Hyundai’s premium hatchback, the i20 was spied with reasonable camouflage, while testing in Chennai. The images were snapped by Motor Vikatan reader Mr. Joe Livingston. Codenamed IB, the 2015 Hyundai i20 will receive a series of updates on the exteriors and interiors, while the engine will get more refined for efficiency and performance. The next generation i20 is set to make a debut at the Paris Motor Show later this year with an European launch soon after, while an Indian launch is expected around the festive season.
On the exterior front, the design of the second generation Hyundai i20 is expected to feature cues seen on the Grand i10 sedan. The car is expected to shed some weight and get a sporty and aggressive stance. The front facia gets a wider grille with swept back headlamps and a new bumper design. The tail light design has been completely revised, while rest of the rear gets subtle updates. The facelifted model is also expected to get more rear seat comfort, improved build quality and a host of features, on the lower variants as well.
The 2015 Hyundai i20 will continue to be offered with the 1.2-litre Kappa engine producing 83 BHP and the 1.4-litre CRDi engine producing 89 BHP, mated to a 5-manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions (AT only for the petrol). The car will be built on a new platform and will see heavy localisation, much like the i10 models, which should also enable Hyundai to price the car more competitively. The new i20 is being developed at the company’s R&D centres located at Frankfurt and Nurburgring.
The 2015 Hyundai i20 is expected to get a performance variant as well called the i20 GT under the ‘N’ performance brand, which will be developed from the company’s WRC learnings. The model could make its way to the country in the future. The i20 was last updated in 2012 and is doing steady numbers for Hyundai. The vehicle competes with the Volkswagen Polo, Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Ford EcoSport as well.
Images Courtesy – Motor Vikatan’s Facebook Page
