Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is all-ready to launch the 2020 Hyundai i20 premium hatchback on 5th November. The Hyundai i20 has been an iconic product from the South Korean auto major since its inception in 2008. It has been a key driver of Hyundai’s sales in the premium hatchback segment. Now, the automaker is ready to introduce the third-generation iteration of the i20 hatchback.
With the global auto industry working to adopt the automation across its manufacturing operations, which has been accelerated in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic induced lockdowns the auto industry has suffered massively. This has indicated the need for automation in the auto industry and reduction of reliance on manpower in a bid to avoid such situations in future.
Hyundai is no different and the automaker has started using an extensive level of 4.0 technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual reality etc; in a bid to maintain the flexibility and adaptability to new technologies in a bigger way. Also, the implementation of industry 4.0 technologies have aided the auto company to enhance the product manufacturing efficiency.
Interestingly, the Hyundai i20 comes as a completely industry 4.0 enabled product and a manifestation of all the megatrends in the auto industry, as explained by Ganesh Mani S, Director of Production, HMIL in an interview. Hyundai has invested an average of Rs 1,500 crore last year on technological upgradation that can be shared across all models. The new Hyundai i20 comes bearing the fruit of that investment.
New Hyundai i20 price
The new Hyundai i20 premium hatchback is expected to be priced between Rs 5.5 lakh-Rs 9.5 lakh (ex-showroom). Upon launch, it will take on the rivals like Tata Altroz, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Toyota Glanza, Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo.
| 2020 Hyundai i20 | Magna | Sportz | Asta | Asta (O) | |
| 1.2-litre Kappa Petrol | 5MT | Rs 6,79,900 | Rs 7,59,900 | Rs 8,69,900 | Rs 9,19,900 |
| 1.2-litre Kappa Petrol | IVT | Rs 8,59,900 | Rs 9,69,900 | ||
| 1.0-litre Turbo GDi Petrol | iMT | Rs 8,79,900 | Rs 9,89,900 | ||
| 1.0-litre Turbo GDi Petrol | 7DCT | Rs 10,66,900 | Rs 1,17,900 | ||
| 1.5-litre U2 CRDi Diesel | 6MT | Rs 8,19,900 | Rs 8,99,900 | Rs 10,59,900 |
The new Hyundai i20 hatchback comes available in Magna, Sportz, Asta and Asta (O) variants.
Design to Dealership; it’s Industry 4.0
In the production process of the new i20 hatchback, Hyundai deployed 640 different robots and technologies like digital mocking and mixed reality. According to the automaker, all of these technologies have enabled the company to reduce the design to dealership timing by at least three months.
As Mani says, the auto company has not delayed the launch schedule of the new Hyundai i20, even though the Coronavirus pandemic hit the industry hard. The car was designed in South Korea and later the 3D technologies were digitally interlinked by the Industry 4.0 technology to make a prototype. With these measures, Hyundai was able to reduce the normal six stages of car production to four without bypassing any product processing.
With the Industry 4.0 technology, Hyundai’s unit-per-hour (UPH) machine rate for rolling out cars went up to 100 from 5. According to the automaker, its production is capable of rolling out 110-120 cars every hour with 30%-40% scalable flexibility.
New Hyundai i20 Connectivity features
The all-new Hyundai i20 comes with a host of connectivity features onboard, making it appealing to the new-generation customers. It gets an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless smartphone mirroring, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
Also, there is a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system on offer that gets integrated 3D navigation. As Hyundai claims, the hatchback comes with several first-in-segment features.
Build quality benchmark set high
The third-generation Hyundai i20 claims to be coming with an improved build quality thanks to the adoption of Industry 4.0 technology at the automaker’s Chennai plant. The second-generation Hyundai Creta was the first model to benefit from this alteration and now the new i20 too grabs the fruit.
The industry 4.0 technology has made the car’s manufacturing process crack-proff. The automaker introduced a technology called hotspot analysis that uses high-definition digital cameras for advanced imaging to identify the potential weak spots in the i20’s body shell. These are identified in early prototype production and addressed before the mass production commenced.
Also, the new Hyundai i20 comes with around 15% more advanced high strength steel as compared to the second-generation model. With this, the total content of the advanced high strength steel is 66% of the overall structure, making it better crash-proof. As Ganesh Mani said in an interview, the new Hyundai i20 gets 13% increase in tensile strength over the outgoing i20. Also, the crushability index of the new i20 hatchback has been improved by 12%-13%. This is claimed to be making the car complying with the latest crash and safety norms in India.
The car’s body shell comes with 5,400 stamping. The new i20 goes through an online condition monitoring system to monitor machine vibration. From the panel press to roll-out, every car is thoroughly inspected by more than 500 quality experts. The final inspection is done digitally to check the assembled parts. Also, the new Hyundai i20 is claimed to have undergone road tests on 18 different drive tracks for various road conditions as well as a unique leak test.
With the adoption of these technologies and measures, the company has been able to ensure a stronger and safer third-generation Hyundai i20 leaving the body shop.
A sharp and premium design
Even a decade ago, Hyundai was not known for creating eye-catching aesthetic automotive designs, especially if we take the India-spec models in account. However, in the last couple of years, the South Korean car brand has improved multifold, not just in terms of technology, but design as well. The new Hyundai i20 is the latest example of that.
The all-new Hyundai i20 is the epitome of Hyundai Global Design Philosophy – ‘Sensuous Sportiness’. It is one of the most important models for the car brand in India.
The premium hatchback segment has seen dominance of the Maruti Suzuki Baleno since its launch a few years ago. Hyundai i20 too kept pace alongside the Maruti Suzuki hatchback. The segment has other models like Toyota Glanza (Rebadged Maruti Suzuki Baleno), Tata Altroz, Volkswagen Polo, Honda Jazz etc. With the latest update in the segment too place quite some time ago, the new Hyundai model will certainly bring fresh air into the space with its appealing and sharp design.
The 2020 Hyundai i20 will be available in a range of colour options including dual-tone body colours. The single-tone colour options for the car are – Polar White, Typhoon Silver, Titan Grey, Fiery Red, Starry Night, Metallic Copper. The dual-tone colour options are – Polar White with Black Roof and Fiery Red with Black Roof.
The Hyundai i20 has sold over 1.1 million units and produced more than 1.6 million units, with around half a million exported to overseas countries. Like the previous generations, the new made-in-India Hyundai i20 too is expected to be exported in large volume to markets like Mexico, South Africa etc.
2020 Hyundai i20 Safety features
The 2020 Hyundai i20 gets safety features like 6 airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) etc. However, these will be available in the higher variants. The standard safety features will include dual airbags, anti-lock brakes (ABS), rear parking sensors and ISOFIX child seat mounts.
Petrol and diesel options for 2020 Hyundai i20
The new Hyundai i20 gets both petrol and diesel variants. Also, it is expected to get a turbo petrol engine that has been seen in recent Hyundai models. The hatchback is likely to get the automaker’s latest Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT) along with manual gearbox, dual-clutch transmission (DCT), continuously variable transmission (CVT) that is known as IVT.
1.0-litre turbo GDI petrol engine churns out 120 PS of power at 6,000 rpm and 171 Nm of torque at 1,500 rpm-4,000 rpm. It also deliver 20.25 kmpl of mileage. The engine is available with a 7-speed DCT ensuring 0-100 kmph in 9.9 seconds. Also, it gets a 6-speed iMT option as well.
| Engine | Transmission | Maximum Power | Maximum Torque | Fuel Efficiency |
| 1.0-litre Turbo GDi Petrol | iMT / 7DCT | 120 PS @ 6,000 rpm | 171 Nm @ 1,500 rpm-4,000 rpm | 20.25 kmpl |
| 1.2-litre Kappa Petrol | 5MT / IVT | 83 PS @ 6,000 rpm / 88 PS @ 6,000 rpm | 114 Nm @ 4,200 rpm | 20.35 kmpl / 19.65 kmpl |
| 1.5-litre U2 CRDi Diesel | 6MT | 100 PS @ 4,000 rpm | 240 Nm @ 1,500 rpm – 2,750 rpm | 25.2 kmpl |
The 1.2-litre Kappa petrol engine is available with a 5-speed MT and an IVT option. The MT variant churns out 83 PS of power at 6,000 rpm and 114 Nm of torque at 4,200 rpm, ensuring 20.35 kmpl of mileage. The IVT variant generates 88 PS of power at 6,000 rpm and 114 Nm of torque at 4,200 rpm, ensuring 19.65 kmpl of fuel efficiency.
There is a diesel variant as well, powered by a 1.5-litre U2 CRDi motor that belts out 100 PS of power at 4,000 rpm and 240 Nm of torque between 1,500 rpm – 2,750 rpm. It delivers 25.2 kmpl of mileage. With this, the diesel powered new Hyundai i20 is claimed to be the most fuel efficient diesel car of India.
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