Hyundai’s i20 gets sleeker, slicker

Hyundai has shown us the new-generation i20 for the first time, in sketches, before the vehicle makes its debut at the Paris Motor Show in October.

The sketches show a much more muscular, square-shouldered car than the current model, with wrap-around glass and a floating-roof effect.

At the front the design is dominated by an enormous lower air intake; the upper grille is a mere slit, a simple gap between the bonnet and the bumper to give the stylised H badge somewhere to sit.

The new design language is called Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 by Hyundai. As with most European Hyundai models, the styling of the i20 has been created in the Korean company’s design studio in Frankfurt.

According to Hyundai’s official statement, the new i20 has “a long hood and generous shape to create a powerful stance. The body sides are sculpted yet the overall architecture is clear and simple, with the cabin sitting cleanly on the body. In profile, the dark treatment of the C-pillar visually accentuates the car’s length.”

Hyundai isn’t giving away any technical details yet, but the car is likely to inherit the 84hp 1.2-litre petrol engine from the current i20 while diesel power will come from a choice of 1.1 or 1.4-litre CRDI units.

The new i20 will go on official sale in Ireland in January 2015, but it’s likely that demo models will reach here by December.