Hyundai, on the 7th of July, has launched the i20 superhatch with a more powerful 1.4 litre petrol engine and a 1.4 litre CRDi motor with VGT turbo. The i20 which was launched only with the base 1.2 litre Kappa engine from the smaller i10 has sold better than the company’s expectation and the introduction of these new and more powerful engines is likely to inprove buyer response.

The 1.4 litre diesel engine will also equip the i20 to compete with other premium diesel hatchbacks like the Fabia and recently launched Grande Punto. Hyundai has also brought out the 1.4 litre petrol engines i20 with an automatic transmission, positioning the model at the upper end of the premium hatchback segment. The i20 was recently awarded a 5-Star crash rating by NCAP making it one of the safest hatchbacks sold in the country along with the Honda Jazz.