Hyundai has been promising a new performance division for some time now. When the N logo first appeared on the brand’s World Rally Championship car, excitement started to build that the Korean car maker would begin producing vehicles to take on the likes of Ford’s ST range and Volkswagen’s popular GTi models.
It would appear that the company is not quite there yet, instead launching a rather understated version of its i20. A number of visual enhancements have been added to create the new i20 1.4 Sport, including a sport body kit, a stainless steel free-flow exhaust system, new 17-inch alloy rims, and rear hatchback door.
Stiffer springs give it a lower stance, while the company also says the suspension change provides a firmer ride and sportier handling. The free-flow exhaust system also adds an audible element. “The Hyundai i20 was the perfect model in our range to subject to a sporty makeover,” says Stanley Anderson, marketing director of Hyundai Automotive SA.
“It is a car that appeals to a younger buyer, it has fresh, modern looks and a dashing design, and it already had fine driving characteristics and road manners — something that we enhanced a bit more with the tweaking of the suspension, new alloy rims with low-profile tyres and increased engine power output.” The current i20 range was designed at the company’s European Technical Centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and was influenced by the latest interpretation of the brand’s design philosophy, Fluidic Sculpture 2.0.
The i20 is available with a choice of two Hyundai “Kappa” petrol power plants. It is the Kappa 1.4 engine that has been tweaked for the sportier package. Its maximum power output has been raised from 74kW to 85kW for the model, with a new maximum torque output up from 133Nm to 160Nm. It is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
The i20 sits on fully independent MacPherson strut suspension at the front and semi-independent coupled torsion beam axle at the rear. Engineers have upgraded the two systems with stiffer springs, lowering the centre of gravity and with the aim of providing even better road holding. The price of the i20 1.4 Sport is R235,500.
*This article first appeared in Business Day Motor News
-Motor News Reporter
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