Hyundai HB20 debuts in Sao Paulo

The Hyundai HB20 is the firm’s first car designed for the Brazilian market. The HB20 has been designed in Brazil, too, and will be built at Hyundai’s new plant in Piracicaba, near Sao Paulo, which is capable of building 150,000 cars every year.

The name is a combination of the initials of Hyundai Brazil, while the 20 references the Ford Fiesta-rivaling Hyundai i20 sold in the UK and Europe.

Like the European car, the HB20’s design is influenced by Hyundai’s fluidic sculpture design language. The five-door hatchback will be the first of a range of HB20 models, which will expand to include a saloon and SUV variant from next year.

Engine choices are three-cylinder 1.0-litre and four-cylinder 1.6-litre flex-fuel engines, which can run on petrol or bioethanol. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, but buyers will be able to opt for a four-speed automatic with the larger engine.

On sale in Brazil from October, the HB20 1.0-litre will cost from R$28,000 (around £8,600), which is almost exactly the same price as the new Volkswagen Gol. The larger-engined HB20 1.6 will cost from R$32,000 (£9,800).