A refreshed Hyundai i20 has just been introduced to the local market. We were invited by Hyundai SA to attend the national media ride and drive event.

Hatchbacks are not the go-to choice for SA new-car buyer that they once were. People’s desires have moved towards crossovers and small SUVs. As a result some brands have completely done away with hatches in favour of their high-riding siblings. However, there are a few holdouts and Hyundai is one of them. The company offers a few entry level options, the i10 and i20 among them.

Follow Double Apex on Instagram and Facebook where we share more car content.

Mildly Refreshed

The Hyundai i20 is a popular seller. Even before this refreshed version made it to SA, 1 700 units were sold locally. This number beats out the likes of the evergreen VW Polo, Suzuki Baleno and Toyota Starlet – pretty good going. This refreshed Hyundai i20 will be looking to maintain that sales strength. Speaking of the refresh, it seems quite mild. One would have to see the pre- and post-facelift versions side-by-side to really tell them apart.

Of more interest is the rejigged range. Hyundai has replaced its ‘Fluid’ and ‘Motion’ grade nomenclature. In their places are ‘Premium’ (read: entry level) and ‘Executive’ for mid-range. The N-line variant still holds station at the top of the range. See below for full range as well as pricing. The easiest way to tell them apart from the outside are the steel wheels with wheel caps and body-coloured mirrors on the Premium. The Executive has black side mirror caps with the same stacked LED running lamps. The N Line has alloys, black mirror caps, a rear boot spoiler, circular fog lamps up front and it’s Hyundai “H” on the grille instead of the bonnet (see pic below).

Standard Kit

Standard specification across the range is quite decent, expecially when compared like-for-like against rivals at various price points. Among the standard items are air-conditioning, automatic lights on, a touchscreen infotainment system with voice control, fully adjustable steering wheel, a digital instrument cluster, reverse parking camera and sensors, ABS and ISOFIX anchor points for child seats. Stepping up from Premium to Executive and N Line just adds more and more equipment to the base price of each respective derivative.

Refreshed Hyundai i20 range (1)

Engine Offerings

As before there are three engines available. There are two naturally aspirated units, measuring 1,2- and 1,4-litres. The 1,2-litre develops 61 kW and 115 N.m that is paired with a five-speed manual gearbox. The 1,4 (74 kW/133 N.m) is available exclusively with an automatic transmission. The N-Line boasts the only turbocharged engine in the reworked line-up. The three-cylinder engine pushes out 90 kW with 172 N.m of twist effort. The sole transmission option here is a seven-speed dual-clutch.

Summary

The latest version of the i20 has been in SA since 2021. Since then 11 500 units have been sold locally. We have no doubt that many of these were snapped up by rental agencies, but there were also plenty sold to individuals. The sales stats speak of a model that has appeal, for its attractive running costs, for companies, and to private owners. This new slimmed down range and high standard specification is bound to keep the hatch sales ticking for Hyundai.

Refreshed Hyundai i20 Pricing

  • 1,2 Premium – R309 900
  • 1,2 Executive – R329 900
  • 1,4 Premium AT – R329 000
  • 1,4 Executive AT – R349 900
  • 1.0 T-GDI N Line DCT – R467 500