India’s second largest carmaker have launched the updated version of their best-selling model the i20 Hatchback. Major changes include revised exteriors and a larger 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
At the front, the two-part grille has been replaced with a single-piece 'Cascade' grille similar to the one seen on the Verna and Elantra. There are also revised bumpers, projector headlamps that come with chrome inserts and alloy wheels with an all-new design. At the rear of the car, the registration plate housing being repositioned from the bumper to the boot lid making the new i20 look quite different from the previous car.
Infotainment has got a boost with Hyundai plonking in a more advanced 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. There’s also Hyundai’s Auto-Link software that transmits key vehicle information straight to a linked mobile phone app.
The refreshed i20 continues with the same 1.2-litre, 83hp petrol and the 1.4-litre, 90hp diesel units. And while the choice of manual transmissions stays the same (five-speed on the petrol and six-speed on the diesel). Hyundai is also paying attention to the rising popularity if automatics with an all-new Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that is mated to the 1.2-litre Kappa engine. This, in effect, replaces the 1.4-litre petrol variant that was mated to a four-speed torque converter. Hyundai will launch this new, 1.2 CVT i20 sometime in May this year and is expected to cost lower than the 1.4-litre automatic that was on sale until now. The new CVT also makes the i20 facelift more fuel efficient, but unfortunately, there are no paddle-shifters on offer.
The refreshed i20 will go on sale shortly. Prices have been raised marginally over the model it replaces.