2018 Hyundai i20 facelift leaked ahead of Auto Expo debut

The refreshed Hyundai i20 is set to be unveiled next week at the Auto Expo. The first set of leaked images have surfaced over the internet showing the new i20 in production guise, giving us a closer look at the car.

Up front, the refreshed Hyundai i20 gets an all-new front bumper with a wider chin and Hyundai’s signature 'Cascade grille' which brings the i20’s styling in line with newer Hyundai models like the Verna and the Elantra.  The headlight shape is the same but it gets chrome inserts and projector units now. Moving on to the sides, the overall look remains the same, except for the new alloy wheel design which mimics the one seen on the Mercedes A-class hatchback.  The rear, on the other hand, has been heavily updated. The tailgate gets an all-new design with the licence plate housing now placed on the bootlid instead of the bumper. Also new is the bumper which gets a contrast look mixed with a faux mesh design.  The tail-lamp shape remains the same, but the design of the LED inserts is new and different from the one seen on the Elantra and the new Verna.

On the inside, the updated i20 gets minor tweaks. The most noticeable change, however, is the inclusion of a larger infotainment screen (approximately 7.0-inch) which will also work as a display for reverse camera and come with features like Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

Under the hood, the refreshed i20 will continue with the same 1.2-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel engines mated to the manual gearbox. But the big news is that Hyundai will introduce a new CVT gearbox on the i20 for the 1.2-litre petrol engine. This will help Hyundai take on the Baleno CVT better. Also, thanks to the reduced tax structure of 12.5 percent on the (sub-4m) 1.2-litre car as opposed to the outgoing 1.4-litre variant's 24 percent, the gap in prices of the Hyundai and Maruti will be narrower. This new gearbox is expected to deliver better fuel economy too, but it won’t come with a paddleshifter option. 

Like the pre-facelift car, the i20 facelift will take on the Baleno and the Jazz in our market. Hyundai is expected to bring in the rugged i20 Active with similar changes too.

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