2018 Hyundai i20 Elite Facelift to get new petrol-automatic combination

Hyundai is expected to showcase the facelifted i20 Elite premium hatchback at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo. The hatchback will be launched later this year. A key mechanical change on it will be the addition of a new petrol-automatic combination.

The 1.2 liter Kappa petrol engine will be paired with a brand new CVT automatic gearbox. This combination will replace the pricey 1.4 liter Kappa engine paired to the 4 speed torque converter automatic option that Hyundai offers on the top-end i20 Elite.

The 1.2 liter Kappa motor with the CVT automatic gearbox is expected to drive down the price of the i20 Elite Automatic by a big margin. This will allow Hyundai to compete more effectively with the Maruti Baleno CVT. Currently, the i20 Elite Automatic is priced at Rs. 9.15 lakhs.

The Baleno CVT starts from only Rs. 7.05 lakhs. With the addition of the new transmission, Hyundai is expected to price the i20 Elite Automatic at about Rs. 7 lakhs, and introduce multiple variants of the car. The 1.2 liter Kappa engine’s lower variants will get a 5 speed manual gearbox.

A lot of premium hatchback buyers in India are opting for automatic transmission equipped cars. Therefore, having a more affordable automatic option on the i20 Elite is expected to give the facelifted car much better sales. The facelifted i20 will also be offered with a turbocharged diesel engine. The diesel motor will be a 1.4 liter unit with 89 Bhp-220 Nm, and will get a 6 speed manual gearbox. The diesel engine is not expected to get an automatic gearbox even though fans of Hyundai will be expecting the automaker to spring a surprise. We’ll have more details about the i20 Elite’s Facelift at the Auto Expo. The new i20 Elite’s facelift will get a range of stylistic changes on the outside, and new features on the inside.

Via ACI