Delhi

SCOOP! Hyundai i20 facelift spied

Refreshed i20 to get front and rear styling tweaks; 1.0-litre turbo-petrol motor and mild hybrid tech a possibility.

2 min read•31 May '17

Akbar Merchant

63K+ views

The current-gen Hyundai i20 (Elite i20) has been on sale since 2014 and is next in line to receive a mid-cycle update. Spied for the first time on the outskirts of Chennai, the refreshed i20 was part of a convoy of test mules that also included the all-new Verna which will be unveiled sometime around August this year.

As seen from the spy shots, the i20's front gets styling tweaks which brings it more in line with the latest from Hyundai like the Grand i10 and Xcent siblings, the larger Elantra and the upcoming Verna sedan. Hyundai does away with the two-part grille and in its place is a single, large 'Cascade' type grille, very similar to the one seen on the recently launched refreshed Xcent. The headlamps seem more angular and also Elantra-Like and the bumper has new inserts for fog lamps.

Moving on to the sides, the i20 is expected to look the same, except for new-design alloy wheels. The rear of the car is fully covered so the changes here could be even bigger.

The i20 facelift is likely to continue with the same set of engines: the 1.2 petrol (MT only), the 1.4-litre diesel (MT only) and the 1.4-litre petrol (AT only). The carmaker is also likely to offer the new 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. This engine, based on the 1.0-litre three-cylinder Kappa unit that powers the European i10, features direct injection and a small, single scroll turbocharger, and is expected to produce up to 120hp and 172Nm of torque.

Also, Hyundai is working on a mild hybrid system for its models in India. This new tech will be introduced in the all-new Verna and then the Creta and the i20. Expect Hyundai to unveil the refreshed i20 (seen here) sometime next year, possibly as early as the beginning of 2018 at the Auto Expo.