2018 Hyundai Elite i20 facelift to be unveiled at Auto Expo next year: Report

It's not a secret anymore that Hyundai is working on a facelifted version of the Elite i20 hatchback. The test mules of the purported model have already been spied on test in Indian roads while there are no official words from the company on its arrival.

It looks like the testing of the car is progressing fast. A report in Cardekho claims Hyundai is planning to debut the new i20 at the upcoming Auto Expo in February 2018 at New Delhi. The publication has reportedly acquired this piece of information at the recently held 2017 Hyundai Verna launch.

The current-generation Hyundai i20 was globally introduced in 2014 and hence this should be a mid-life facelift. The major change will be a new grille. It will be inspired from the grille of i30 hatchback Hyundai sold in the global markets christened as cascading grille.

From what appears in the spy shots so far, the headlamps will be slimmer than the one in current model and angular in line with the new Elantra. To accommodate the new grille and headlamps, front bumper will also be tweaked. The side profile of the car is expected to remain the same. The rear of the test mules was highly camouflaged and that indicates significant changes.

Some features of the Verna sedan is expected to come in the new Elite i20. These may include projector fog lamps, Arkamys sound tuning, Eco Coating (eliminates odour from the AC) and maybe a sunroof.

Current Elite i20 powertrain options are expected to carry over in the facelift version as well. Elite i20 comes powered with 1.2-litre petrol, 1.4-litre CRDi diesel and a 1.4-litre four-cylinder VTVT petrol engines. Rumours also suggest Hyundai may bring a 1.0-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder petrol engine that develops 100bhp paired to a six-speed manual gearbox with the new model.