Batten down the (hot) hatches: Hyundai will redefine the performance supermini with the upcoming i20 N. It will pack a hybrid petrol/electric powertrain, taking the N brand back to its combustion-engined, more affordable roots.
The next-generation Hyundai i20 supermini has just broken cover for the Brazilian market. Hyundai will use these fundamentals to underpin a highly differentiated, European version of the high-riding hatch-cum-SUV. And as our exclusive image shows, this new i20 range will be crowned by a Nürburgring-busting hot hatch, with a lowered body, aggressive bodykit and exaggerated rear wing.
The i20 N is a pet project of Dr Manfred Harrer, Hyundai’s global head of R&D. The Munich-born engineer made his name bringing steering feel back to BMWs and Porsches, after the cars switched from hydraulic to electric power assistance in the early ’00s, having previously worked on the go-kart agility of BMW’s reborn MINI.
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Hyundai’s upcoming baby performance car is set to rival the hottest MINIs, with a likely price tag around £30,000. “We need this entry-level back for our fans,” explained Herrar. “It’s hybridised and the prototypes are running. It’s not so far out.” Expect sales to begin in 18-24 months.
Auto Express expects power to come from a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo engine, coupled to a clever twin hybrid motor transmission engineered in-house by Hyundai. The transmission can handle up to 300bhp and 380Nm of torque, giving Hyundai the potential punch to monster the first i20 N from 2021. It developed 201bhp and 275Nm from its 1.6-litre T-GDi engine, good for a blast from 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds, without any electric assistance.
