The All-New 2020 Aura Could Be a Replacement for the Hyundai Eon

Hyundai’s i10 is positioned to be the smallest member of their automotive family, but that didn’t stop the Korean automaker from coming up with a sedan sibling to keep it company. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Hyundai Aura.

Designed to meet India’s rather peculiar automotive tax structure, where its overall length must be below four meters, the Aura is meant to do battle against the likes of the Suzuki Dzire and Honda Amaze.

However, thanks to its new bones (shared with the i10), the Aura is said to provide “best-in-class ride and handling performance.” Almost everything has been fiddled with—the steering is fitted with a higher-capacity motor for quicker response and increased ratio for better feedback, while the springs have been stiffened and the damper valves tuned all for the sake of all-around feel.

The Aura’s looks take getting used to, especially since it falls under the design bracket of “hatchbacks that sprouted a trunk,” but nonetheless Hyundai’s tried to cover up the tallboy look by sculpting the rear and giving it a wrap-around taillight design. The Korean carmaker has yet to reveal the Aura’s interior (the official launch date is later this month), but it’s said to look almost exactly like the i10’s with an available 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It even comes optional with wireless phone charging—the first in its class.

Powering the Aura are several small-displacement engines including a 1.2-liter unit making 83 horsepower and 114 Nm of torque, a 1.0-liter turbocharged motor making 100 horsepower and 172 Nm of torque, and heck, there is even a 1.2-liter diesel option too.

For now, the Hyundai Aura is destined for the Indian market only, but never say never. It must be remembered that the Eon once started as an Indian-market special until Hyundai Motor opened it to international markets including the Philippines in 2012. The carmaker can certainly do the same tactic, especially since the Eon’s already long-in-the-tooth.