New i20 tops Hyundai sales chart

The Korean marque has a new bestseller. Having sold 13,319 units (up 7 percent) in March, the 2018 Elite i20 is now at the top in Hyundai’s stable, a place earlier held by the Grand i10, whose sales inched lower.

Thanks to the narrowing price gap and easy credit availability, buyers today are lured by premium offerings and are willing to stretch their budgets. “We have seen a marginal shift towards premium models as buyers these days do try to push their limits a little,” said a company spokesperson.

Based on information from Hyundai, the demand for the diesel i20 has always been greater than the petrol. However, following the shrinking price gap between both the fuels, the company expects the sales of petrol variants to pick up. Also, a locally assembled CVT gearbox will be introduced in the petrol Elite i20 range, which the company hopes will be a tailwind for the model.

The new Elite i20 continues to source power from an 83hp, 1.2-litre petrol motor while the diesel variants are powered by a 90hp, 1.4-litre engine. The facelifted model is also available in two new body colour options – Fiery Red and Passion Orange – but it's the more traditional white and silver options that continue to attract the majority of the buyers.