UPDATE: India-bound new Hyundai i20 engine details, features revealed
A couple of weeks ago, Hyundai released the first design sketches of the next-gen i20 hatchback; and now, official pictures of the real deal – the production-spec 2020 Hyundai i20 – have surfaced online, ahead of the hatchback's global premiere at the 2020 Geneva motor show.
One look at these new pictures confirms the fact that the design sketches weren’t an exaggeration – the new Hyundai i20 really does look sporty on the outside. It’s still identifiable as an i20, but it gets plenty of fresh design elements, following the brand’s 'Sensuous Sportiness' ethos. It looks more hunkered down, has a new, more aggressive face with LED DRL-lined headlights and the large, blacked-out 'cascading grille' with a diamond-pattern mesh finish. The angular theme continues with the triangle-shaped fog light enclosures. When viewed side-on, the new i20 retains the previous model’s shape and stance, but sports interesting surfacing details, rides on new dual-tone alloy wheels and gets a chrome garnish for the windowline, which curves up towards the rear, appearing to merge into the contrast roof.
At the back, the large tail-lights grab attention – with angular Z-shaped LED elements in them – and are linked by what appears to be an LED light bar. Other interesting touches at the back include the upper half of the boot lid being blacked out (something we’ve already seen on the Tata Altroz) and a rather pronounced faux diffuser. All in all, while it is still very much like an i20, Hyundai has pulled out all the stops to give this generation of the i20 an identity of its own. More importantly, Hyundai India insiders have confirmed to Autocar India that, in terms of design, the India-spec new i20 will be more or less the same as the model that will be unveiled in Geneva.
On the inside, too, the new Hyundai i20 is expected to have a completely redesigned dashboard, featuring an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Also expected to be part of the package are Hyundai’s BlueLink connected-car technology, a digital instrument cluster, wireless smartphone charging, automatic climate control with rear AC vents, push-button start-stop, six airbags and a new steering wheel, to name a few.
In terms of engine options, the new Hyundai i20 is expected to get a 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol, a 1.5-litre diesel, and also the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol that recently made its way into the i10 Nios. In addition to a manual gearbox, Hyundai will also provide the option of a dual-clutch automatic transmission with the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine.
Expect the new Hyundai i20's prices to be in the Rs 6-10 lakh range (ex-showroom), when it is launched in India sometime in June 2020. When it arrives, the new i20 will take on the Maruti Suzuki Baleno (which will be available as a petrol-only model then), Tata Altroz, Honda Jazz and the Toyota Glanza.
What do you think of the new Hyundai i20's looks? Let us know in the comments.
Uday Singh
Dipan Sur
Glenn Noronha
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