Hyundai i20 facelift Asta(O) with Sunroof - Design Review

The fluidic design philosophy has worked wonders for Hyundai! Cars like the Verna and the Sonata - which you wouldn't have even considered owning four years back – are suddenly now the most desirable and good looking cars in their respective arenas. However, the car that gave us the first foretaste of things to come at Hyundai was the i20 that came out in 2008. It was not only a worthy replacement for the Getz, but also established the fact that Hyundai wasn’t about straight lines anymore. The Koreans had learnt how to sculpt an arc in sheet-metal.

With its European styling, the i20 was a good balance between conservative design and new-age elements like curved body lines and flame surfacing. With that decent design a kit brimming with features, the i20 soon became one of the best premium hatchbacks that one could buy under Rs 10-lakh. 

However, to make sure that i20 withstands the test of time, Hyundai has given it a mid-life makeover and to do that they have given it more elements from the Fluidic sculpture philosophy. Let’s find out then if it’s just another facelift, or has Hyundai managed to make the proposition even better.

What differentiates the new i20 from the older model is the completely new front end that takes heavy inspiration from the 2012 Hyundai i30. The older i20’s elegant, eye-shaped headlights have been replaced with new double-barrel units which have a detailing that's similar to the i10 or Verna's design. In fact the i20 is the only Hyundai car under the Sonata now to have separate bulbs for upper and dipper beams. This arrangement provides better illumination than the earlier i20’s headlights. 

The bonnet has traded in the F1- inspired ‘nose’ creases for more conventional, subtle lines that fade into the grille. The grille itself has moved down by a few inches and has grown slimmer. Hyundai has given it a gloss-black treatment with a chrome-plated ‘H’ emblem in the centre. The front bumper has been redesigned to incorporate a slimmer air dam and the new fog lamps. These too are inspired from the i30.

The side profile remains more or less similar with no changes to the creases or flame surfacing. The only addition it the VTVT badging and the new chrome plated door handles. The top-end variants continue to get mirror-mounted turn blinkers which now becoming standard on premium hatchbacks. The new alloy wheels have a design similar to what you see on the new Verna, albeit these are smaller in size.

The tail too has minimal changes. The taillights have been given a revised detailing and the reverse-lamp and turn blinkers now move to the extreme bottom on the taillight units. The bumper retains its angular sculpting but does not look empty like the one on the previous model – thanks to the inclusion of independent reflectors. You also get a little reversing camera as standard equipment on the top end model.

Overall, the new i20 looks very aggressive as compared to the older model and the revised face also gives it a sporty, low-slung stance. It undoubtedly looks much better in metal as compared to what you see in the photos - or even this video for that matter. However, the shift from an elegant design to an aggressive one could polarize the kind of buyers that the i20 is targeting.

Also Read:

Hyundai i20 User Experience Review

Hyundai i20 Performance Review