South Korean carmaker Hyundai confirmed it will launch the facelifted version of its popular premium hatchback, the Elite i20 at Auto Expo 2018 on February 7.
The current-generation Hyundai i20 was globally introduced in 2014 and hence the mid-life facelift will focus only on the aesthetic appeal. A unit of the upcoming new Elite i20 has already been spotted without camouflage recently and that leaves nothing to the imagination.
The major attraction in the 2018 Elite i20 will be the grille. It will be inspired by the grille of i30 hatchback Hyundai sold in the global markets christened as the cascading grille. The chrome inserts on the headlamps with integrated LED DRLs and newly designed fog lamps cannot go unnoticed. The front bumper will also get tweak and it will be sportier this time.
Newly designed alloy wheels will be the sole change in the side profile while newly designed tail lamps and reworked bumper with black inserts will definitely catch the attention. The rear number will also find a new place in the boot lid from the bumper.
The interior is expected to be carried over while a bigger touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity will add freshness.
Current Elite i20's powertrain options are likely to carry over in the facelift version as well except the 1.4 VTVT petrol which is expected to get discontinued. The 1.4-litre CRDi diesel engine is tuned to generate 89hp of power and 220Nm of torque paired with the six-speed manual transmission while the 1.2-litre petrol makes 82hp. The hatchback in its new avatar is rumored to get continuously variable transmission (CVT) in the 1.2-litre petrol engine model.
Rumours also suggest Hyundai may bring a 1.0-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder petrol engine that develops 100bhp paired to a six-speed manual gearbox with the new model.
Image source: TeamBHP
