2020 Hyundai i20 Engine & Performance

Hyundai is offering three engine options in total with array of transmission choices. Sounds confusing? Let us simplify it for you.

The first is a 1.2 litre Kappa petrol putting out 88 and 83 horsepower mated to either an IVT automatic of a 5 speed manual gearbox. The second is the 1.5 litre four cylinder 100 hp diesel with a 6 speed manual gearbox. The diesel doesn’t get an automatic option. The third engine is the 1.0 3 cylinder turbo petrol putting out 120 horses and 173 Nm of torque. We drove the 1.0 Turbocharged petrol DCT variant.

 The engine isn’t the smoothest of them all but refinement levels are decent. Power is available freely and readily whether its bumper to bumper traffic or overtaking on the highway. There is an initial lag on low rpms but after a certain point builds pace as it should and quickly. There is a strong mid-range after 2000 rpm and Hyundai claims a 0 to 100 kph timing of 9.9 seconds on this variant. The DCT gearbox is a smooth shifting unit, and doesn’t get confused when ordered to downshift though it makes you wait for a fraction of a second. The three pot motor does tend to get louder at higher revs. The overall stability is good even on high speeds. The hum from the engine is that of a typical 3-cylinder but it isn’t audible at low rpms. There is no hybrid or mild hybrid tech on offer on any of the engines. The DCT becomes the ideal option for someone who spends most of the time in traffic and enjoys open highway driving on the weekend.