Hyundai is developing a compact sedan if the i20 hatchback for a 2014 launch. The Korean automaker will not be launching the Hyundai i20 sedan on the current generation i20 but on the next generation i20 which is scheduled for launch in 2014. The new Hyundai i20 will feature vast improvements, which will carry its way to the i20 sedan as well. The company wants to replace the Accent with the i20 sedan, as the Accent’s sales and popularity have declined lately. The Accent does not get excise duty benefit, something which the i20 sedan will manage to get due to the sub 4-meter length.
The Hyundai i20 sedan will feature the same underpinnings as the i20 hatchback and will also borrow design cues from it. The boot integration is expected to be much better than what Maruti Suzuki managed with the Swift DZire. Engines on offer will include petrol and diesel motors. The 1.2-litre dual VTVT petrol produces 84 BHP of peak power at 5200 RPM and 116 Nm of peak torque at 4000 RPM. The 1.4-litre diesel produces 90 BHP of peak power at 4000 RPM and 224 Nm of peak torque at 1750 RPM. The petrol engine will be mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, while the diesel engine will be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. A 1.4-litre petrol automatic could be offered as well.
Our rendering specialist has come up with a rough draft of how the Hyundai i20 sedan might end up looking. The boot integration is more like what Tata Motors managed with the Indigo CS, rather than the after thought on the Swift DZire. Prices are expected to start around Rs. 6 lakhs, with the top end retailing around Rs. 8 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). The i20 sedan will compete with the Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire, Toyota Etios, Ford Fiesta Classic and Tata Indigo Manza. It will help Hyundai in generating volumes in the entry level C-segment. The company has recently bumped up diesel car production (i20 and Verna) by 50% and is planing to setup a diesel manufacturing facility in the country.
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