Brand New Hyundai i20 1.6T GDi N 5dr

By Jonathan Crouch

Introduction

By 2020, Hyundai's N division was establishing quite a track record with its shopping rockets. That was when we got the smallest of them, the rather endearingly frantic i20N.

History

If you like your small hatches serious and spicy and want one from the 2020-2023 period, Hyundai's wild i20N will be right up your street. Compared with the Madras served up by its Fiesta ST arch-rival, it's a bit more Vindaloo, but if you think that's what a shopping rocket supermini should really be about, you'll like this one very much indeed. Performance branding can sometimes be a disappointment - names like CUPRA and DS spring to mind. But Hyundai's N Series of uber-fast hatches proved to be anything but. Masterminded by former BMW M Series boss Albert Biermann, credibility for the Korean maker's hot hatches was achieved remarkably quickly. Things kicked off in 2017 with a car we really liked, the i30N, which got closer to unsettling the Golf GTI than we ever thought it would. That model's was then in 2020 followed up with two more, the Kona N small performance crossover; and the subject of this review, the i20N, a ballistic supermini-on-steroids aimed directly at the small fast hatch champion, Ford's Fiesta ST. By 2020, the Hyundai N recipe had become a familiar one. Take the standard hatch; stiffen it up a bit; insert a bigger, gutsier engine. Then remove the wheels, brakes and suspension and replace with circuit-tuned parts. Finally, season with a bit of madcap visual drama. Which clues you in for what you're in for with this i20N. It sold until late 2023.

What You Get

Perhaps wanting to do something a bit different to the understated look championed by rivals, Hyundai gave this i20N a fully fledged 'Max Power'-style World Championship Rally demeanour - as you could say it was entitled to do given its World Rally Champion manufacturer status in the period of development. You certainly won't lose this car in the Long stay car park. The rally references are obvious with the use of a proper roof-mounted wing, rather than the usual subtle spoiler. And there's a serious-looking serrated lower diffuser too, housing a big fat oval exhaust, though it's surrounded by a rather unnecessarily large amount of 'Tomato Red' flashing. In profile, the standard i20's wedge-shaped silhouette, emphasised by a rather unique swept-up design around the C and D-pillars, works well with the shopping rocket embellishment - the red lower side sill stripe, the black mirrors and an optional black contrast-coloured roof. There are lovely details too, like the silver i20 badge just above the rear wheel arch and branded red calipers for the N Performance Braking System peeping out between the spokes of the 18-inch Matt Grey light alloy wheels. Of course, you'll want overtaking presence too, delivered at the front by a bespoke red-trimmed lip spoiler and a black branded grille with a unique chequered flag-inspired pattern, though which you can just about glimpse the huge intercooler necessary to calm the throbbing turbo. After all that, it'd be disappointing to get inside and find a merely mildly warmed-over interior. Don't worry though: that wasn't what was served up here. Instead, this cabin's full of serious statements of intent. Like the firmly contoured blue-stitched steering wheel with its blue N mode paddles and prominent red 'Rev'-matching button. And the N Sport Seats with blue branding that grip you properly around the nether regions. All the shopping rocket detailing you'd want is present and correct too; a perfectly positioned gear lever with serrated black and silver finishing; N-branded door sill tread plates; race-style silver pedals; and blue stitching to decorate the upholstery, the handbrake, the door cards and the gearshift gaitor. Shopping rocket fans will love it all. But not perhaps quite as much as what they'll find on the two 10.25-inch screens that dominate the dash. Prod either of the blue N wheel paddles and the Digital Supervision Cluster transforms from a twin-dial display into a single rev counter gauge to the rather chintzy accompaniment of a fiery ring. And the complementing Centre Console Display has an 'N mode' section with a home screen for serious drive info: or you can swipe across to Custom screens that allow you to tailor responses for engine, steering, rev matching, ESC and exhaust sound. Plus you can also activate Launch Control for Grand Prix getaways and select from a further menu of 'Performance Options'. Brilliant. And in the rear? Well, unlike its arch-rival, Ford's Fiesta ST, the i20N couldn't be had with the alternative of a sportier three-door body style, but the designers did try to deliver some of that look with the swept-back tapering roof silhouette, something that will slightly impede access for taller folk. The doors open nice and wide though and once inside, you'll find that this Hyundai has as much rear space for legs and knees as you could reasonably expect in this class; there's certainly a little more than is offered by the five-door version of that rival Fiesta. Headroom isn't quite so noteworthy, thanks to said roof line, but this design's relatively wide exterior width and notably low centre transmission tunnel mean it'd be just about realistic to take a trio of passengers back here if you absolutely had to, though the raised central cushion won't do much for the comfort of the middle occupant. As for the boot, well lift the hatch and you're greeted with quite an accommodating luggage area, 352-litres in size, which is a useful 60-litres larger than you'd get from that Fiesta ST. One day, a supermini maker will offer the flexibility of either a ski hatch or a 40:20:40 seatback split, but back in 2020 that day hadn't yet come, so there's just a conventional 60:40-split backrest that lowers to reveal a 1,165-litre total capacity.

What to Look For

Generally, most i20N customers we surveyed seemed very happy with their cars but there are a few things you need to look out for. The spring used in the exhaust opening valve proved weak, causing a rattle. You can get a Hyundai dealer to replace the exhaust if the car is still under warranty, but the rattle will probably return, so it's probably sensible to get a better after-market spring, which will cost you around £65 plus fitting. Some owners have reported a problem with the fuel pump. And some have complained about the grip from the standard Pirelli tyres. Generally, i20N owners seem to think it's better to switch to Michelin Pilot Sport 4 or 5-branded tyres, which also apparently reduce juddering at the front under full lock. We've come across reports of tailgate rattling, plus paint issues on early models, so watch for that if you're looking at an 2020 or 2021-era car. As with an ordinary i20, check all the media tech on your test drive - and the workings of the navigation system (if fitted) to see if it's been kept up to date. Check the touchscreens and Bluetooth connectivity. Check the upholstery for cuts and stains. And inspect the alloy wheels for kerbing damage. Check all the electrical functions too. And insist on a fully stamped-up service history. Just one recall was recorded for this model; an issue that the vehicle VIN information might not be registering correctly in the eCall unit. A reset and update of the unit is required to fix this problem; make sure this has been done at a dealer visit.

Replacement Parts

(approx based on a 2021 i20N - Ex Vat) Rear brake pads sit in the £18 bracket. Front brake discs sit in the £96 bracket. An air filter is around £5. An oil filter is around £8-£17. A wiper blade is in the £12-£18 bracket. A water pump is around £103.

On the Road

On paper, most of the right figures are delivered here for fully paid-up membership of the frantically fast section of the hot hatch supermini sector. There's a 1.6-litre four cylinder turbo engine developing 204PS and 275Nm of torque - pretty much what you'll get from a rival Ford Fiesta ST. The i20N's performance figures near-replicate those of that Ford too; rest to 62mph in 6.7s (the ST is 6.5s) on the way to 143mph. But those stats don't really deliver the full story here. For that, in driving this car you'll need to have properly programmed in what lies behind the blue steering wheel N buttons. They're your access point to the fieriest 'N' mode - and beyond that for the most bespoke 'N Custom' settings for the cheesily-named 'N Grin Control' system, which also includes Hyundai's usual 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport' modes. The parameters for the two 'N Custom' settings - one behind each blue paddle - can be programmed on the centre screen like you would in a BMW M car, selecting your favoured pre-sets for engine response, steering weight, ESC intervention and the rev-matching function, plus you can alter the bassy note of the big-bore exhaust; brilliant. Get all this right and you'll get yourself a really engaging tarmac tool. The steering's sharp, the 6-speed manual gear shift is sweet, grip from the bespoke Pirelli P-Zero rubber is prodigious and there's enough traction to make the most of the 1.6-litre motor, though it's easy to spin the wheels away from rest if you're not careful with your right foot. Pedal feel from the 'N Performance Braking System' is great thanks to front discs increased by 40mm in size over an ordinary i20. Rev matching can be activated separately via a big red button on the steering wheel, for sportier down-shifts. And body roll's kept well in check by the stiff chassis, reinforced at 12 different points to suit this N model's higher performance remit. Is it all enough, overall, to make this car a more engaging steer than a rival Fiesta ST? You might think so: the fact that this Hyundai's a fraction lighter seems to help its point-to-point agility - and it certainly sounds more potent, with all manner of pops and crackles on the over-run when you brake for a bend, ready to activate the 'N Corner Carving Differential' mechanical limited slip differential: this, along with performance shift lights and Launch Control, features as standard here - all three features were optional on that rival Ford. A Fiesta ST's three cylinder unit would be slightly more efficient though - this Hyundai can only manage 40.4mpg on the combined cycle and 158g/km of CO2. But you don't choose a car like this on the basis of economy. As a driving tool, Hyundai got this almost right first time. Just as it did with the i30N.

Overall

Appearances can be deceptive. On paper, in price and power terms, the i20N seems to be aimed directly at Ford's Fiesta ST. Then you set eyes on this Korean shopping rocket and it instantly seems far more 'Max Power', far more hard core than the uber-confident little Ford. It can't be a usable commuting tool in the way that Fiesta is - can it? But the i20N is - in fact, it's arguably better. Yet is just as good at delivering when the road starts twisting and you feel like stretching its legs. When you do that, you get a rawer, more aggressive thing - and you'll need to be ready for that - but this is motorsport tuning you could live with. In this day and age - on the roads you drive, with the life you live - do you really need more of a performance car than this? Yes, there are elements of this Hyundai that aren't quite as polished as its Ford arch-rival. But these are the things that make it what it is. And if you like what it is, you'll like it very much indeed.