Words: Andrew Sluys
Published 16 June 2026
Hyundai Brazil has unveiled the new i20 hatch, which looks to have been given the SUV treatment with an upright stance and black wheel spats.
According to Hyundai, this new i20 follows the brand’s ‘Art of Steel’ design language, with hard lines and sharp lighting.
Where the last i20 utilised the K2 platform, this new i20 sits on the K3 platform, of which it shares with the Kona, and the Kia Niro.
On the inside, the i20 looks to have lost its quirky curved display, instead replaced with a pair of square displays.
Each of these displays measure 12.3-inches, and Hyundai says they can be updated over the air.
Beneath the bonnet, the new i20 is powered by a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine, which runs on pure ethanol.
This is apparently the done thing in that part of the world, and this naturally aspirated engine produces 58kW/100Nm.
A range topping variant adds a turbocharger, and is able to run on petrol, which produces 84kW/172Nm.
Interestingly, this i20 is set to be exclusively sold in Brazil, meaning even Europe is going to miss out on the new hatch.
According to Hyundai New Zealand’s website, the current i20 N is still available, starting at $53,990.
The standard i20 hasn’t been offered for a number of years locally, with Hyundai pulling the pin on the model shortly after the current generation was introduced in 2021.
