The upcoming Hyundai i20 was once again seen testing outside Chennai by IAB reader Saravanan of MyCopie. The premium hatchback, sources tell IAB, will launch around September 2014 in India. Trial production of the new i20 will begin anytime now, our sources add.
Curiously, here the new i20 is seen testing alongside a camouflaged Maruti Swift. The Swift was last refreshed back in July 2013 and is due for a facelift, along with its compact sedan sibling, the Swift Dzire. We reckon the camouflage is Hyundai maintaining confidentiality during benchmarking. Another IAB had seen the new i20 benchmarking with the VW Polo.
In one of the spyshots, we can see the current generation i20 next to the upcoming hatchback. While it can be seen that the roofline is pretty much the same, the rear profile has been changed completely, thanks to new taillights, bumper and bootlid.
The rear door has also undergone a change, with the new i20 featuring a clear quarter-glass and blackened frames. What the camouflage masks is that the new i20 features the all-new Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language, attiring the Genesis, Sonata and ix25. Even the platform of the new i20 is new.
Test mules spotted earlier came with a dual-tone cloth trim and a far upscale dashboard in the same interface as the new Sonata.
The new i20 will be powered by engines that are currently doing duty, so the 1.2L petrol, 1.1L diesel (offered in Europe) and the 1.4L diesel will become the options. While the petrol is available in manual and automatic, the diesel is available with a 6-speed manual gearbox.
