2022 Hyundai i20 N Review

HYUNDAI continues to expand its sporty N Division product line-up in Australia. The Korean brand has launched a pair of newcomers to complement its lauded i30 N – itself a relatively new rival to hot hatch stalwarts such as the Ford Focus ST and Volkswagen Golf GTI. 

The i20 N – a pocket rocket that competes with the Ford Fiesta ST and Volkswagen Polo GTI – and the Kona N, a light SUV with a menacing turbocharged persona, have joined Hyundai’s local portfolio this month. What’s more, a sedan version of the i30 N is due to arrive well before the end of the year… and even more N models are on their way Down Under.

The i20 N is the second performance model from the Korean brand’s N Division to be offered locally. Priced from $32,490 plus on-road costs, the i20 N retains all the practicality of other i20 derivatives, but, by virtue of its turbocharged 1.6-litre engine, six-speed manual gearbox and mechanical limited slip differential (LSD) is no work-a-day shopping trolley.

Offered in a single, highly specified grade, the i20 N is the epitome of a bang-for-your-buck performance proposition. It packs the kind of driveline technology found in models with far higher sticker prices, all of which is wrapped in a reinforced bodyshell crammed with the brand’s latest SmartSense driver assistance- and safety technologies. 

With ride and handling characteristics optimised by Hyundai Motor Company Australia’s in-house suspension specialists, the i20 N is ready to hit the track straight out of the box with an uprated clutch, larger brake rotors and -pads, grippy Pirelli rubber, a mechanical LSD, as well as a punchy twin-cam engine that’s ready to go toe-to-toe with the best in its class.