The Hyundai i20 braved the elements
to let us have some fun in India’s very own Bonneville
Last time the Hyundai i20 served us well on
our journey to the ancient ruins of Hampi in Karnataka. The comfort and the
ride quality of the i20 impressed us immensely. And while the memory of that
trip was still fresh in our mind we decided to head to yet another great
destination that we believed would test the i20’s limits in the scorching
summer heat. And to test the i20’s capability we went to a place that is listed
as one of the most inhospitable places on earth – the Rann of Kutch. But there
is more to this place than just sheer empty vastness. Inside the Rann there is
a wildlife sanctuary where you can spot fauna like Wild Ass, desert Fox and
even migratory birds. Unfortunately, we were not able to spot any of them as it
was summer time and all these animals were in hiding to save themselves from
the scorching sun.
Hyundai
i20 – Brave Heart
Anyway, we were not really worried about
the sun as we were going to be inside the Fluidic i20. We started this 1600 km
long round trip from our office in Pune. The route that we chalked out would
take us from Pune to Ahmedabad via the NH8, which is one of the best highways
in India and for most of its length is a six lane wide road. We got out of Pune
before the break of the Dawn and headed towards the Mumbai Pune Expressway. The
i20 we opted for this time was a diesel car with a 1.4litre, four cylinder
engine that produces 90PS of power and a healthy 220 Nm of torque. That is
ample power for a hatch and the best part of this engine is that it is mated to
a six speed manual gearbox which delivers power to the front wheels quite
efficiently and also helps maximize the fuel economy.
The Hyundai i20 has always impressed us on
the expressway and this time was no exception. The smooth acceleration of the
1.4 liter motor and the linear power delivery ensured that we were ahead of the
traffic at all times. Plus the comfortable seats also made life easier for me
and my fellow travelers. And because of the six speed manual transmission we
were able to do good speeds and extract the maximum fuel efficiency from the
engine at the same time. By the time we exited the expressway it was still dark
outside and some of my colleagues were still feeling a bit sleepy. So just to
wake them from their slumber I put on some music. The music system in the i20
is one of the best systems out there and the speaker arrangement is also quite
good and delivers a deep and soothing sound. By the time everyone woke up we
had already crossed Thane and were now on the NH8 heading towards Ahmedabad.
But just to really wake ourselves up we stopped for a small tea break which
really helped me. Refreshed from the tea break we soon wrapped up our little
stop and were on our way to Ahmedabad.
The Hyundai i20 has always impressed us
on the expressway and this time was no exception
NH8 is notorious for being crowded with
heavy truck traffic but we were in the i20 which has great handling. I was able
to weave my way through the heavy mix of trucks, trailers and tankers quite
easily. The steering of the i20 is very responsive and gives you a lot of
feedback while negotiating such situations. All you have to do is point the
car’s nose in the direction you want to go in and the rest is taken care of by
the i20 itself. It feels amazing to drive the i20 even while weaving through
traffic. By the time we reached the Maharashtra Gujarat Border it was nice and
bright as the summer sun had already started to warm things up outside the car.
But the i20’s air conditioning kept us nice and cool. By afternoon we had
reached Vadodara and were now on the Vadodara – Ahmedabad Expressway. The i20
again displayed the same enthusiasm as it did on the Mumbai Pune stretch and
even before we knew it we were in Ahmedabad.
We reached the largest city of Gujarat at
around lunch time and as we were looking for a place to eat we realized that
our i20 needed a good wash. And while we were searching for a washing center we
came across a Hyundai dealership and after talking to the manager there, we
received a free comprehensive car wash from the good guys at Concept Hyundai,
Ahmedabad. This clearly shows how much concerned the company is about its
customers.
play
time in the little Rann of Kutch
After getting the i20 washed and having
some lunch we headed towards Dasada which is the gateway to the little Rann of
Kutch. By later afternoon we were in Dasada and even though it was 41° Celsius
outside the car the weather inside the i20 was cool and pleasant. We were
staying at the Rann Riders resort which the owners opened up just for Car India
and the Hyundai i20 as usually the resort does not receive any tourists at this
time of the year because of the intense heat.
Anyway, after our arrival at the Rann
Riders we were really excited to head to the Rann at night time. Now we would
not recommend going to the Rann all by yourself during the day as well as in
the night as it is very easy to get lost. But we had an experienced local with
us who works as a guide on the Rann safari. After munching on a dinner that was
especially prepared for us we headed straight to the empty vastness of the
Rann.
