Hyundai reveals HB20 compact hatch

Published Sep 17, 2012

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This is the new Hyundai HB20 and it looks every bit like a scaled-down i30. That's really not a bad thing.

The bad news, however, is that the new compact hatch was developed exclusively for the Brazilian market.

To that end, our local Hyundai contact has confirmed that there are definitely no plans to introduce it to South Africa.

Pity, because if priced correctly, it could provide a far more stylish alternative to Figo, Etois, Vivo and company as a Hyundai for those wanting something bigger than an i10 but cheaper than an i20.

It should be quite a toughie too as the HB20 was developed over five years, by dozens of Korean and Brazilian engineers, to handle Brazil's typical road conditions.

All models come standard with dual airbags, air conditioning and power steering and customers can choose between two petrol-based engines that can run on flex-fuel. The 1-litre engine has three cylinders while the 1.6 is a four-cylinder unit.

What do you think of the HB20? Should Hyundai be expanding its horizons beyond Brazil?

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