The new i20 looks like a handsome hatch on the surface, but there’s a surprise under the bonnet…

PARIS — You’re looking at the new Hyundai i20, a handsome enough hatchback in the VW Polo/Honda Jazz class whose engine provides clues to the Korean manufacturer’s powertrain direction.

Hyundai unveiled the car in Paris, along with two small petrol engines and a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. Essentially, Korea is doing its take on VW’s TSI and DSG powertrains.

The i20 has a 998cc three-cylinder turbo. It can be tuned for up to 120 horsepower and 172Nm of torque, and comes with a number of cutting edge features to keep it clean, light and compact.

The exhaust manifold is integrated with the cylinder head, for instance, and there’s a split cooling system that lets the engine block run a bit hotter (for lower friction) while keeping the head cool for better combustion control.

Another engine showcased at Paris was Hyundai’s new 1.4-litre T-GDI, a four-cylinder turbo with direct petrol injection for lower fuel consumption. Its turbocharger is integrated with the exhaust manifold to shorten its response times.

Like the new three-cylinder, the 1.4 T-GDI is a member of Hyundai’s ‘Kappa’ engine family. It replaces the Gamma generation of engines, and the base engine weighs just 87kg, or 14kg less than before.

Hyundai only showed a CNG (or Compressed Natural Gas) version of the 1.4 -TGDI, and the petrol-powered version is likely to make more bang than the 117PS/206Nm engine unveiled at Paris.

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Both new powerplants were engineered in Hyundai’s tech centre in Germany. Hyundai Motor Europe’s COO said at Paris that the small turbo engines give “an insight into future drivetrain innovations” from the Korean carmaker.

The new turbo engines will be paired with a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (7DCT), Hyundai’s first. It will gradually replace the six-speed autos that are now standard in the Hyundai line up (and that of sister brand Kia), and should bring about the usual benefits: snappier acceleration, lower fuel consumption and lower carbon output.

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That should bring welcome tax breaks to Hyundai’s products here; the CNG version of the i30 1.4 T-GDI that Hyundai brought to Paris emits just 87g/km of CO2, enough for a $20,000 CEVS rebate.

Don’t expect to see the new engines appear overnight, though. The first car to get a Kappa engine will be the i20 in 2015 — and that car isn’t sold here.