Hyundai's New Supermini

2014-08-06 18:40:25

Hyundai release sketches of its new i20 supermini

Hyundai has selected to release two official design sketches to reveal details of its new i20 supermini prior to the physical debut of the car at this October’s Paris Motor Show. The most distinctive feature of the new supermini will be the blacked-out C-pillars which help to give the rear window the impression that it wraps itself around the car – a look that has been successfully adopted by Toyota with limited edition versions of its i20 rivalling Yaris.

Although with the huge wheels, low profile tyres and chopped glasshouse suggest these pictures depict an exaggerated interpretation of the new car, the sketches reveal that the company’s Veloster coupe has been the inspiration for some of the styling cues as evidenced by the hexagonal front grille and angular headlights. The line linking the headlights and front badge helps to accentuate the width whilst the sharp crease along the shoulder line emphasises the overall stance of the car.

The Korean company refers to the design theme as ‘Fluidic Sculpture 2.0’ to denote that these are an advancement on the styling cues that have been deployed on the i10 city car and small ix35 crossover.

The supermini sector is hotly contested and the i20 will need to work hard to help it stand out from the crowd. The problem is compounded further since there have already been two recent eye-catching rivals recently released in the form of Mazda2 and SMART ForFour.

Reported By

ANDREW MERRITT-MORLING FCMI

Associate Member of the Guild of Motoring Writers