Hyundai has revealed the first picture of the new i20 three-door, ahead of its official unveiling at the Geneva motor show on March 3rd.

Building on the success of the recently launched Hyundai i20 five-door, the new body style will broaden the i20's appeal to the fastest-growing sector of the car market in Europe.

In addition to a new look, the three-door model offers a lower price entry point for the i20 line-up with prices starting at £8,195 (S$17,984) for the 1.2 Classic model that's £450 less than the five-door.

Positioned between the successful i10 and i30 models, the i20 three-door shares many of its styling features with the five-door. In fact the front and rear remains unchanged, but the distinctive crease lines that run along each side are enhanced by the longer front doors and the sporty, upswept shape of the rear-side window.

Built on the same 2.525mm wheelbase and weighing 10-kilograms less than the i20 five-door, the new model offers an equally well proportioned exterior and spacious interior that will comfortably accommodate adult passengers in the front and rear seats.

The larger front doors create a wide entry aperture, and Hyundai's quick-release memory seats with walk-in functionality provide easy access to and from the rear. The system enables the front-seat backrests to be tipped and the whole seat to slide forwards. This simple-to-use system returns the front seat to the originally selected position without the need for readjustment.

The i20 has an extensive list of active and passive equipment. This includes six airbags on all models - front, side and curtain - as standard, plus active head-restraints.

Hyundai expects i20 buyers will make the 1.2-litre petrol engine - dubbed 'Kappa' - the best-selling power plant in the range. The new, all-alloy unit combines miserly fuel consumption with low CO2 emissions to produce a compelling package with exceptionally low running costs.

Kappa is the latest example of the company's expertise in developing lightweight, low-NVH, super-efficient engines. With a displacement of just 1,248cc, Kappa unit develops an impressive 78PS and a class-leading torque figure of 119Nm endowing the i20 with responsive acceleration and excellent driveability.

The three-door i20 is available to order now, with the first examples arriving in UK showrooms in April.