The 1.5L 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine on Hyundai i20 has been dropped with this update and only petrol engines are retained
2023 will see a major paradigm shift in the Indian automotive industry. Vehicles will have to be made compliant with phase II of BS6 emission standards, meeting RDE norms as well. Latest in the bunch is the Hyundai i20. For MY2023, Hyundai has updated the i20 lineup as indicated by recent type approval documents at NCAT.
Where premium hatchback sales are concerned, it is Maruti Suzuki Baleno taking the crown with over 16K units sold in January 2023. Hyundai i20 has a lot of catching up to do as it sold less than half of Baleno’s number. This 2023 update for i20 is likely to generate more traction in premium hatchback space, translating into better sales.
2023 Hyundai i20, N Line Homologated
Diesel powertrain has been discontinued in favour of a NA petrol and a turbo-petrol option. Diesel is not very popular in the premium hatchback segment as much as petrol and turbo petrol powertrains are. That said, Tata Altroz has retained diesel engine option with 2023 update, complying with RDE norms. Making Altroz, the only diesel premium hatchback option.
Now that diesels are done with, there are 4 sets of powertrain combos, as reflected by 4 type approvals. The 1.2L NA Kappa petrol engine displaces 1197cc and develops 61 kW (82 bhp) of power. This engine is coupled with a 5-speed MT spawning Magna, Sportz, Asta and Asta (O) trim levels.
The same engine is offered with an IVT (CVT) option as well. This combo spawns Sportz and Asta (O) trim levels. There is a bump in power with IVT variants. 64.7 kW (86.5 bhp) as opposed to 61 kW (82 bhp). This leaves us with the most powerful powertrain option within Hyundai i20, N Line variants, the 1.0L GDi.
Unlike the 1.2 Kappa engine, there is no power difference between iMT and DCT variants. Both get similar figures of 118.4 bhp of power and 172 Nm of torque. This 998cc 3-cylinder engine is not offered with a manual transmission, and iMT is offered only with N Line models, which are the only bummers. With iMT powertrain, variants include N6 and N8. DCT powertrain spawns Sportz and Asta (O) with regular i20 and N8 with N Line models.
OBD-II Update
The new engines now come equipped with OBD-II diagnostic tools, monitoring real-time emission details. This is in line with the Indian Government’s vision towards carbon neutrality. When Hyundai updated i10 and Aura, there was a facelift and feature bump included with the package. It is not yet sure if i20 will follow a similar path.
To set it apart in premium hatchback space, Hyundai has packed i20 with features and creature comforts. A sunroof, 10.25” touchscreen, smartphone connectivity, automatic climate control, and rear AC vents, to name a few. However, one would expect ventilated seats, something which the upcoming Altroz Racer promises to offer. More details regarding external changes and features upgrade will follow soon.
