Hyundai Elite i20 automatic: More details emerge as launch nears

South Korean auto-major Hyundai is expected to introduce the automatic variant of its popular hatchback the Elite i20 in India during the festive season this year. Now, ahead of its launch in the market, more details of the automatic model have emerged online.

The Elite i20, which rivals Honda Jazz and Maruti Suzuki Baleno, has been long-rumoured to get the automatic gearbox. In the automatic avatar, the Elite i20 is likely to get four-speed automatic gearbox. Rumours are also rife that the Elite i20 could also get 1.4-litre petrol engine along with petrol mill. The same is already being sold in the international markets.

Currently, in India, the Elite i20 is sold with 1.2 litre petrol engine and 1.4 litre CRDi diesel motor under the hood. While the petrol engine of Elite i20 can churn out 82bhp of power and peak torque of 114Nm, the diesel motor is tuned to generate 89bhp of power and peak torque of 220Nm. The company is likely to introduce the automatic variant only in the petrol model for now.

What is interesting is that the emerging reports say that the Elite i20 is likely to get automatic gearbox in two variants. While the first is likely to be the top-variant Asta, the second could be the mid- variant Asta or Sportz. The Elite i20 automatic will be priced slightly higher than the current model. According to ET Auto, to keep the prices in check, Hyundai could also do away with some of the features in the Elite i20 in the automatic variants.