Hyundai ‘Elite i20’ era comes to an end; new-gen i20 to take the reins

With the all-new i20 set to launch next week, the outgoing Elite i20 has been taken down from the car manufacturer’s official website. The upcoming i20 has also dropped the ‘Elite’ title and will be known as the all-new i20. Now, the Elite i20 was one of the most eminent cars for the company with several awards and achievements to its name. 

The second-generation Elite i20 was first introduced in 2014 sporting Hyundai’s new ‘Fluidic Sculpture 2.0’ design language. It looked more handsome and mature with a wider stance, sloping roof and a blacked-out C-pillar. The main highlights of the Elite i20 were its appealing looks, spacious cabin, refined diesel engine, user-friendly touchscreen infotainment system and tons of features. It also went on to win the Indian Car of The Year (ICOTY) award in 2015. Back then, it only rivaled the Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Punto and Honda Jazz. It scored fairly well on the design and feature front but couldn’t match the braking and handling experience of the Polo and Punto. Hyundai also went on to launch a crossover and rugged version of the car badged as i20 Active.

The year 2015 also witnessed Maruti Suzuki’s entry in the premium hatchback segment in the form of the Baleno. In the years 2017 and 2018, the hatchback segment suffered a major blow with a rising demand for compact SUV cars in the Indian market. The B-segment SUVs registered nearly a 10 percent growth to 1.11 million units affecting the sales of small passenger vehicles which stood at a mere 9.8 lakh units. To cope up with the weakening sales, Hyundai updated the i20 in 2018 with subtle cosmetic updates on the front and rear with the inclusion of projector headlights with LED DRLs, a bigger infotainment system with wireless connectivity, added safety equipment and a new CVT transmission for the petrol variant. You can read our detailed review of the 2018 Elite i20 here.

During its lifetime, the Elite i20 was felicitated with several readers’ choice and viewers’ laurels and now after six years of relentless reign, it’s time to bid adieu to the Elite i20 but only to welcome it an all-new avatar. Yes, the Elite term may have been dropped but the new-gen i20 is all set to amaze you with its brand-new look, a plethora of features, latest tech, enhanced safety and a new engine and transmission option. The bookings of the new i20 have begun and it will officially face the crowd on 5 November, 2020.