Let's embark on a trip to an often unnoticed, yet rather revealing yardstick of automotive engineering grandeur – the turning circle. Particularly, let’s stir the pot on the Hyundai i20, a sprightly hatchback known for nipping around urban mazes with the kind of ease that would have London cabbies nodding with approval. Our pivot of focus lands squarely at the current model's turning circle, a dance floor sized at 10.40 meters. Adequate for city twirling, but is it the best Hyundai has done in its i20 series? Buckle up, we’re in for quite a spin.
Now, to uncover the dark secrets of the i20's agility, we must delve into the ancient scrolls of its previous incarnations. The first generation, harking back to 2009, already had twinkle toes with a 10.40 meters turning circle – it seems Hyundai hit the sweet spot straight out of the gate. Post facelift, no remarkable revolution, it clung to that figure like a limpet to a hull. However, generation two cut a mere 20 centimeters off the radius, edging down to 10.20 meters, making U-turns slightly less U and a bit more I, if you will. Yet, by the time we reach generation three in 2020, it's back to the 10.40 meters mark. A case of 3 steps forward, a pirouette and back to where we started.
Within Hyundai's own stable, the i20 plays a sort of vehicular Goldilocks fable in terms of rotation. The plucky i10, a magician in tight spots, slithers around with a 9.80 meters circle – envy-worthy. On the other end, the hulking Tucson lumbers about with an 10.90 meters radius. The i20's platform mate, the saucy Bayon, mirrors it at 10.40 meters. But SUV crossover cousins like the Kona and the electric IONIQ 5 ask for more wiggle room at 10.60 and a hefty 12.00 meters respectively.
But how does the i20 fare in the vast tapestry of motorcars? When pitted against the arch-nemesis, the Peugeot 207, with its 10.60 meters turning tango, the i20 can puff out its chest with a modest victory. Consider the longer and wider Lada Vesta, handicapped with an 11.00 meters turning radius despite its larger wheelbase, making the i20 appear more ballerina than bulldozer. Entering the realm of folklore are competitors like the Fiat Dino and the Volvo 264, floating at 12.40 and 9.80 meters; the latter matches the i20's turning circle, albeit being a creature of significantly larger dimensions. And kudos to the Ford Escort, a time-honoured rival, that pirouettes on just 10.00 meters of space.