South Korean carmaker Hyundai has been testing the new avatar of its premium hatchback the Elite i20 in India for some time now and it is slated to make the debut at Auto Expo. The latest reports suggest that the new Elite i20 will not just have a styling update but envisages major changes under the hood.
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A report of AutocarIndia claims that the new 2018 Hyundai Elite i20 will debut a new smaller 1.2-litre Kappa engine, mated to continuously variable transmission (CVT). The new 1.2 litre unit will replace the current 1.4 litre engine in Elite i20. This will give the Elite i20 the benefit of small car tax rate of 12.5 percent. The current 1.4-litre petrol unit with four-speed automatic transmission attracts a higher tax rate of 24 percent. With the new engine on-board, the Elite i20 automatic is expected to become more affordable and could be better positioned against its rival the Maruti Suzuki Baleno.
The new Elite i20 CVT is also expected to have better fuel efficiency. The current Elite i20 is powered by 1.4-litre CRDi diesel, 1.2-litre and the 1.4-litre petrol engines. The diesel engine is tuned to generate 89hp of power and 220Nm of torque paired with the six-speed manual transmission; the petrol mills get five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmission. In its new avatar, the 1.4-litre CRDi diesel is likely to continue as it is.
On the exteriors, the Elite i20 facelift is expected to get a cascading grille and redesigned tail lamps along with changes in the positioning of the number plates of the model and a new set of alloy wheels.
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The cabin of the new Elite i20 is likely to have new touchscreen infotainment system with voice commands, 3-spoke, multi-functional steering wheel and centre armrest among other while the interior design of the current model is likely to remain largely untouched.
Image: MotorBeam
