Dongfeng BOX vs Hyundai i20

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Dongfeng BOX in South Africa

Dongfeng BOX

BOX E3 430 Electric Single-Speed Reduction Gear Current
ZAR 389,000 ex-showroom
⚡ 70 kW 🔧 290 Nm
VS
Hyundai i20 in South Africa

Hyundai i20

1.0T Fluid Petrol 6-Speed Manual Current
ZAR 328,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 74 kW 🔧 172 Nm ⛽ 14.5 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Dongfeng BOX vs Hyundai i20: the short answer

BOX and i20 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

i20 starts ZAR 52,100 cheaper BOX from ZAR 349,000 · i20 from ZAR 296,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification BOX i20
Maximum Power BOX70 kW i2074 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque BOX290 Nm i20172 Nm @ 1500 rpm
Engine Size BOXNot Applicable i20998 cc
Combined Fuel Economy BOXNot Applicable i2014.5 km/l
Ground Clearance BOX175 mm i20195 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

BOX

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Performance
Specification evidence leader

i20

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Efficiency Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

BOX

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

i20

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec BOX i20
Model Introduced Year 2026 2008
Generation Current South African BOX generation Third generation i20 on the K2 platform; sold in SA with 1.0T three-cylinder turbo across all variants
Facelift History Current South African launch version; no local facelift announced Third generation launched globally in 2020 and arrived in SA shortly after; significant improvement over the second gen in styling, tech, and driving dynamics
Facelift Launched Since Original current-generation version 2020
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Hatchback Hatchback
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status active active
Segment Urban Electric Hatchback Hatchback
Vehicle Type Passenger Vehicle Hatchback
Color Note - White, Black, Silver, Blue, Red, Yellow
Dealer Stock Note - Fluid grade in the South Africa lineup
Tare Mass Kg - 1135 kg
Spec BOX i20
Length 4020 mm 4040 mm
Width 1810 mm 1775 mm
Height 1570 mm 1505 mm
Wheelbase 2663 mm 2580 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 175 mm 195 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 160 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Capacity 0 l 40 l
Boot/Cargo Space 326 l 352 l
Kerb Weight 1285 kg 1135 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2020 kg 1610 kg
Payload Capacity 500 kg 475 kg
Towing Capacity 500 kg Not Officially Disclosed
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.2 m 5.2 m
Front Headroom 1000 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Rear Headroom 970 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Front Legroom 1040 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Rear Legroom 900 mm Not Officially Disclosed

In depth: how these cars differ

This BOX and i20 comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: BOX 52 vs i20 37.

Efficiency index: BOX 31 vs i20 59.

Safety-equipment index: BOX 88 vs i20 84.

Practicality index: BOX 52 vs i20 61.

Ownership-cover index: BOX not separately scored vs i20 65.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

i20 leads by 4 points

BOX and i20 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 61 /100
Lead 4 points
Data 93% source coverage
61
#1 Evidence leader

i20

93% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 84 Check Performance 37
Performance 37
Efficiency 59
Safety 84
Practicality 61
Ownership 65
Leads by 4 points
57
#2

BOX

83% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 88 Check Efficiency 31
Performance 52
Efficiency 31
Safety 88
Practicality 52
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance BOX +15 Efficiency i20 +28 Safety BOX +4 Practicality i20 +9

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

i20

Performance 37/100
Efficiency 59/100
Safety 84/100
Practicality 61/100
Ownership 65/100

BOX

Performance 52/100
Efficiency 31/100
Safety 88/100
Practicality 52/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Hyundai i20 leads the specification evidence index with 61 pts vs 57 pts for BOX

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, i20 leads. However, BOX may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

BOX vs i20 questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.