Ah, it’s well and truly on now. The rainy season arrived all at once and turned Mumbai into a series of water bodies yet again. And as happens every year, automobiles take more than their fair share of pounding from the elements, from above and below, mixed with a good test of their waterproofing/amphibious capabilities. So far, the i20’s proven to be up for this seasonal onslaught, grunting through floodwaters and around clueless traffic.
First of all, the i20’s windshield wipers are excellent, front and rear. On the highway part of my commute, cars get a thorough mud bath from the wheels of surrounding traffic, especially trucks and buses, and good wipers are practically lifesavers. The i20’s wipers clean their glasses swiftly and smoothly, leaving nothing behind. And they have just the right speeds for all sorts of rain, too, not the infuriating too-slow or too-fast ones we see in some other cars.
Secondly, now that the roads everywhere wear that bombed-in look that the monsoon leaves in its wake, good suspension is high on the list of priorities. Again, the i20 more or less wafts over the most inexplicable craters; seriously, I’m more mystified by the formation of some potholes than by that of crop circles. Nonetheless, the i20 is always unruffled and efficient, its light steering is a great tool to navigate around people who seem to forget how to drive when there’s a bit of water on the road. And since it sips diesel, I’ve forgotten the last time I filled it up, too. The rest of the monsoon should be just as easy.
