Hyundai had launched the i20 in India way back in 2008 as their Premium Hatchback and since then the car model has been received extremely well. Now Hyundai brings the latest 3rd generation of the i20 into India and we had our chance to see it at a special media preview. Our story here will get you all the info on the newest trendiest, premium hatch from the Korean car maker in our first impression review.
Do note that we would be driving the 2020 Hyundai i20 for our detailed road test review very soon.
Food for thought
Hyundai had unveiled the 1st generation i20 in 2008 at the Paris Motor Show while the 2nd generation came into production in 2014. The i20 replaced the Getz in mostly all markets. The latest 3rd generation All New i20 was supposed to be unveiled at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show that got cancelled due to the Covid pandemic but was later unveiled online virtually.
Exteriors
The All New Hyundai i20 stands at 3995mm (+10mm) in length, 1775mm (+41mm) in width and has a overall height of 1505mm . The wheelbase stands at 2580mm (+10mm) making it larger and wider than the outgoing model which means extended leg room and shoulder room in the cabin area.
Coming to the styling the latest i20 is sharper, more aggressive and a lot trendier than the outgoing model. The face comes with a large cascading grille which Hyundai calls as the Parametric Jewel pattern grille that’s made of glossy black mesh design and gets neatly mated to sharp design headlamps. These LED headlamps get LED DRL elements as eyebrows and some very nicely done detailing which includes a nicely done i20 badging on the edge. The bumper also comes with a very sharp character lines and a nicely styled faux skid plate on the lower section done up in glossy black. The projector fog lamps also get sharp glossy black housing to complete the dual tone effect to the face.
The bonnet gets sharp creases that flow backwards defining it in a very sporty manner. Going back the sides is highlighted with flat styling on the edges of the fender and also a harp character line that flows backwards cutting across the waistline. Other key highlights of the side profile include a chrome strip that runs below the glass sill and curves into the BMW like sharp kink in the C pillar, wide style wing mirrors in glossy black housing and LED turn lights and R16 diamond cut alloys with sporty progressive design, chrome door handles, black cladding on the running board with i20 badging on it and the sloping roofline that neatly mates with the rear glass.
The rear styling on the 2020 Hyundai i20 is very different to any car that we have seen. The key styling highlight here is the very different looking ‘Z’ shaped LED tail lamps that are flushed into the bodyline very stylishly. You also get a chrome strip that mats the tail lamps running across the boot lid. Just above the strip is a glossy black design element that kind of stands out of the boot lid area giving that 3D kind of styling to the rear. The boot lid also gets a large integrated spoiler while the rear bumper also comes with neatly infused faux skid plates in glossy black on the lower section. The roof on the Asta variant that we previewed was in glossy black finish that also gets a large shark fin antenna in black.
Interiors
Like the sporty and trendy exteriors the 2020 Hyundai i20 also gets class leading and super classy cabin area. The dashboard comes with some premium styling and also gets a trendy looking horizontal lined design insert that runs across the dash cutting thru the AC vents. The highlight of the dash is the integrated 10.25 inch touch screen AVN unit that comes loaded with all the connectivity options including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, Hyundai Blulink, radio, USB etc. The climate control unit is also very well integrated into the dash giving a premium look. The steering unit is the same one that’s also seen on the Creta and the Venue which gets silver inserts and leather wrapping along with MFD buttons neatly plunked on it.
The instrument cluster is an all digital color TFT screen with super crisp detailing and also a neat little MFD display in the middle. The i20 also comes with wireless charger with cooling pads, air purifier, Bose sound system with 7 speaker, ambient lighting and also a electric sunroof included on the feature list.
The seats get leather upholstery in special piping finish giving it a premium feel. The driver’s seat gets height adjust, comfort level in the front seat is pretty high with loads of leg, head and shoulder room. Coming to the rear the extended wheelbase and width of the i20 gives extra leg, knee and shoulder room for the rear passengers. They also get three adjustable head rests, foldable arm rest, rear AC vents, rear charge ports to enhance the comfort level.
The 2020 i20 has a boot capacity of 311 liters which is around 26 liters more than the older model.
Engine – Transmission
The engine options on the 2020 Hyundai i20 include two petrol and one diesel units to choose from. The base engine offered is the 1.2L Kappa 4-cylinder unit with 83PS of power mated to the 5-speed manual or an IVT Automatic transmission. The 2nd Petrol engine on the i20 is the 1.0L 3Cylinder Turbo Petrol engine with 120PS of power mated to either the 7-speed DCT automatic or the 6-speed iMT transmission as seen on the Venue. The diesel motor on the list is the 1.5L unit with 100PS of power mated to a 6-speed manual transmission option.
Safety
In terms of safety the 2020 Hyundai i20 gets 6-airbags, tyre pressure monitor, Electronic stability control (ESC) with Vehicle stability management (VSM), Hill assist control (HAC), rear parking camera with active sensors etc.
Verdict
Hyundai has updated the entire lineup of their car models recently, now the All New i20 comes in to complete the story in style. The car looks very European, has loads of engine and transmission options, comes loaded with the entire tech, safety features and more. We will be driving it real soon for our detailed road test review till then we can easily tell you that this is the trend setter car model in its class for sure.
Words – Ritesh Madhok
Photography & Video – Govind Gadekar