump?

The i20 Sport carries few but noticeable visual differences over the stock car. There are deeper side-skirts and a boot spoiler, 17-inch alloy wheels and a sizeable stainless-steel exhaust that make the hatch stand out just a little bit more than the standard model and appeal to a younger crowd. Unfortunately, this is where the visual tweaks end and the interior remains completely unchanged.

Most of the updates have been effected under the bonnet. The i20 Sport boasts a locally developed UniChip ECU chip which, together with the exhaust system, provides claimed increases of 11 kW and 27 N.m of torque above the standard 1,4-litre motor. Oddly, according to our scales, the i20 Sport is also 14 kg lighter, which boosts its power/mass rating by 11 W/kg. That said, Hyundai SA hasn't tested its locally brewed derivative, so there are no official performance figures to use as reference.

From the moment you start the i20 Sport, it's clear the car has a personality markedly different from that of the standard derivative. The exhaust isn't blaringly loud, but it is evident throughout the drive (not always in a good way, but we'll get to that) and the new ECU has thankfully minimised that annoying flat spot that plagues the i20 at lower revs. Our in-gear acceleration tests in the lower gears have also shown an improvement, but fifth and sixth gear provided very similar acceleration times. Our tested 0-100 km/h time of 11,58 seconds is 1,36 seconds quicker, but that was achieved after subjecting the drivetrain to severe axle tramp.

Although Hyundai claims the exhaust provides some increase in power, this doesn't come without a catch. Drive it quickly and the moderately rorty soundtrack will bring a smile to your face, but at lower speeds it tends to descend into a drone that quickly begins to annoy.

The extra grip from the wide Yokohama tyres is evident both in the corners and during braking. Our 100-0 km/h braking test indicated an excellent average stopping time of 2,85 seconds – an improvement on the 3,24 seconds we recorded with the standard i20. Be warned, though: the added grip does not revolutionise the chassis' behaviour. The electric steering is still lifeless and the car washes into easily corrected understeer quite early on.

 



TEST SUMMARY

There is a sense of local charm to the i20 Sport and it may appeal to many young automotive consumers, as it did to some in the CAR editorial team. And we applaud Hyundai SA for making the vehicle in a time when so few carmakers veer from the ordinary.

That said, this is at best a lukewarm hatchback that fails to match the driving dynamics nor the performance of its two price rivals, the Suzuki Swift Sport and Chevrolet Sonic 1,4 Turbo and, as such, remains an anomaly.

*From the June 2016 issue of CAR magazine.

Original article from Car