THESE days, many car buyers are surprised when they discover the sizes of the engines available in new cars. Downsizing is here to stay, with several manufacturers adopting the approach as a means to lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions while maintaining the performance levels to which buyers have become accustomed.
The downsizing trend has focused mainly on petrol engines, however, as small-displacement turbodiesel powertrains have been around for a while. They offer strong performance thanks to large dollops of low-down torque and exceptional fuel economy, but are often expensive to buy and maintain and as such attract far fewer buyers than petrol-engined vehicles in the more price-sensitive segments of the new-car market. Therefore, there aren’t many manufacturers that supplement their petrol engines with oil-burners.
The current Ford Fiesta (pictured below, to the right) has been around since 2008 and has always offered a 1,6-litre turbodiesel. However, sales have been slow because it was one of the most expensive models in the range but offered only in miserly Ambiente spec. With the Fiesta’s recent facelift, Ford realigned the range and has managed to offer the turbodiesel in Trend spec at a far more realistic price. It takes on the newest addition to the B-segment oil-burner market, the Hyundai i20 1,4 CRDi.
With the advent of the i20 in 2009, Hyundai decided not to offer a turbodiesel model in the B-segment (a gruff 1,5-litre unit did form part of the Getz range). However, after its facelift towards the end of last year, the Korean carmaker has introduced this version to broaden the range from its 1,2- and 1,4-litre petrol options.
Packaging
Park one next to the other and the sportier-looking Ford Fiesta grabs your attention. However, the i20 is certainly not ugly and after its recent facelift offers a fresher and a more modern appearance than the pre-facelift car.
The sloping roof of the Fiesta (and the fact that it sits closer to the ground), compared with the more squared-off design of the i20 limits cabin room. Although the passengers seated in the front and rear of the Fiesta have fair space, those in the i20 definitely have a little more breathing room. And although the Hyundai’s rear kneeroom is as limited as the Fiesta’s, it does offer a significant amount of additional headroom.
It is a different scenario when you want to pack your car for the holiday. The Fiesta’s luggage compartment swallows 48 dm3 more (a total of 288 dm3) than the i20, and when the seats are folded forward (both models offer the standard 60:40 split), the Fiesta keeps this lead.
Otherwise, there is little difference between the two vehicles in terms of practicality. They even have the same luggage loading heights.
Cabin Ambience
Hyundai and Ford exercise two very different approaches to interior design and ergonomics. The i20 offers a simpler instrument and button arrangement. Every control is large and clearly labelled. Conversely, the Fiesta’s cabin layout is far more distinctive, with the buttons positioned higher up on a flatly angled section – not dissimilar to that of a cellphone. It takes time to become familiar with the function and placement of each button. The Hyundai’s facia and centre console are more conservative than those of the Ford, but the Korean car’s cabin has seemingly aged more gracefully than the busy Fiesta’s.
There is little difference in the materials and plastics used in both cars. The surfaces surrounding the instrument clusters and infotainment system in both competitors are of a high perceived quality, but move further away from these areas and quality starts taking a dip. The Fiesta offers cloth-covered seating, while Hyundai is honest in admitting that the i20’s seats are covered with imitation leather.
Specification levels are pretty evenly matched, but the i20 does have a safety trump card. Whereas the Ford offers only two airbags, the Hyundai has six.
Performance and Economy
Priced at around R200 000, you’d expect a respectable level of performance from each car. The Fiesta’s larger-capacity engine did have the upper hand during our acceleration runs. However, to hold a 0,4-second advantage when both vehicles already take roughly 13,0 seconds to reach 100 km/h is pretty negligible; in-gear acceleration is not, though. In every increment of our overtaking tests, the Ford was faster. In Hyundai’s defence, the final gear in the i20’s six-speed transmission has a taller ratio than the Fiesta’s five-speeder, in turn blunting acceleration. We did expect the Korean’s gearing to pay dividends come fuel-run time, but this proved incorrect. The Fiesta returned a good 5,3 litres/100 km while the Hyundai just broke the six-litre barrier. Both figures are mildly disappointing for small-capacity turbodiesels.
The Hyundai received another slap to the face during our emergency braking tests. Both cars are equipped with ABS, but the Fiesta offers only drum brakes at the rear while the i20 has solid discs. But these played no part in netting it a good result; after 10 stops, it posted an average of 3,12 seconds to come to a halt from 100 km/h, whereas the Fiesta needed just 2,95 seconds. These results are in line with those achieved in our nine-car comparison test (November 2012), where the pre-facelift Fiesta 1,6 Trend needed 2,82 seconds and the i20 1,4 Glide a lengthy 3,24 seconds.
Behind the Wheel
Both cars have rake- and reach-adjustable steering columns, features that help in achieving comfortable driving positions.
It is difficult to fault the Fiesta’s low-slung driving position, but the Korean vehicle suffers from an intrusive plastic panel below the steering column that waits patiently to snag unsuspecting shins.
Since its launch in 2008, the Fiesta has been garnering rave reviews for its solid, substantial feel on-road. The ride quality is good, noise infiltration is kept to a minimum and it also tackles corners with aplomb. Owing to this big-car feel, we expected
the Fiesta to weigh more than the less substantial-feeling i20, but the reverse proved true: the i20 is 60 kg portlier.
The i20 gives the impression of lightness through the weighting of its controls and its ride quality has definitely improved since last year’s facelift. However, it simply doesn’t offer the same quality feel from behind the wheel.
Make no mistake, the Hyundai’s engine pulls strongly thanks to 220 N.m of torque from as low as 1 500 r/min, but the Fiesta’s larger engine is smoother in its operation. One test member even described the Fiesta’s engine as feeling naturally aspirated, so linear is the delivery.
Both gearboxes offer ease of operation. The Hyundai’s ‘box especially has an extremely slick action, which is fortuitous as you generally use it more often than the Fiesta due to the additional gear.
Test Summary
Compared with only a few years ago, these days it makes far less sense to buy a turbodiesel-equipped passenger vehicle if you count costs. Small-capacity turbopetrols have become immensely good, and they’re generally more refined (Ford’s own 1,0-litre Ecoboost engine is a prime example) and in some cases cheaper to purchase and almost as cost-effective to run.
However, a number of light-hatch ranges do not offer turbopetrols, of which Hyundai’s i20 line-up is a case in point. So, if you live on the Reef and can’t stomach the 1,4-litre petrol’s lethargy, this 1,4 CRDi represents a sound purchasing proposition.
Overall, though, the Hyundai can’t match the Ford in terms of on-road performance and the driving experience. The Fiesta definitely has its limitations, including less seating space for passengers and only two airbags, but in this comparative test it is the clear winner.
Read our other B-segment comparative test, featuring the Ford Figo 1,4 Ambiente, Honda Brio 1,2 Comfort, Toyota Etios 1,5 Xs and Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1,4 Blueline here.