Ford is killing off its 47-year-old Fiesta this June, much to the pleasure of Hyundai execs, who are hoping their newly facelifted i20 can vacuum up sales from longstanding Blue Oval fans left with nowhere to spend their supermini money.
That said, if you’d already dismissed the i20 from your shopping list when the third-generation car arrived in 2020, there’s not an awful lot about the new car that’s guaranteed to change your mind. The styling update is a subtle one, consisting mainly of a redesigned lower bumper, new DRLs for the headlight units, and the relocation of the Hyundai ‘H’ badge from the grille to the plastic body-color filler panel in front of the hood.
The grille pattern is new, as are the LED taillights and the design of the 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels, plus three of the eight available color choices. The Lucid Lime paint seen in these pictures is particularly vibrant and you can add a similar sizzle to the cabin by ordering a Lucid Lime interior package that brings new upholstery and flashes of green to the door trim and certain dashboard controls.
Tech upgrades include a new 4.2-inch LCD gauge cluster, USB-C charge ports, the ability to receive over-air updates, and ‘cyclist’ detection for the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist and Lane Following Assist. But much of the kit, including the optional 10.25-inch digital instrument pack and same-sized infotainment system, is unchanged.
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Also unchanged is the powertrain lineup. It’s a pretty simple one at launch, being made up of just two versions of the same 1.0-liter T-GDi petrol engine making either 99 hp (100 PS) or 118 hp (120 PS). They can be mated to either a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic or a smart six-speed manual that’s capable of decoupling the engine from the transmission when coasting to save fuel.
Other versions of the i20 will follow, of course, including, we hope, the i20 N hot hatch, which Hyundai has yet to detail in facelifted form. But presuming it does return, we’re not expecting the current version’s 201 hp (204 PS) 1.6-liter drivetrain and compulsory six-speed manual package to change much.
