Hyundai to Build i20 in Europe

There's no surprise automakers around the world plan to shift production from a location to another, with General Motors probably the best example in this matter. The reason? Obviously an attempt to cut production costs and save money as much as possible. Hyundai is doing the same thing with its i20 model that will be very soon produced in Europe by either the Czech Republic facility or the newly-built plant in Russia.

The i20 is currently manufactured in Hyundai's plant near Chennai, India and the South Korean automaker says this particular facility will continue production but only for the domestic market.

“The labor unrest and the hefty monetary demands raised by a section of workers are really frustrating us. It made the company to get global attention. We never expected such a development when Hyundai has completely changed the industrial landscape of Sriperumbudur belt in the past 12 years," HMIL spokesperson, Rajiv Mitra said according to globalmotors.net.

Hyundai has quite enthusiastic plans when it comes to the i20 hatchback. For example, the South Korean market expects the model to gain around 40 percent of the exports in the domestic market. Furthermore, Hyundai has high expectations in Europe too, as it projects government incentives will boost i20 sales in most countries.

Hyundai i20 is currently being offered in a choice of four different engine configurations, diesel and gasoline, ranging between 1.2- and 1.6-liter. The top-of-the-line 1.6 version produces 126 horsepower and 116 lb-ft of torque at 4200 rpm. The car accelerates from 0 to 100 in 9.5 seconds, while maximum speed goes as high as 118 mph (190 km/h).