i20 N Line iMT is two-faced in the most delightful way!

Road trips are always special, and there can be no better example that highlights the saying that “the experience and the journey is more important than the destination”. There’s one road trip that has become a yearly phenomenon to look forward to and that is Hyundai Motor India’s ‘Great India Drive’. Already into its fifth year, the GID has been flagged off from some epic locations and has helped explore the far corners of our rich and diverse country. I managed to squeeze in a schedule for the 2021 edition just before the current wave of the pandemic started to peak. 

Beat the pandemic

Hyundai’s suggested theme for the year’s chapter of GID was technological progress in the context of urban development. And I thought it would be apt to do a road trip into one of our favourite travel destination states - Rajasthan - and to check out some of the underexplored parts of Udaipur. One of the facets of this ‘city of lakes’ is the fact that it stands at number five in the rankings (2021) for the best smart cities in India. Setting my navigator up via Jaipur and Kumbhalgarh, to Udaipur, I was looking forward to good roads, some of them are easily the most picturesque, and the prospect of making quick progress after crossing over into Rajasthan from the NCR (National Capital Region). 

For the drive, I decided to pick the i20 N Line from the garage at Hyundai’s spanking new headquarters building in Gurugram. The i20 N Line is still fresh and I wanted to experience the intelligent manual version (iMT) of this hatch. During the official test drive just before its launch in September 2021, I didn’t get to put as many miles on the iMT. The N8 iMT variant is packed with features, many that are found usually in higher priced sedans and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). One of them that I knew would be certainly useful was the 7-speaker Bose Music system and the one that I probably wasn’t going to be using at all was the voice-activated sunroof!

Escape from reality

Leaving early from any of our major metros is always a good idea when you plan a long road trip. Getting out before peak traffic chokes out the roads can help one make excellent progress on the journey. By the afternoon, despite an hour’s delay caused by some of the remnants of roadblocks set up during the farmer’s rally, I could still point the nose of the i20 N Line towards Ajmer and well past Jaipur. This stretch of National Highway 48 has seen extensive renovation and repairs, including the addition of multiple by-passes; and yet, there are still a few places where the quality of the tarmac is bad. Of course, there are quite a few ‘tolled’ sections of the highway which had stray cattle; a bigger menace after sunset on these unlit stretches. But, some of those route complaints fade away once I reach Kumbhalgarh, and catch the clear night sky, unspoiled by light pollution from city lights, and speckled only with light from the countless stars. 

One of the highlights of the nearly 700kms that I had clocked during the day was the i20 N Line’s iMT gearbox. I’ve experienced this variation to the automated manual transmission in the Venue. But this time I got to drive it on varied terrain including some winding hilly roads. And the iMT feels brilliant. Combining the benefits of a clutch-free automatic and the option of manual gear selection, the iMT is just perfect when you want to stay connected to the car during the drive. Shifting through the gearbox at ease without any left leg input and even doing double downshifts for quick overtakes is a breeze and the one-litre, turbocharged GDi petrol engine reacts quickly to each input. There is no involuntary head-nodding or shift-shock which is normally experienced in an AMT. In the i20 N Line, the engine shines through too and even sounds good with a hint of a growl coming out of the twin exhaust at the rear. There’s 120PS of power to play with and 172Nm of torque that’s available from a low 1,500rpm; more than adequate to send in doses of adrenaline into your bloodstream every once in a while. And that is important to make sure that the journey stays memorable. 

Smart city

The i20 N Line is equally easy to be in while driving around town. For a hatch in the B+ segment, the cabin is nicely equipped with a lot of features that are actually usable during a long drive, like the wireless charger, the touchscreen infotainment system with Bose speakers and even Hyundai’s BlueLink voice command based connectivity features.

After get into some of the old city areas of Udaipur I realise another benefit from having chosen the i20 N Line - its small footprint. The Smart City project for Udaipur is still a work in progress and the plan is focused on augmenting and developing a small area first and that can then be replicated city-wide. The Walled City has been identified for the purpose and this is a further challenge due to the narrow roads, and fairly congested conditions. But a lot of technology is being applied to the redevelopment that’s focused on creating smart roads, smart parks, more efficient solid and liquid waste management, smart parking (an important initiative given the heavy floating population with Udaipur being one of the most popular tourist destinations globally), and even smart IT systems for ensuring a better law and order situation. The challenges are quite obvious even today, especially with the level of pressure on the city’s tourism infrastructure. But, it is heartening to see that the Smart City project has an planned outlay of ₹1,800 crore plus to retrofit and redevelop Udaipur’s modern city infrastructure. 

Udaipur is an ancient Rajasthani city, and was the capital of the Mewar region. Today, it is a city where modern art coexists with classical palace architecture. The food scene is vibrant in the city and, I discovered, that complex continental cuisine choices are equally easy to find amongst the myriad restaurants serving lip-smacking local Mewari and Marwari fare. 

After driving over 1,100 kms over three days in the Hyundai i20 N Line, I discover that this hatch is similarly a great combination - it can be comfortable for a small car, but can also be an engaging, enjoyable companion for the road. It is quick, even fast, but I still managed nearly 15kmpl in mixed driving conditions. 

If you are planning road trips in the near future, my advice to you would be, of course to start with taking stock of government’s lockdown rules and regulations, check whether there are any regulatory requirements if you are crossing state borders and plan your refreshment stops and hotel stays well in advance to ensure that all sanitation procedures are being followed. A FastTag will certainly help avoid delays at toll-gates and risks related to handling cash and receipts. Stock up on disposable masks and hand sanitisers and use them judiciously. Stay masked in public and check the news about local infection trends and changes to regulations if any. Finally, belt-up and have a safe drive. 

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