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The first impression

Consumers hold the power. Now more than ever, with an avalanche of choice, it’s easy for a customer to just click the next button.

Down scaling, economising and cutting back. For some, it might be upgrading. Or for others, it’s replacing. So, what am I rambling on about? I’m taking about buying a car. A compact family hatchback, to be exact. The above refers to some of the reasons why potential customers would be buying into this segment. Interestingly, it is one of the faster growing and larger segments in the South African car market, with options like the i20, Rio, Clio, Fiesta, Polo, Mazda2, Jazz, Yaris… and on-and-on.

I spent two weeks in two of the best examples of this type of car. Both Korean, and both very good - the Hyundai i20 and the KIA Rio.

So, which is the better of these two Koreans, who are like brothers from another mother? My reference, being to family is genuine, I’ll explain: you see, these two cars come from separate car manufacturers, KIA and Hyundai, but both companies belong to one. As a result, they share things, like half siblings would share 50% of their DNA. In the case of the i20 and Rio, they share the same platform, engines and gearbox.

The remaining 50% of each of these Koreans lightweights is unique, and individual to each brand.

On the road with the i20

I like the i20. I didn’t like the previous generation. Its looks left me limp, and though there was nothing wrong with it, I felt it bland, like white rice. The new i20 isn’t at all!

It has been penned by master car designer, Peter Schreyer, who has a noteworthy list of exquisite designs attached to his name. Now more Eurocentric than ever, its smacks of Golf 7 at the rear, has SUV cues in its profile: with its blackened C-pillars, like you’d find on a Range Rover Evoque. Its face is sharp with angular ‘eyebrow’ type headlamps. It would be hard to correlate this newly energised i20 to a bowl of white rice. Rather, it is like a sexy salsa, with a dollop of guacamole of good measure.

Looks are subjective, but the feel of a driving is less so. Rather, it is easier to access the tactility and function of the car, and easier for me to expressive objectively.

The new i20 is built off an all new chassis. The result is a highly refined vehicle. Noise, vibration and any harshness that may enter the i20’s cabin, and permeate through the car’s instrumentation has been dramatically improved. The i20 functions like a laidback friend. It is effortless: steering is light, swopping gears feels like popping the seal on the French caramel custard, Flanby. One light click of the wrist, and voila, the next gear is engaged. Controls come easy to hand. It’s just so forthcoming in its way.

The i20 isn’t a driver’s car. It is not going to get your juices flowing in the morning either. Rather, it’s benevolent in a way that’s reminiscent of a loyal dog.

On the road with the Rio

Like the i20, so too was the Rio designed by Peter Schreyer. In fact, it was his first design for KIA when he joined as their Head Designer. The Rio is angular with squared off shapes and lines that leave a youthful impression on the eye of its beholder. It lies squat on the road. Its derrière sitting pert in the air, almost as if to gesture its cheeky side.

To keep up with its half-brother, the i20, the Rio has recently been given a nip and tuck. The tweaks are subtle, but enhance the car from the front and side angles. It has a new rear bumper, which features a squarer look, like the nose of a hammerhead shark, and futuristic alloy rims with black lowlights. All of which add to the cars distinctive road presence.

Where the Rio really impresses, is in its cabin. It is modern, featuring interesting details, with non-conventional design elements, like unusual air-conditioning vent shapes. The instrument panel of the dash features a piano black finish, which is a housing for the amber glowing facia buttons. The seats are clad in faux leather. To the untrained eye, they might come across as leather, but alas they aren’t. In a car costing just over R200k, it features an impressive list of gizmos like a leather clad steering wheel with multi-functional buttons, automatic headlights, LED daytime running lights and automated windscreen wipers  to name but a few.

The Rio features the same free revving 1.4 engine, which happily commutes both cars at an adequate pace, but the six speed manual gearbox is a far better way of exploiting the car’s performance versus the four speed automatic option. The self shifting auto feels dated. It flashes one back to the 90’s as it hunts for the right gear. At one moment it is relaxed, albeit sluggish, the next, with a slight depression of the accelerator pedal, it jumps up the rev range in an unnecessarily aggressive manner.

The figures

The extra stuff

The i20 (1.4 Fluid) comes with a 3yr/60 000km service and maintenance plan, while the Rio (all models) comes standard with a service plan of 4yr/60 000km. Both cars score an impressive five stars in the EuroNCAP crash test.

The verdict

So, which car would you choose? I’m a stickler for refinement. I love quiet cars - ones that make light work of commuting in and around our congested cities. The tweaks to the brother i20, make it just that, refined.  It’s not as well-endowed in the gadget department as the Rio, and suffers from certain conservative styling aspects when compared to the Rio, particularly with the interior and dials department.

The Rio on the other hand, has a youthful essence - with lots of great added values, including a longer service plan. It is noisier, and can come across a tad rough by comparison to the i20. It’s not recommended to buy either of these cars in automatic unless you are loathed to ever change a gear. Its good looks and list of toys made it a favourite in and around the office, for which the team declared it the winner, with my vote going for the i20.

If these two cars were Germans, I’d liken the i20 more towards a Mercedes-Benz in its character, while the Rio would defiantly assimilate in character to a BMW. Though by no means at the level of these two brands, but rather as a character reference.

Whichever you do choose, both offer outstanding value for money, leaving little need to look for anything with an English, French or Japanese flavour.

www.hyundai.co.za

www,kia.co.za