VW dominates South Africa’s compact hatchback market. But Korea’s most influential car company has now launched a credible new rival to the German Vivo and Polo twins. The third-generation Hyundai i20 has been introduced to the local market and it combines edgy styling with an impressive new turbocharged engine option.
The new i20 has a bold hexagon pattern grille and radically shaped wraparound taillights. It also rolls a selection of quite daring wheel design options.
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Hyundai is offering three engines to South African buyers, two of which will be familiar and the third being new.
The 1.2- and 1.4-litre petrol engines are unchanged from the second-generation i20 and offer fair outputs for their size, rating at 61kW/115Nm and 74kW/133Nm.
With the 1.2-litre i20, you get a five-speed manual gearbox. Meanwhile, the 1.4-litre engine is only available with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The big news, though, is a new one-litre turbocharged engine option that has three cylinders.
Boosting 90kW and 172Nm of torque, the turbocharged i20 delivers strong performance, especially in combination with Hyundai’s rapidly shifting seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
You’ll never have to doubt yourself when attempting to overtake slower trucking traffic on a national highway with this new turbocharged i20.
The range is divided into Motion and Fluid equipment specifications.
On the value-orientated i20 Motion derivatives, you get powered windows and mirrors, keyless entry, daytime LED running lights, and dual front airbags.
It also features rear parking sensors and an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with rear camera functionality and voice control.
Upgrade to the Fluid specification and you gain 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, wireless Smartphone charging, two additional airbags (totalling six), and leather trim on the seats, gear lever, and steering wheel.
Hyundai i20 price in South Africa
The new i20 range starts at R275 900 for a 1.2 Motion and peaks at R360 900 for the 1.0 T-GDI Fluid DCT, finished in a dual-tone paint option.
As one has come to expect from Hyundai, all new i20s have Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.
Feature image: Hyundai
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