Hyundai i20 Facelift premium hatchback to be revealed at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo

Over the last few months, Hyundai India has been extensively testing a facelifted version of the i20 Elite premium hatchback. Now, there is a report on Autocar saying that the car will be unveiled at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo. The Auto Expo will happen in the first week of February 2018. Since the i20 Facelift that has been spied testing was always under camouflage, we’ll have to rely on renders to get an idea on how the final car could look like.

The front end styling of the facelifted i20 is expected to change significantly. The grille could get a larger, single-piece ‘Cascade’ layout, which is quite different from the current split grille design. The headlamps and bumpers will also get a redesign along with DRLs being integrated into the headlamps.

Alloy wheels will get a new design and a similar exercise is expected to be carried out with the hatch lid and tail lamps. We expect the tail lamps to get LEDs, which will make the i20 look very premium from the rear, especially at night.

The interiors of the i20 Facelift are expected to be inspired by the recently launched Verna’s. They are expected to get significant updates and also the latest touchscreen infotainment console with smartphone connectivity options. Hyundai could also add new features to the interiors. Mechanically, don’t expect any changes. The car will continue to be sold with petrol and diesel engines. The petrol engines will have 1.2 liter and 1.4 liter capacities and the bigger engine will be reserved for the automatic model.

The diesel engine will be the 1.4 liter CRDI turbocharged unit that has been in the i20 for more than 5 years now. The diesel will get a 6 speed manual gearbox as standard, the smaller petrol a 5 speed manual and the larger petrol a 4 speed torque converter automatic. The i20 Elite competes with the Maruti Baleno and Volkswagen Polo presently. The car is a great seller for Hyundai but has not been able to beat the Baleno. With the updates, Hyundai will be looking to do just that. Don’t expect much change in pricing, which is currently between 5.3 and 9.2 lakhs.

Render courtesy IAB