Hyundai launched the third generation i20 in the market in 2020. The i20 is one of the most popular premium hatchbacks in the segment. It looks like Hyundai is now working on a facelift for the premium hatchback and the same has been spotted testing recently. This probably the first time, the i20 facelift has been spotted testing. From the images, it looks like the images where clicked in South Korea. Hyundai i20 currently competes with cars like Maruti Baleno and Tata Altroz in the segment. The recently surfaced spy pictures show a fully camouflaged i20 hatchback undergoing testing on the roads of South Korea. The facelifted version of Hyundai i20 hatchback is expected to be launched in the market sometime in 2023.
The images have been shared by laffey_chino07 Instagram profile. The caption of the image mentions that a clear picture of the front-end is not available. The rear three-quarters of the car is however seen here. Looking at the image, it feels like Hyundai is not going to make many chages to the overall design of the car. The Z shaped LED tail lamp can be still seen under the camouflage. It looks like Hyundai might make some changes to the rear bumper of the premium hatchback.
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The reflectors on the lower part of the bumper are likely to be relocated in the facelifted version. Sadly, we don’t have any pictures of the front-end of the upcoming hatchback. The door panels, rear fender and ORVMs are all covered in the pictures.The front-end of the 2023 Hyundai i20 is expected to get more changes than rest of the car. It is expected to be a revised grille while the design of the headlamps remain the same. The front bumper would also see some changes. This would give the car a fresh look.
In terms of interiors, Hyundai i20 is expected to look the same. Hyundai i20 is already one of the most feature loaded car in its segment. Features were never a worry for Hyundai in i20 however, the South Korean manufacturer might surprise us with some new feature in the 2023 update. When it comes to engine options, currently Hyundai is offering two petrol and one diesel engine option with i20. As we already know, Hyundai will be killing the 1.5 litre diesel engine that is offered with the i20 next year. This means, when the 2023 i20 comes to India, it will only be offered with a 1.2 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1.0 litre, three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine option.
The reason why Hyundai is dumping the diesel engine in i20 next year is the emission regulations under Real Driving Emission (RDE) norms that will come to effect from 1 April 2023. Preparing a diesel engine to meet the even stricter emission norms mean heavy investment cost and that does not make sense in smaller vehicles. The 2023 i20 facelift will be available with manual, DCT and iMT gearbox options depending up on the engine options you choose. With all these changes, the price of the 2023 Hyundai i20 will definitely go up.
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