The Hyundai i20 N hatch is the proverbial pocket rocket.
It’s easily the cheapest entry to high performance motoring, with support for ‘tracking’
the car if that’s part of your plan.
You can even download layouts for the various race tracks around Australia and
upload them to the car, allowing you to time laps and compare your times to those of
others.
How good is that?
STYLING
Launched here in late 2021, the i20 N is part of a stable that includes the i30 N hatch
and sedan, Kona N, and now the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 N electric vehicles.
They should not be confused with Hyundai’s N-Line variants that look much the
same, but don’t offer anywhere near the same level of performance.
At launch i20 N’s competitors included the Suzuki Swift Sport, Ford Fiesta ST and
the Volkswagen Polo GTI.
The Swift is really not in the same league; the Fiesta is no longer with us and the
Polo though a worthy competitor is considerably more expensive.
We lament the loss of the Fiesta which disappeared along with the Focus ST and
red-hot Focus RS — no longer part of the plan going forward.
At launch i20 N was priced from just $32,490 and it was an absolute steal. Not much
has changed since then, apart from the price which is now $37,500 plus on-roads —
but it’s still worth every cent.
The Polo meanwhile retails for $41,990 plus on-roads.
Powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, i20 N is available in a choice of five
colours.
There’s Polar White and Performance Blue, both at no extra cost, plus Metallic Sleek
Silver, Mica Phantom Black and Mica Dragon Red – all $595. A black roof adds
another $1000.
The i20 N’s rally inspired looks are functional as well as cosmetic, designed to
minimise wind drag and turbulence, boosting performance and reducing fuel
consumption.
The distinctive N body kit includes front and rear spoilers, side skirts and a rear
apron.
An update in 2025 brought updated tech and revised styling, including new 18-inch
forged alloys and a new-look front grille — but you’d be hard-pressed to pick the
difference.
The redesigned grille has a different pattern and blacked out Hyundai logo, while the
Hyundai name has been removed from the tailgate that now carries only the i2o N
badge.
The front features a redesigned air splitter, but the standout point of styling is
undoubtedly the roof-mounted wing.
The rear displays an air diffuser and single, large bore chrome-tipped exhaust outlet.
LED headlights incorporate tick-shaped daytime running lights on either side of the
grille.
Fog lights flank a second section lower down.
The wheels are slightly different, with heavy duty red brake calipers.
Standard kit includes single-zone climate air, N-branded cloth trimmed sports seats,
leather steering wheel and gear knob, rear privacy glass, auto high beam, intelligent
speed limit assist, LED head and tail lights, auto lights and wipers, auto-dimming
rear-view mirror, front and rear parking sensors, and tyre pressure monitoring.
It also comes with cruise control, but it is not of the latest adaptive kind.
INFOTAINMENT
Infotainment comes in the form of a 10.25-inch touchscreen, with a second 10.25-
inch screen for the instrument cluster.
There’s Bluetooth with multi-phone connection, voice commands, built-in navigation,
AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio and Bose premium eight-speaker sound.
It also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but neither are wireless — you
need a cable.
There’s also wireless phone charging, with USB -A and -C ports and a 12-volt socket
in front, plus a single USB-C port in the rear.
The system also displays track maps with lap times, personalised throttle response
settings, exhaust note and stability controls.
Hyundai Bluelink connected car services provides access to a variety of services
along with over the air updates.
There’s automatic collision notification, emergency call (SOS) function, connected
routing with live traffic updates, alert services including geo-fencing, valet, speed and
time alerts, remote control of climate and vehicle functions, navigation send to car,
voice recognition for POI lookup, vehicle controls and vehicle settings management.
SAFETY
i20’s four-star safety rating expired back in 2019 and it has not been retested, but
then it’s still the same car.
There are six airbags, a reversing camera with guidelines and the Hyundai
Smartsense system that comprises auto emergency braking (car/pedestrian/cyclist),
along with blind-spot collision-avoidance, forward collision avoidance assist, lane
following and lane keeping assist (line/road-edge), rear cross-traffic collision
warning, driver attention warning, and rear occupant alert.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
The 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder pumps out 150kW of power from 5500-6000
rpm and 275Nm of torque from 1750-4500 rpm, with 304Nm available on overboost
from 2000-4000 rpm.
Drive is to the front-wheels through a six speed, close-ratio gearbox, refined and
reinforced to cope with higher revs, torque and launch control.
DRIVING
There’s no getting away from the fact i20 N is a small car, with little rear legroom —
but you’re not buying this car for its creature comforts.
It’s all about high performance and the car’s ability to hug the road in corners, or on
the race track if it comes to that — because that option is supported.
Want more room? Drop the 60:40 rear backrests and it offers a flat load area.
With a false floor, the boot reveals a relatively deep secondary space, despite the
fact there’s a space saver spare underneath.
Once you’re in the car, the heavily bolstered sports seats are surprisingly comfy.
At 1213kg the i20 N is relatively light, which combined with a limited slip diff and
standard six-speed manual gearbox deliver an exciting drive experience.
Even better being a small car you’ll feel like you’re going fast, even when you’re not.
Believe it or not it takes standard 91 unleaded and boasts claimed fuel consumption
of 6.9L/100km.
A Torsen differential manages the transfer of power to the front wheels, sensing slip
and distributing torque as required.
It delivers better traction and handling by locking up when necessary, ensuring that
power is effectively transferred to the wheels with most grip.
An active variable exhaust system contributes to the drama, with a single outlet and
the help of a sound generator to ramp up the sound in N mode.
The dash from 0-100km/h takes 6.7 seconds and the car has a top speed of
230km/h.
Two large grey steering wheel mounted buttons marked N engage N Grin Control,
ratcheting up the noise and throttle response with another big red REV button that
can be used to adjust rev-matching, delivering slicker gear changes.
There are six drive modes in all: Eco, Normal, Sport, N, Custom 1 and Custom 2.
Steering is precise and direct thanks to a reduced steering gear ratio over the
standard model, with Pirelli P-Zero rubber that provides plenty of mid-corner grip.
High performance brakes with bigger front discs bite hard and resist fading,
producing a consistent pedal feel.
However, ride quality quickly deteriorates on country roads and being a smaller car it
tends to be pitched around due to its short wheelbase.
Keep an eye out for potholes because the results could be cataclysmic.
During our week with the car, we clocked up 528km of mixed driving at an average
of 6.2 L/100km. A light foot brought this figure down to 5.5L/100km, while the long-
distance average stood at 8.9L/100km, suggesting what you get depends very much
on how you drive.
Supported race tracks include Wakefield Park Raceway and Sydney Motorsport Park
in NSW, Winton and Sandown in Victoria, Queensland Raceway and Lakeside in
QLD, Mallala and The Bend in SA, Symmons Plains in Tasmania, Wanneroo in WA
and more, including multiple layouts and separate start/finish lines where applicable.
Impressive stuff.
SUMMING UP
The i20 N is a terrific little car for those who love to drive
Those looking for comfortable, set and forget transport should look elsewhere.
The act of driving a manual, high performance car is an engaging experience and
one that is difficult to replicate in an electric vehicle.
At this price, it’s a keeper. The real question however is how long will Hyundai retain
it as part of the line up as the switch to EVs gains momentum.
RATINGS:
Looks: 7.5
Performance: 8
Safety: 7.5
Thirst: 7.5
Practicality: 6
Comfort: 7
Tech: 7
Value: 8
Overall: 7.3
AT A GLANCE
MODEL LINE-UP
I20 N, priced from $37,500
Note: This price does not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact
your local Hyundai dealer for drive-away prices.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Hyundai i20 N 1.6-litre turbo-petrol, five-door hatch, FWD
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.6 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Maximum Power: 150 kW @ 1750-4500 rpm
Maximum Torque: 275 Nm @ 2000-4000 (304Nm on overboost)
Fuel Type: 91 RON
Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 6.9 L/100km
CO2 Emissions: 157 g/km
DRIVELINE: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4075 mm
Wheelbase: 2580 mm
Width: 1775 mm
Height: 1440 mm
Turning Circle: 10.5 metres
Kerb Mass: 1213 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 40 l
BRAKES:
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Solid disc
STANDARD WARRANTY:
7 year / unlimited kilometres if serviced by Hyundai (5 years / unlimited kilometres
otherwise)
