New Hyundai i20 Active – the ‘Butch’ i20 – heading for Frankfurt in UK spec

The Hyundai i20 Active Crossover – a jacked-up crossover take on Hyundai’s best-selling i20 – is heading for a debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Hyundai i20 is already a big-seller for Hyundai, but with the world and his dog wanting even their little hatchbacks to have a bit of off-road butch, Hyundai has come up with the i20 Active – a jacked-up crossover i20 – to make sure it keeps the i20 flying out of showrooms.

Already on sale in India (pictured above) the i20 Active gets the usual crossover treatment, with more aggressive bumpers at the front and back, some black plastic cladding to make it look like it means business, a raised ride height and a set of roof rails.

The UK and EU spec i20 Active is expected to be much the same, with an interior that is pretty much what you get in the regular i20, and probably the same range of engine options too.

That means a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines, although Hyundai’s new 3-cylinder 1.0 litre engines will be offered. And despite its rugged looks, the i20 Active is almost certainly only going to get front-wheel-drive, so although it looks the part don’t expect it to do off-road.

The new Hyundai i20 Active will go on sale in the UK in 2016.