(Thu 19 Feb 09)

Hyundai has announced the presence of two important new models at the Geneva Show in early March.

The first is the three-door version of the i20, which is already on sale in the UK in five-door form. Hyundai expects that the most popular models will be the ones with the excellent little 77bhp petrol engine (which we agree is the best in the range, though there are 1.4-litre petrol and diesel units if you prefer). In Classic trim, the 1.2 kicks off the i20 range at £8195, or £450 less than the five-door.

UK dealers will have three-door i20s in their showrooms from April, though you can order one right now. You'll have to wait a bit longer for a production version of the ix-onic concept, which also makes its debut at Geneva.

This one is a compact SUV which is being used partly to show off Hyundai's new design language and partly to introduce a new 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine. The engine produces a maximum of 168bhp but also emits just 149g/km of CO2 on the combined cycle. It's fitted with the new ISG (Idle Stop & Go) technology, which shuts down the engine when it's not needed and restarts it when it is, and is also mated to a six-speed double-clutch transmission and four-wheel drive.

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