Hyundai i20 N Review 2024

The Hyundai i20 N is a serious hot hatch to come from a company better known for producing more sensible transport, and proves that the South Korean brand is committed to taking on big rivals such as the Ford Fiesta ST and exhilarating Toyota Yaris GR at their own game. Read on for our full Hyundai i20 N review.

Taking the regular Hyundai i20 small hatch as the starting point, the Hyundai i20 N adds a number of visual and mechanical upgrades.

A new front bumper with large air intake, side skirts, rear spoiler and lower diffuser are matched by unique 18-inch alloy wheels as well as numerous ‘N’ logos.

Colour choices include the signature Performance Blue, which works well with the red flashes around the bumpers and sills.

Inside, there are dedicated sports seats as well as an N-specific steering wheel, gear knob and pedals, plus numerous flashes of Performance Blue dotted around the cabin.

There are additional features in the displays, too, such as a variable LED red zone for the rev counter, and a shift timing light to indicate when to change gears for best performance.

Under the bonnet, the Hyundai i20 N uses a 1.6-litre turbocharged GDi engine offering 204PS and 275Nm of torque, and with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard it can reach 62mph from rest in 6.7 seconds and go on to a maximum speed of 143mph.

That’s an undeniably strong set of figures, which puts it very close to the Ford Fiesta ST.

Out on the road, the engine feels as strong as those figures suggest. A strong spread of torque means that acceleration is available almost regardless of engine speed, and even if you do choose to rev the engine hard, it does so willingly.

The six-speed gearbox is also slick in its action, which helps to make the most of the performance, although the engine note is less exciting than you might hope for, with the artificial sound generator doing little to help.

Other elements to enhance the driving experience include a reinforced bodyshell, a 10mm suspension drop, a new anti-roll bar and revised settings for both the springs and dampers.

In addition, the drive modes alter a wide range of settings, including the steering, throttle, exhaust, Electronic Stability Control, rev-matching function and even left-foot braking, as well as provide the ability to make custom settings.

The result is a car that genuinely feels worthy of its hot hatch status.

It may take some time to find the ideal settings within the drive modes, but the keenness of the steering and the amount of grip available means it can be quick across the ground or as playful as you like.

It also gives you the choice of taking full control or having the electronics help you out.

With a strong standard specification and a reasonable price tag, the Hyundai i20 N hits all the right notes and is worthy of serious consideration for anyone looking for a pocket rocket.

The Hyundai i20 N is already at something of an advantage by being five-door only, so accessing the rear seats is easy.

Once there, a surprising amount of room is available for a car of this size, although the N version does give a little away compared to the regular Hyundai i20 on account of the bulkier sports front seats.

Those in the front fare well, and there’s a good range of adjustment in the driver’s seat and the steering wheel, so getting comfortable should be easy for anyone.

The sports seats certainly look the part and are comfortable, although they don’t grip you as much as you might wish for during keen cornering.

With 352 litres of boot space on offer with the rear seats in place, the Hyundai i20 N is competitive with other cars in this class, and there’s an adjustable boot floor which means you can create separate sections to keep more delicate items safe.

In some respects, the Hyundai i20 N is better than the standard car in this area, as the increased specification brings a more premium feel to the cabin – in particular the sports seats, which have leather elements and smart stitching.

The same goes for the steering wheel, which has a chunky leathered rim and flashes of colour. It certainly feels good in your hands.

Even so, much of the interior is carried over from the standard car – as with most of its rivals – and the mix of hard plastics feels less forgivable here, given you are paying considerably more than a conventional Hyundai i20 costing thousands less.

In truth, when you are on the move, the key contact points are well-finished and the switches generally operate with a solid feel.

So it is only when poking around the lower sections of the interior that you are reminded of the Hyundai i20 N’s relatively humble origins.

As standard, the Hyundai i20 N gets the firm’s higher-specification infotainment system, which means a generous 10.25-inch central screen as well as a similarly-sized digital instrument display.

The displays are clear, and the Hyundai i20 N offers some unique features, including the ability to show information such as g-force, drive mode settings and even launch control activation, all of which adds to the sporty feel.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and there’s wireless phone charging, as well as a USB port front and rear.

The main infotainment screen responds reasonably well to inputs, but can occasionally lag a little when tapping an icon, and the sheer number and size of icons on the main screen can make it difficult to select the right option when on the move.

However, you do have the option to pinch and swipe as you would with a smartphone or tablet.

The standard audio is a six-speaker set-up that offers reasonable performance, but the optional Bose system adds an extra pair of speakers and brings a notable increase in sound quality.

At the time of writing, the basic price of the Hyundai i20 N is £26,530.

This compares favourably with rivals such as the Volkswagen Polo GTI, which starts at over £30,000 – albeit with a 2.0-litre engine – and the Ford Fiesta ST, which currently retails at £27,380.

A high standard specification includes the infotainment system, 18-inch alloy wheels, heated seats, climate control and a long list of driver-assistance systems, as well as the performance enhancements, which include a limited-slip differential, rev matching and the active exhaust.

Some used examples have already found their way into the market. A 2021 example with a modest 25,000 miles on the clock will sell for a fraction under £20,000.

Despite the performance on offer, the Hyundai i20 N is still a relatively lightweight and compact car, so the official combined fuel consumption of 40.3mpg means that it can be frugal if driven in the right way.

VED will cost a modest £180 a year, too, while the insurance group of 27 might seem high for a car of this size, but it’s not really with this amount of power and performance.

Expectations were high given how impressively the bigger Hyundai i30 N performs, and the Hyundai i20 N certainly got off to a good start.

During the development of the conventional Hyundai i20, the chief engineer of the brand’s N division was involved to ensure the basic platform was of the required standard.

The changes to the suspension go further than the usual stiffer springs and dampers, with more substantial steering knuckles at the front, and a stronger torsion beam at the rear, as well as additional bracing in the chassis for greater stiffness and therefore better handling response.

The result is a small hot hatch that feels more mature and capable than its size would suggest.

There is a lot of grip on offer, in part thanks to the Pirelli tyres, and it gives a lot of confidence to the driver.

The mechanical limited-slip differential is a big help, too, allowing the driver to accelerate earlier out of corners without descending into wheelspin.

The driver also has the option to deactivate the Electronic Stability Control completely, so it can be hurled around with more freedom, and even then the Hyundai i20 N responds with enthusiasm.

The payoff is that the ride quality is noticeably firmer than on the standard car, but for the most part, it is on the acceptable side of firm, and still deals well with urban imperfections.

At speed, on more challenging roads, it keeps the body under good control, demonstrating that the basic elements of the suspension are spot on rather than being helped out by electronic add-ons.

The single engine option in the Hyundai i20 N is a 1.6-litre turbocharged GDI engine with 204PS and 275Nm of torque.

In a car that weighs a little over 1200kg, the result is sparkling performance.

The top speed of 143mph and 0-62mph of 6.7 seconds – helped by the launch control function – are right up there with the Ford Fiesta ST, and it’s unlikely you’ll ever feel it lacks power.

With a broad spread of torque available from low engine speeds, acceleration feels lively whatever the revs, and there’s no need to throw the gear lever around to make good progress.

Even so, the gearshift is slick enough to ensure changing gears isn’t a chore, and the rev-matching function means you can shift down at high engine speeds without fear of upsetting the car’s balance.

Slightly less impressive is the sound from the engine, regardless of whether you have the noise generator switched on or off.

Given it is a small capacity turbo engine, it was never going to sound amazing. But because the rest of the specification is so strong, it’s a shame there isn’t more of a rally-car vibe.

Economy-wise, the Hyundai i20 N is as good as you could hope, with an official combined figure of 40.3mpg within reach.

And thanks to the generous torque on offer, it is a car that is just as happy trundling through city traffic at low speeds as it is attacking a B-road.

Euro NCAP has not tested the Hyundai i20 N, but it did carry out its usual tests on the standard version in 2021, with a four-star overall rating.

It scored 76% for adult protection, a strong 82% for child protection, 76% for pedestrian mitigation and 67% for safety assist.

However, the i20 N comes with higher grade safety systems as standard.

Larger brakes, wider tyres, Forward Collision Assist, Lane Following Assist and Blind Spot Collision Warning are all standard, which is a comprehensive set of kit for a car of this size.

The Hyundai i20 N has an unbraked towing capacity of 450kg and a braked towing capacity of 1110kg, which is reasonable given the size of the car.

But there may be better options if you plan to regularly tow larger loads.

As standard the Hyundai i20 N comes with LED front and rear lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, tinted rear windows, leather and cloth heated front sports seats, height adjustable driver’s seat, four electric windows, heated steering wheel and climate control.

There’s also a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, cruise control, Lane Keep Assist, Forward Collision Avoidance, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist, automatic wipers, rear parking sensors and rear camera, USB inputs, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, Bluetooth and a mechanical limited-slip differential.