First ride: Hyundai i20 1.0 T-GDI

Hyundai now offers a three-cylinder turbo in the small car i20. First exit!

Since autumn 2014 is the current generation of the Hyundai i20 on the market. With its unexcited and quite elegant design or screaming effects, the small car definitely attracts attention. No thumbs stretched up spontaneously, but instead it is better to put your fingers in your pocket in the direction of your wallet - when you were actually on the way to buy the fifth VW Polo in a row.

During the test drive, it could then happen that the i20 stumbles and slips - out of the purchase grid. Because even if a car of this size is primarily used as a supermarket, S-Bahn or office shuttle, may also be a little driving pleasure to be delivered.  The Saugbenziner were and are therefore Hyundai Achilles heel on the way from the pure price-value alternative to the car with a claim.

Now a fresh wind blows through the i20 - blown through a turbocharger. After the first appearance in the larger group brother Kia cee'd now screwed parent company Hyundai produced in Korea 1,0 liter - three-cylinder in their i20. Incidentally, this model was developed in Germany, with the assembly plant in Turkey.

With the new engine, Hyundai replaces the 20 liter four-cylinder gasoline engine in the i1,4, which, like the new 1,0 T-GDI, delivers 74 kW / 100 horsepower. In addition, there is the new engine in a more powerful version with 88 kW / 120 PS, which also has a six-speed gearbox instead of the five-speed manual switch and costs 600 Euro extra charge.

Gar 700 Euro is the price step from the 1,4 liter teat to the new 100 PS turbo engine, currently both drives are offered in parallel. After a first exit is clear - who would not necessarily have the automatic transmission, which there is only with the four-cylinder, invested in extra charge in more torque (172 Nm to 134 Nm, which also applied much earlier and over a wide speed range) and not exaggerated, but existing longitudinal dynamics.

The engine with the three combustion chambers makes at full load quite aware of its design. You can find the three-cylinder rattling challenging, but some people are bothered by the sound. Interestingly, the 120 PS variant of the 1.0 T-GDI, which has been driven in comparison, has a rounder and louder engine noise, despite the six gear stages.

While driving both variants prove to be trouble-free companions with proper passage. If you want to accelerate in the high gear after leaving the village on rural road speed, without painting black lines on the asphalt, should feel the offered performance as sufficient. Also on the Autoahn floats the i20 1.0 T-GDI very well, only from Tempo 160 the propulsion to, 188 stuff creates the 100 PS version on paper, the 20 percent stronger brother puts reckless two kilometers per hour top speed on top.

Since the better acceleration of the strong Einliters with half a second at 100 km / h in the frame holds, the 600 Euro surcharge can certainly be invested eg in a set of winter wheels.

Externally, the Turbo-i20 differs by a modified radiator grille with horizontal slats discreetly from his brothers with smaller gasoline or the diesel models (but of course also be forced to breathe).

For more visual variety provides the new Active version of the i20. Quite trendy, the small car with a 20 millimeter increased ground clearance, rustic plastic planks and a roof railing on city SUV, without of course four-wheel drive to offer. The adventure optics are bought not only with a hefty surcharge of up to 2.350 Euro, but also with a noticeably harder suspension tuning.

The new variants and engines show that Hyundai also leaves the role of the low-cost newcomer step by step in the small car class. This is rewarded by the customers, the brand is currently the largest Asian importer in Germany.

So the i20 is also recommended as a serious alternative to the top of the class VW Polo. However, Hyundais Kleiner still offers savings potential by making it easy to do without 20 extra horsepower and the active masquerade.

The vehicle registration for the Hyundai i20 1.0 T-GDI