Significant Hyundai HB20 debuts in Brazil with a new suit and more punch

Having first debuted the Grand i10 Nios for India last month and the all-new i10 for Europe earlier this week, Hyundai has now unveiled the third model in its global small car line-up, the new HB20.

Regularly the second best-selling new car in Brazil behind the runaway chart leading Chevrolet Onix, and often swapping places with the Ford Ka (Figo), the HB20 once again serves as a unique to market model with the newcomer retaining its predecessor’s Solaris platform, but with a 30 mm gain in wheelbase and styling derived from the new Sonata and Elantra. As before, it will be offered as a hatch, sedan (HB20S) and crossover (HB20X).

Although no images of the interior was released, Hyundai Brazil has confirmed that the HB20 will come with an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system incorporating Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a more simplified facia with less buttons and a new instrument cluster containing a digital speedometer.

The biggest change however resides up front where Hyundai has dropped the normally aspirated 95kW/162Nm 1.6-litre flex-fuel engine for a 1.0 T-GDI that produces 88kW/172Nm. Essentially the same motor that does duty in the European-spec Hyundai i20, the blown three-cylinder is paired to a six-speed automatic gearbox with a six-speed manual available on the unassisted engine of the same size that makes 60kW/100Nm.

Build at Hyundai’s Piracicaba plant in Sao Paulo state, the HB20 will make its official public debut on 16 September and carry an anticipated starting price of R $50 000 (R182 062). As mentioned though, the HB20 will remain a Brazil specific model with the position of Hyundai’s smallest model in South Africa likely to be taken by the Grand i10 Nios or the i10.

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