Photo: SB-Medien
One by one subcompact cars are being killed off in North America. But although profit margins aren't huge, they are still among the most popular in Europe and South America, which is why Hyundai is developing an all-new i20 hatchback, which is like an Accent, but better.
The i20 occupies the same segment as the Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris. It's a good size for dense towns and buyers who don't travel fully loaded. The current, second generation was introduced in 2014 and received a very mild facelift for 2018. Thus, these spyshots probably show a 2021 debut, which is a little crazy, as only top premium automakers take that long to develop a prototype.
But maybe i20 sales are slipping, and Hyundai is looking to take rapid action. For the past decade, the supermini has hovered between 70,000 and 100,000 units, meaning it's nowhere near segment favorites like the Clio, Polo or Fiesta.
We think it's down to the i20's lack of identity, which appears to be the main focus of this spied prototype. With the tarp removed from its front end, we can see a sharp grille and headlight design, as well as a sloped hood, all reminiscent of the bold new Hyundai Sonata. It also has some of the funkiest door mirrors we've ever seen on a cheap car.
The front camo was only lightened hot-weather testing in Spain's current weather was putting too much strain on the engine's breathing. However, we still can't see anything at the back or the interior.
On the engine front, we see a cheaply-built single exhaust under the bumper, which can only mean that we're dealing with the 1-liter engine that might have both turbocharged and naturally aspirated setups, topping out at about 120 to 130 HP. Diesel may or may not be offered, but our bet is that Hyundai will instead focus on mild-hybrid technology since this is a town car.
Various Hyundai officials have talked about an i20 N potentially arriving within the next few years. A test mule was even spied at the Nurburgring earlier, and its most likely powertrain is the 1.6 T-GDI with 204 HP, right up there with the Polo GTI and Fiesta ST. But who knows when that will be ready.
But maybe i20 sales are slipping, and Hyundai is looking to take rapid action. For the past decade, the supermini has hovered between 70,000 and 100,000 units, meaning it's nowhere near segment favorites like the Clio, Polo or Fiesta.
We think it's down to the i20's lack of identity, which appears to be the main focus of this spied prototype. With the tarp removed from its front end, we can see a sharp grille and headlight design, as well as a sloped hood, all reminiscent of the bold new Hyundai Sonata. It also has some of the funkiest door mirrors we've ever seen on a cheap car.
The front camo was only lightened hot-weather testing in Spain's current weather was putting too much strain on the engine's breathing. However, we still can't see anything at the back or the interior.
On the engine front, we see a cheaply-built single exhaust under the bumper, which can only mean that we're dealing with the 1-liter engine that might have both turbocharged and naturally aspirated setups, topping out at about 120 to 130 HP. Diesel may or may not be offered, but our bet is that Hyundai will instead focus on mild-hybrid technology since this is a town car.
Various Hyundai officials have talked about an i20 N potentially arriving within the next few years. A test mule was even spied at the Nurburgring earlier, and its most likely powertrain is the 1.6 T-GDI with 204 HP, right up there with the Polo GTI and Fiesta ST. But who knows when that will be ready.
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