Verdict
The i20 N marks another outstanding step for Hyundai’s performance division, mixing a fun chassis set-up with strong performance. It’s close to landing a knockout blow on the Fiesta ST on driving dynamics, but in its own way it matches the Ford for charm – and then goes on to outscore it on other characteristics like space, standard kit and value for money. We’d say that makes it a pretty stellar hot supermini overall.
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Hyundai is a brand casting a broad net at the moment. The Korean firm is getting really major about its electric Ioniq sub-brand, but at the same time it’s still trying to establish N as a performance division.
It’s been making solid progress in both areas; the i30 N was a good first effort as a hot hatch, and we were amazed by its smaller stablemate, the i20 N, when we tried it in left-hand-drive form earlier this year. now we’ve had a chance to drive the finished right-hand-drive car on UK roads.
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While the i30 N was conceived and developed after the base model had been launched, the Fiesta ST rival was stitched into the original design of this generation of i20. That implied input from day one from Albert Biermann, the former head of BMW’s M division who is now responsible for all of Hyundai’s car dynamics. how has his team used this starting point? rather well, it turns out. On paper at least, the i20 N has all the ingredients of a great small hot hatch.
