Hyundai i20 CVT vs Rivals: Price Comparison

Hyundai today launched the long-anticipated i20 CVT automatic car in India after making us wait for over 3 months. The carmaker had launched the 2018 Hyundai i20 facelift at the Auto Expo, but that time around the company did not have automatic trim on offer as Hyundai had plans to replace the older 4-speed torque converter with a brand new CVT unit. Unlike the pre-facelift model which was powered by a 1.4-litre petrol engine, the new CVT unit on the updated i20 is paired with the new 1.2-litre engine, and is offered in two variant options - Magna and Asta, which are priced at Rs. 7.04 lakh and Rs. 8.16 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Also Read: 2018 Hyundai i20 CVT Automatic: 5 Things To Know

2018 Hyundai i20 automatic comes with a new CVT unit mated to a 1.2-litre petrol engine

Interestingly enough, both the Hyundai i20's key rivals, Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Honda Jazz, come with petrol CVT automatic options as well and all three cars are priced quite similarly. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno gets CVT automatic option in three variants - Delta, Zeta and the top-end Alpha, which are priced at Rs. 7.09 lakh, Rs. 7.70 lakh and Rs. 8.40 lakh. The Honda Jazz, on the other hand, offers the CVT units in two variants - S and V, which are priced at Rs. 7.70 lakh and Rs. 8.46 lakh, respectively - (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi).

Also Read: 2018 Hyundai i20 CVT Starts Arriving At Dealerships

Looking at the above prices it's clear that the Hyundai i20 CVT is least expensive among all three cars and its lower variant, Magna CVT, undercuts Baleno's Delta automatic by Rs. 5000, and the Honda Jazz's S CVT variant by Rs. 66,000. At the same time, the top-spec model of the i20, Asta CVT, undercuts the Baleno's Alpha trim by Rs. 24,000 and the Jazz's V CVT variant by Rs. 30,000.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno gets CVT option in three variants - Delta, Zeta, and Alpha

All three cars powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine and offer similar power outputs as well. Both the i20 and the Baleno's 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engines offer a maximum of 83 bhp each, whereas the Jazz's 1.2-litre petrol engine is tuned to offer an 89 bhp, making it the most powerful among all three. Even in terms of features, all three cars are largely similar offering features like a touchscreen infotainment system, rear parking sensors with camera, keyless entry with engine start-stop button among others. Having said that, the Honda Jazz doesn't get Apple CarPlay although the other two do, and while the Jazz and Baleno each only get dual airbags even on the top-spec model, the i20's Asta trim comes with six airbags (2 front, 2 side, 2 curtain).

Honda Jazz is the most powerful among all three with its 1.2-litre engine making 89 bhp

So, which one is better? Well, on paper the Hyundai i20 defiantly seems like the better option, as it's the cheapest among all three and also comes with certain additional safety and comfort features and it's also the most recent one to receive an update. Having said that, the Baleno is not far behind in terms of features and styling, and the Honda Jazz being the most powerful among all three, does make a strong case for itself. So, we will have to pit these cars against each other, in real-world conditions, to tell you which one is the best, but if we just go by the facts and figures, the i20 does take the lead.