Mid-cycle upgrade for Hyundai’s premium hatch

In an attempt at meeting emerging new safety expectations, taking on competition from sub-compact SUVs and to clean up its model variant strategy, Hyundai Motor India has just pulled the wraps off its facelifted i20. The premium hatch from Hyundai gets a minor model refresh inside-out and gets a new lower trim variant that makes it affordable for a slightly larger section of buyers. The new i20, in its third generation, continues to be largely the same in its exterior design, but gets tweaks to the lighting and some added features to raise its appeal. 

New LED headlamps, join the signature LED DRLs, and there is also the addition of puddle lamps on the door mirrors that deliver a welcome light message for top trim variants. The current i20 was launched in 2020 and it is a good-looking hatch with a modern profile. While no changes have been made to the body panels, it still gets revamped front and rear bumpers for a sportier front fascia and improved aerodynamics. It also gets a new set of 16-inch alloy wheels and a revised parametric front grille. Except for the new fender, the rear remains the same. There are six monotone and two dual-tone colour options to choose from including the new Amazon Grey. Hyundai has also added a new base trim variant - Era, being offered at just below the ₹7 lakh mark. 

Cabin features

For the cabin of the new i20, Hyundai designers have created a new dual-tone grey and black interiors, with an enhanced night-time impact via a reworked ambient lighting

For the cabin of the new i20, Hyundai designers have created new dual-tone grey and black interiors, with an enhanced night-time impact via a reworked ambient lighting. Depending on the trim variant, the i20 also gets a BOSE premium seven speaker system, and an advanced infotainment system. A new premium key, semi-leatherette upholstery for the seats, stitched leatherette armrests on the door panels, a new leather-wrapped flat-bottomed steering wheel etc., are some of the new features in the i20. There is also the addition of an ambient sound experience with seven nature-inspired soundscapes. The new i20 gets a lot of the connected tech offered in multiple other Hyundai models by now. There are over 60 connected car features, 127 embedded VR commands, 52 Hinglish voice commands, over-the-air updates, and multi-language UI support accommodating 10 regional and 2 international languages

A new premium key, semi-leatherette upholstery for the seats, stitched leatherette armrests on the door panels, a new leather-wrapped flat-bottomed steering wheel etc., are some of the new features in the i20

Powertrain

There have been some changes under the hood too. The outgoing model’s choice of two engines have now been whittled down to one. The turbocharged one-litre mill won’t be offered. The attempt at repositioning the standard i20 must be to distinguish it with the upcoming changes in the new NLine variant — i20N. So, the i20 will now only get the 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine. The 1,197cc Kappa petrol engine is being offered with either a manual transmission or Hyundai’s Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT).

The engine continues to be offered in the same state of tune with the MT powertrain generating 83PS of peak power and 115Nm of max torque. The IVT delivers about 88PS of peak power and 115Nm of torque. The engine features the Idle Stop and Go (ISG) tech, which helps boost fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. The new i20 also gets a leg up in safety features. Some of the safety features include six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hill Assist Control (HAC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Antilock Braking System (ABS), and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD). Other safety features already available include the burglar alarm, emergency stop signal, rear parking camera, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Highline, headlamp escort function and automatic headlamps. Prices for the new i20 start at ₹6.99 lakh for the Era and go up to ₹11.01 lakh for the Asta IVT with options pack. 

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