Hyundai i20 gets a FACELIFT for 2018 – and DROPS the diesel

The 2018 Hyundai i20 gets a bit of a facelift as Hyundai refresh their Fiesta competitor, add more technology, a DCT ‘box and drop the diesel engine option.

We rather like the Hyundai i20, and love the fact that the i20 Coupe is a proper coupe rather than just a three-door version of the five-door Hatch. It’s a great alternative to the ubiquitous Ford Fiesta, and now it gets a bit more appealing with a facelift for 2018.

The cosmetic tweaks for the i20 Hatch are as you would expect for a facelift, so the new i20 gets Hyundai’s new Cascading Grille, new bumpers, new tail lights, a reworked tailgate and new 15″ and 16″ alloys. There’s also a new panoramic roof option and Phantom Black two-tone roof.

Inside the i20 S and SE now get a new 7″ screen which features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with Premium Nav and Premium SE Nav models getting a more advanced 7″ infotainment screen.

The new i20 also gets Hyundai’s SmartSense active safety as standard with Lane Departure, Lane Keeping, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Driver Attention Alert and High Beam Assist.

Engine choices are now limited to the 1.0 litre T-GDI with 99bhp or 118bhp (the diesel option has been dropped), with a five-speed manual on the 99bhp and a six-speed manual on the 118bhp, plus a seven-speed DCT option on the 99bhp (and available on the i20 Coupe too), as well as a 74bhp or 84bhp version of the 1.4 litre petrol.

The 2018 Hyundai i20 goes on sale at Hyundai’s UK dealers in June.