Hyundai i20 Sport Edition Bows in at Paris Show

The Paris Motor Show isn't all concept cars and new model launches; some manufacturers use the event to showcase limited edition models to pique the public's interest. One such limited run model is the i20 Sport Edition, co-developed by Hyundai's European R&D team and aftermarket tuners Car Research and Development (CRD) in Germany.

The exterior of the i20 Sport Edition gets body-colored front skirts and wheelarch flares, glossy mesh grille insert and B-pillar, black bezel headlights, daytime running lights, smoked side and rear glass, dark red tinted taillights and 17-inch Brabus alloys wrapped in Yokohama rubber.

On the inside, there is orange leather wrapped Recaros, a chrome shift knob and 7-inch touch screen sat nav. The centre console, door panels and gearshift cover also get the leather treatment.

The i20 Sport Edition goes into limited production in the first half of 2011, whereupon Hyundai will announce engine and transmission specs. Available as either 3dr or 5dr model, it will be manufactured in Hyundai's existing i20 plants in either India or Turkey, depending on the market.

By Tristan Hankins

Luxury Hyundai i20 Perked Up

The European market Hyundai i20 has received some minor improvements under the hood as well as to the aerodynamics and the interior of the car. Hyundai started by adding a small spoiler to the underneath of the vehicle to improve airflow around the wheels, while all i20s now use low friction engine oil and an alternator management system.

These changes help the best-selling 1.2-litre petrol engine reduce its CO2 emissions by 5g/km to 119g/km, while the 1.4-liter petrol model sees a 13g/km drop to 129g/km as well as a 4.3mpg UK improvement in fuel consumption.

As for the diesel engines, CO2 emissions on the 75HP model drop by 6g/km to 110g/km. Thanks to the introduction of a new 6-speed gearbox, the 90HP version achieves a 7.2% improvement in fuel economy.

Hyundai also made a few minor changes to the interior. Along with the addition of an 'Eco Drive' indicator that suggests the best time to change gear, the dashboard and instrument illumination is now blue instead of red, while Bluetooth phone connectivity with voice recognition is now added as standard on all models except the entry-level Classic.

The South Korean supermini is available to order now, with prices in the UK starting from £9,520.

Hyundai's European Plant Hits New Production Milestone with 300,000th Vehicle

The 300,000th Hyundai rolled off the firm's manufacturing facility in Nošovice, Czech Republic, marking a new production milestone for the company in Europe. The vehicle was a white i30 CW, which is the station wagon version of the European market i30 compact hatch.

Hyundai opened the European facility at the end of 2008. It produces the i30, i30cw, and newly launched ix20 and exports to 50 countries across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Euro NCAP: Q5, Jazz, i20, Soul and 3008 Achieve 5-Star Rating, Suzuki Alto gets only 3-Stars

European car safety testing body Euro-NCAP has announced its latest batch of results for six new cars. Five of these models, the Audi Q5, Honda Jazz, Hyundai i20, Kia Soul and Peugeot 3008 received Euro NCAP's maximum five star award while Suzuki's made-in-India Alto scored only three stars, its rating limited by its performance in adult occupant protection, child protection and safety assistance technologies. Euro NCAP made a special note on the Honda Jazz and the Hyundai i20 as both cars managed to achieve a high score in pedestrian safety.

"We would like to commend the Honda Jazz and the Hyundai i20 for their impressive pedestrian scores that not only meet current requirements, but also meet Euro NCAP's future requirements," Euro NCAP said in a statement.

All six vehicles were tested with Euro NCAP's new overall rating scheme that was introduced in 2009 and covers Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Pedestrian Protection and a new area of assessment, Safety Assist. Under the new testing regime, vehicles are awarded a single overall score from one to five stars with the overall rating being based on the car's performance in each of the four main areas and the scores are weighted with respect to each other.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Three-door Hyundai i20 Officially Revealed

After an online leak spoiled Hyundai's plans, the Korean automaker decided to release the first official photos of the new three-door i20 ahead of its official unveiling at the Geneva motor show on March 3rd. There's not much to say about that the 3d i20 - besides being less practical than its 5-door twin, the only difference between the two variants concerns the upswept shape of the three-door's rear-side window.

Built on the same 2.525mm wheelbase and weighing 10-kilograms less than the i20 five-door, the new model will be available with the same engine range that includes three gasoline units (1.2L with 78PS, 1.4L with 100PS and 1.6L with 126PS) and four diesels (1.4L with 75 and 90PS and 1.6L with 115 and 128PS).

Hyundai expects that the1.2-liter petrol engine will be the best-selling power plant in the range.

The three-door i20 is available to order in most European markets, with the first examples arriving in UK showrooms this April.

Hyundai i20 STC 3-Door Version Photos Leaked Ahead of Geneva

We were supposed to see the three-door Hyundai i20 for the first time at the Geneva Auto Show, but no thanks to an online leak, we now have official photos of the newest version of the Korean supermini. Besides the fact that the 3-door i20 is less practical than its five-door sibling and that it features restyled rear-quarter windows, there are no other visible differences between the two models.

Same goes for the engine range that will consists of a total of seven gasoline and diesel units. The i20's gasoline range includes a 78PS 1.2-liter, a 100PS 1.4-liter and a 126PS 1.6-liter engine, all of which are mated to five-speed manual gearboxes. The 1.4- and 1.6-liter models can be equipped optionally with a four-speed automatic transmission.

The diesel line-up comprises of a 1.4-liter unit available in two guises with outputs of 75PS and 90PS, and a 1.6-liter motor with 115PS and 128PS. Both 1.4-liter diesel models are equipped with a five-speed stick shift, while the flagship 1.6-liter modes are offered with a six-gear manual gearbox.

Photos via: Telegraaf