Evolution - Hyundai i20

The i20 was launched in December 2008 and it replaced the Hyundai Getz. The i20 has been raising the bar in the hatchback segment ever since its inception. The car has redefined luxury in its segment and along with Honda Jazz, can be credited for the birth of the premium hatchback segment in India. Features like 6 Airbags and ABS have given a new dimension to safety in the hatchback segment therefore improving the safety standards. The cars sales exceeded the company’s expectation in 2008 and later on around 2012, the figures raised even higher.

So lets take a look in to the history of Hyundai i20.

Hyundai i20 First Generation  (2008)

The car was launched in 2008 with a 1.2 litre petrol engine and a 1.4 litre diesel engine. Both the motors were adequately peppy and efficient as well. The petrol motor churned out 79 BHP and 112 Nm of Torque whereas the diesel engine produced 90 BHP and 220 Nm of torque. Replacing the Getz, the i20 had big expectations, which it super-seeded. Hyundai i20 was awarded the highest 'Five Star Rating' for Safety by European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP). The i20 scored exceptionally well on all four parameters of the NCAP safety test which assess newly launched cars on four main criteria of safety - adult occupancy, child protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist.

Hyundai i20 First-generation Facelift (2012)

First generation i20 saw a facelift in 2012 which was called the i-gen i20. Hyundai’s new fluidic design ideology can be seen clearly in this facelift as it made the i20 sharper and more fluidic than before. Hyundai gave the i20 a new face, and also addressed some issues of the older car. New Steering bush and modified steering rack were added to improve the steering rattle issue. The headlamps were made more powerful along with better air-conditioning. The suspension was slightly retuned which made low speed ride comfort has become noticeably better.  It was the first vehicle in the segment to feature LED daytime running lights.

Elite i20 (2014)

Tasting success with the i20, Hyundai launched the car’s new generation in 2014. Fluidic sculpture 2.0 design theme has brought in new elongated headlamps and long flowing character lines as its signature elements. The car also saw new floating c-pillar design, re-worked headlights and a hexagonal front grille. The suspension has been slightly retuned though due to which low speed ride comfort has become noticeably better. Hyundai Elite i20 won the most prestigious 'Indian Car Of The Year (ICOTY) 2015' Award on December 17, 2014.