Hyundai i20 N to return as affordable hybrid hot hatch
Previous i20 N was so good we named it Hot Hatch of the Year, but Hyundai discontinued the model in 2024...
Hyundai is preparing to resurrect the i20 N hot hatch as a far more affordable alternative to the brilliant but pricey Ioniq 5 N, according to Manfred Harrer – the President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D division.
Speaking to What Car?, Harrer said: “We need this entry-level model back for our [performance car] fans. To my eyes, a new i20 N for Europe is a must, and we are working really intensively to do this sooner rather than later.”
The Korean brand discontinued the old, petrol-engined i20 N – and its bigger brother, the i30 N – back in early 2024 to concentrate on high-performance electric cars.
Today’s N line-up includes not only the Ioniq 5 N hot hatch, but the Ioniq 6 N saloon (below). However, as impressive as these models are (they have four and five-star What Car? ratings, respectively) each costs £65,800.
Harer admits this is a problem, saying “The gap is too big” between Hyundai's previous petrol N models and their much more powerful electric successors.
One of the things that will help make the new i20 N more affordable than those successors is it won’t be fully electric. Instead, it will be a hybrid, Harrer confirmed, albeit one where the electrification is at least as much about enhancing performance as it is improving efficiency.
“I want to be able to go to the Nürburgring with the thing and do really successful lap times – better than those of the old car,” Harrer said. “This is a must, plus it needs to feel like it has a proper performance powertrain. And it will – don’t worry about that.”
Hyundai isn't the only brand to have discontinued its affordable petrol hot hatches in recent years; right now, the Mini Cooper S has that market to itself.
Earlier this month, a new, regular Hyundai i20 was revealed in Brazil, and design-wise this represented quite a departure from the outgoing model.
Indeed, with a higher roofline and black plastic cladding around its wheel arches, sills and bumpers, it looked more like a small SUV than today’s Renault Clio and Skoda Fabia rival.
It remains to be seen, though, whether this version will be sold globally, or if we’ll get a different i20 in the UK and Europe.
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