If you think Hyundai’s i20 N pocket rocket is simply a smaller version of the i30 N, think again…
Hyundai set the hot hatch world on fire when it launched the hilariously entertaining i30 N back in 2017 and did it again last year with the arrival of the pint-sized Hyundai i20 N. Designed to snatch sales away from the Ford Fiesta ST and Volkswagen Polo GTI – and play a key role in bolstering the Hyundai brand and its burgeoning high-performance N division – the feisty i20 N impressed us at its national media launch. But how does it go as a daily driver?
Focused spec
Priced from $32,490 plus on-road costs, the 2022 Hyundai i20 N sounds expensive for something that started out as a budget-friendly city car, but it’s actually right on par for the compact hot hatch segment and even undercuts its key rivals.
As usual with a hot hatch, the bulk of the asking price can be attributed to the extensive development work that’s gone into the chassis and powertrain along with all the associated hardware, but that doesn’t mean the Hyundai i20 N is equipped like a go-kart.
Befitting of the intense-looking exterior, the Hyundai i20 N’s cabin is simple and focused, with most of the controls falling easily to hand and proving simple to locate on the fly.
Climbing into the manually-adjustable front bucket seat for the first time, the driver is greeted by Hyundai’s familiar 10.25-inch infotainment system and digital cockpit combination, along with sports pedals, a multifunction steering wheel and a chunky N-branded gear lever.
Anyone familiar with the bigger Hyundai i30 hatch’s cabin will feel at home here, albeit in closer quarters.
While hardly awash with luxury gizmos and soft-touch materials, the Hyundai i20 N still has plenty of creature comforts to make the daily grind less of a chore, so much so that we couldn’t pinpoint anything that was missing.
Keyless entry, automatic wipers, cruise control, climate control, sat-nav, smartphone mirroring, wireless phone charging, a Bose sound system and DAB+ digital radio are all included as standard, while the sports seats and driving position are both more than comfortable enough for extended trips up and down the freeway.
Safe enough
With a six-speed manual being the only transmission available – Hyundai says a dual-clutch automatic won’t fit – it’s not a great surprise to find the 2022 Hyundai i20 N misses out on radar cruise control, which is rarely found in manual-equipped cars.
However, the i20 N still comes with much of the essential safety tech expected and required of a modern passenger vehicle in 2022.
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB), driver attention monitoring, lane keep assist, lane centring, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, a reversing camera and front/rear parking sensors are all included as standard.
There’s also six airbags protecting occupants, LED headlights and tail-lights come into play at night and tyre pressure monitoring keeps a tab on the 18-inch Pirellis at each corner.
The i20 N is yet to be tested by ANCAP, so doesn’t carry an official safety rating.
Piping hot
Under the bonnet of that angry-looking little body of the 2022 Hyundai i20 N is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine developing 150kW of power and 275Nm of torque, with up to 304Nm available on overboost.
All of that force-fed shove is sent to the front wheels via a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission and an electronically-adjustable limited-slip differential.
Coupled with the standard launch control system, Hyundai says the i20 N should be able to spring from 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds.
That’s on par with rivals such as the Ford Fiesta ST and Volkswagen Polo GTI, but well behind the Toyota GR Yaris (5.2sec) and not a figure that we’re easily verifying on public roads with less-than-perfect surfaces, road debris and speed limits.
That’s not to say the i20 N isn’t fast; the get-up-and-go in second, third and fourth gears in N Mode fulfils all of its angry promises with some fantastic point-and-shoot performance, but you have to make sure you’re in the right gear for the job.
Even with the short gearing – 100km/h in sixth equals 2400ish rpm – turbo lag can hinder the overtaking performance if you’re caught wrong-footed, especially in the more sedate drive modes.
Once it’s on the boil though, the little Hyundai i20 N will slingshot around whatever’s in its way, egging you on to keep the right pedal pinned and continue rowing through the gears, straight towards a speeding fine.
A driver’s car
It’s hard to resist these temptations, too, because the 2022 Hyundai i20 N comes more and more alive the harder you push it.
Even when pottering along in Eco or Normal mode, the car will alert the driver to an upcoming S-bend or some other worthwhile corner and suggest shifting into N Mode courtesy of the N Road Sense function.
The system can be turned off, but we left it on purely for the comedic value, smiling at how juvenile this car is with such a feature each time the alert popped up on the dash.
Thing is though, the Hyundai i20 N shines brightest when it’s grabbed by the scruff of the neck and driven hard, so it’s little wonder the N engineers want you to get stuck in.
Dial up your preferred N configuration and punt it down the nearest twisty road and you’re quickly reminded this is a driver’s car and not just some lightly warmed shopping trolley.
Fire it into a bend and the front-end immediately darts in towards the apex, refusing to let go no matter how much throttle you throw at it, the front diff ensuring things stay neat and tidy as you power out towards the next corner.
Rowing through the six gears is a joy with the slick and accurate shift action backed by a well-weighted clutch and straight-up ballsy soundtrack from the hot little engine.
Down-shifting is also a doddle thanks to the switchable rev-matching system and well-positioned pedals for those who fancy a bit of heel-and-toe action.
The brakes are superb, and while the sticky Pirelli P Zero tyres do cling on for dear life in the bends, they are way too loud on Aussie coarse-chip bitumen.
But we’ll forgive the excess road noise this time around on account of it drowning out the exhaust drone inflicted by the short gearing.
Our only other gripe with the Hyundai i20 N on a day-to-day basis is its ride quality, which borders on being jarring around town and errs on the side of too firm in the country.
Obviously the trade-off is the superb body control through the bends, but we reckon there’s room to soften off the damping without losing anything in the handling department.
In an ideal world, Hyundai could even look at offering a slightly softer set-up as standard and then offer a firmer ‘Performance’ tune for those who plan on tracking their i20 N.
Pocket rocket
For anyone hoping the 2022 Hyundai i20 N would be a downsized, cut-priced Hyundai i30 N, we’re afraid you’re going to be disappointed because it just isn’t.
It stands as its own entity – a hot hatch in its own right with a distinctly different personality to its bigger stablemate.
Whereas the i30 N is a genuine performance all-rounder, the i20 N does its best work on the tightest and most technical of roads where it can use its diminutive size, punchy powertrain and short gearing to dart from one bend to the next.
What’s more, it offers all this aggression and entertainment while sipping the fuel.
During our week with the car, we averaged an indicated 6.8 litres per 100km – less than the 6.9L/100km claimed by Hyundai, and we definitely weren’t driving it conservatively.
If you liken the i30 N to a well-built Staffy, the i20 N is like a wired Jack Russell: small, feisty and itching to have a crack at your neighbour’s ankles…
And we love it.
How much does the 2022 Hyundai i20 N cost?Price: $32,490 (plus on-road costs)Available: NowEngine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrolOutput: 150kW/275Nm (304Nm on overboost)Transmission: Six-speed manualFuel: 6.9L/100km (ADR Combined)CO2: 157g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: Hyundai i20 N 2022 Review