2012 Hyundai i20 facelift with fluidic design language launched!

Hyundai took the wraps off the new fluidic-design themed i20 at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show that concluded recently. Now without much delay, Hyundai India has gone ahead and launched the i20 facelift in India with prices starting at Rs 4.73 lakh for the petrol version and Rs 5.96 lakh for the diesel version – which makes the new range slightly cheaper than the outgoing model.

As you would expect, the new i20 now gets a heavy facelift with Hyundai’s popular fluidic design language being incorporated in the updated design. As you can see in the photos, the new Hyundai i20 gets updated headlights, taillights, bumpers and a re-sculpted bonnet. The popular ‘F1-nose-like’ creases on the bonnet now make way for simpler lines and the bonnet size itself has reduced too. Also on offer are new eight spoke alloys, a roof spoiler, high-gloss treatment for the front grille, ORVM mounted turn blinkers etc.

The engines for the new i20 have undergone tuning changes as well – and that explains why the new i20 was being tested on the Indian roads for such a long time. The 1.2-litre Kappa engine now gets variable valve timing (VTVT) and produces 84 PS as opposed to the earlier model’s power output of 80 PS. The power outputs for the i20 diesel and the i20 automatic remain unchanged at 90 PS and 100 PS respectively. The fuel economy for the 1.2 petrol is claimed at 18.5 kmpl, 1.4-litre diesel at 21.9 kmpl and the 1.4 automatic at 15 kmpl.

To tackle in the increasing competition from cars like the new Swift, the Micra, the Polo and the Fabia, Hyundai has packed the new i20 with some segment-first features that are borrowed from the new fluidic Verna viz. a camera-guided parking system, electro-chromic mirror with anti-glare function, heated outside rear-view mirrors, keyless entry and go and a new audio system. Like the new 2012 Fiat Linea, the new i20 also gets automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers. 

The icing on the cake comes in the form of the safety features. The new i20 gets all four disc brakes with ABS, six (yes, 6) airbags, clutch lock system (to prevent accidental starts) and a smart pedal system (in the event of panic braking, the brake pedal overrides the accelerator) - we are talking about a small car here, folks! 

The petrol variants of the 2012 Hyundai i20 are priced between Rs 4.73 lakh to Rs 7.67 lakh, while the diesel range lies between Rs 5.96 lakh to Rs 7.44 lakh.