High Wycombe, England - After revealing the third-generation Hyundai i20 hatchback’s exterior last week, the Korean company is now showing us inside its latest Volkswagen Polo rival.
The i20’s cabin is a lot more modern, both in the way it looks and in how it works. Interior stylists have also made it look a bit more interesting with blade-like ridges that run across the dashboard as if they were extensions of the air vents, and this design language also extends to the inner door panels.
The new i20 follows the dual-screen format seen in the latest Polo, with a new 26cm digital instrument cluster in front of the driver and an identically-sized central infotainment screen perched at the top of the dashboard. The instrument screen changes colour depending on the driving mode: Normal = blue, Eco = green and Sport = orange.
The new electronics platform ushers in a range of new connectivity features through Hyundai Bluelink Telematics, offering cloud-based voice-activated assistance and a range of services that offer everything from traffic, parking and weather information to fuel prices and remote control of certain vehicle functions.
The new i20 offers decent sound too, with the flagship offering being an eight-speaker Bose system with eight strategically-placed speakers.
Driver assistance tech in the i20 includes a new-generation Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) that now offers pedestrian and cyclist detection. Other SmartSense features include Lane Following Assist, which can keep the vehicle in its lane and an Intelligent Speed Limit Assist that can adapt the speed autonomously.
At this stage it’s unclear which of the aforementioned assistance features and online functions will be offered in South African models.
As previously reported, the new Hyundai i20 is 5mm longer, 30mm wider and 24mm lower than its predecessor, while the wheelbase has grown by 10mm to the benefit of cabin space. Despite the increased dimensions, the new i20 hatch is four percent lighter than its predecessor.
While the South African engine range has yet to be confirmed, the mainstay of the European range is Hyundai’s 1-litre T-GDi direct injection turbopetrol engine, which will be offered in 74kW and 88kW guises, paired with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
A 48-volt mild hybrid option is also available, which is said to reduce fuel consumption by up to 4%.
At the bottom end of the line-up, Hyundai is offering a carry-over 1.2-litre normally aspirated motor with 62kW.