When the Hyundai i20 three-door hits the road some time in the second quarter of 2009, Hyundai says it will be the best value in its class and targeted at young professionals that don't have kids. Slotted between the i10 and i30, the i20 will come with several gas and diesel engines for a total of seven, all of them Euro-IV emissions compliant. Hyundai expects that the volume sellers will be then new Kappa 1.2L gas engine and the 1.4L diesel engine. The Kappa engine is the latest in Hyundai's new Greek-named engine series, following the Tau V-8, and will pump 77 hp and 88 lb-ft of torque out of its four cylinders. At 182 lbs, Hyundai says it will be the lightest engine in its class and will help the i20 achieve 45 mpg combined while emitting only 0.44 lbs of CO2 per mile. The 1.4L diesel, meanwhile, will churn out 74 hp and pull off 53 mpg combined while emitting only 0.41 lbs of CO2 per mile.
Cosmetically, the i20 three-door is little changed from the five-door. In fact, Hyundai really just took out the rear doors, lengthened the front doors and reshaped the back windows. The front and rear are completely unchanged. Despite the minor design changes, Hyundai did manage to shave 22 lbs off the curb weight, likely thanks to the removal of the extra doors. The i20 three-door will also be mostly the same inside and will come in the same three trim levels -- Classic, Comfort and Style -- as the five-door.