PROS ›› Awesome handling, aggressive looks, light CONS ›› Cheap interior, little low-end torque, overly-light shifter
There’s something eternally appealing about small, feisty hatchbacks. Affordable, tossable, and surprisingly capable, they punch far above their weight and are often more fun than cars twice their size and price. I’ve always had a soft spot for pint-sized hot hatches. Models like the Ford Fiesta ST and Mk3 Renault Clio are icons in this niche, and I even used to own a Clio myself. Now, the Hyundai i20 N earns a seat at the table, and in Australia, it’s essentially in a class of one.
Ford no longer sells the Fiesta ST, and Renault has quietly abandoned the RS version of the current Clio, leaving the i20 N’s without any true like-for-like rivals in its segment. Its closest competition might actually come from within Hyundai’s own stable, in the form of the i30 N.
While the i30 N is a larger, more powerful machine, it overlaps with the i20 N in spirit by offering a similar mix of performance and personality at a still-reasonable price. When judged by the classic fun-per-dollar metric, the i20 N stands out as one of the best values on the market today.
QUICK FACTS
Photo Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Hyundai has been selling the i20 N for several years now, but for 2025, the hatch has been updated. As is often the case, the changes are minor, but make no mistake: the Korean hot hatch remains a seriously tempting proposition.
Visually, the most obvious difference between this new model and the old one is the grille. It has a slightly different pattern and a new satin black finish that are complemented by stealthy black badges. Hyundai has also fitted a set of newly-styled 18-inch black and silver wheels, while inside, it now includes support for the brand’s Bluelink connectivity services, over-the-air-updates, and it gets LED interior lighting.
Mechanically, nothing has changed. That means the i20 N still is still powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder rated at 201 hp (150 kW) and 203 lb-ft (275 Nm) of torque, although that does briefly jump up to 224 lb-ft (304 Nm) when overboost kicks in. On paper, these figures may not sound like much, particularly since the i30 N’s larger 2.0-liter turbo four packs 276 hp (206 kW) and 289 lb-ft (392 Nm). However, on the road, the i20 N feels every bit as special as its bigger brother and it isn’t much slower either.
In terms of price, the i20 N is hard to beat. Before on-road costs in Australia, it starts at AU$35,500 (~$22,400). By comparison, a 2025 i30 N with the available six-speed manual starts at AU$50,000 (~$31,600). Unfortunately for our US readers, the i20 N never has and never will make it to their shores. That’s a shame, but even if it did, it probably wouldn’t sell particularly well due to American buyers having a gene that causes them to display an allergic reaction to anything the market deems “small”.
The Cabin Is Perfectly Fine But Lacks Flair
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
If there’s an area of the i20 N that feels reflective of its price tag, it has to be the interior.
It’s virtually impossible to find a car at this price point with a premium cabin, and it’s no different with the i20 N. Soft-touch surfaces are few and far between, and there’s plenty of cheap black plastic. However, we have similar complaints with the i30 N hatch, and this one is much more expensive. Fortunately, Hyundai has nailed the functionality part and done a good job of packing in plenty of technology, too.
Standing out is a 10.25-inch infotainment displa, joined by a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The infotainment screen is more neatly incorporated into the dashboard than in the i30 N and has an easy-to-understand operating system. However, Hyundai has been using this same basic setup for years now and it’s starting to feel a little dated, particularly given how new Chinese brands have pushed the software envelope.
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Elsewhere, the i20 N is sold exclusively with black cloth seats, rather than the fancier leather ones of its bigger brother. There’s also a perfectly-sized steering wheel with two N Mode buttons and a bright red switch to enable or disable the automatic rev-matching function.
Despite the i20 N’s compact size, the cabin feels surprisingly spacious, and even the space in the rear is reasonable. It would be nice if the front seats could be adjusted a little lower, but beggars can’t be choosers, I suppose.
Thrills For Days
Photo Credits: Brad Anderson/Carscoops
The Hyundai i20 N has always been lauded for its dynamism, and we’re happy to report that it’s just as fun to drive now as it was back in 2021. Make no mistake, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything for the money that creates the kind of smiles per mile of the i20 N, without looking at the used market for an older hot hatch.
Read: We Take The 2022 Hyundai i20 N On A 1300-Mile Roadtrip
As mentioned, the i20 N rocks a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 201 hp (150 kW), whereas larger, more mature, and more expensive hot hatches are usually up in the 268 hp – 315 hp (200 kW – 235 kW) range, including the i30 N and Honda Civic Type R. But, while living with the i20 for 10 days, I was never left wanting for more power.
In a straight line, we recorded a best 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time of 7.0 seconds with a Dragy GPS timer, but we know it can dip into the 6-second range. More powerful front-wheel drive hot hatches often also need about 6 seconds to hit 100 km/h, but in those, you typically have to fight plenty of wheelspin to get the best time. In the i20 N, a gentle take off and pinning the throttle is all that’s needed to extract the most out of it.
However, Hyundai has included a launch control system for those not interested in being smooth. As standard, it holds the revs at 4,000 rpm and lets you floor the throttle and dump the clutch. It’d be better described as ‘burnout control,’ as the moment you let off the clutch, the front tires spin into oblivion, creating plumes of tire smoke. Launch control is fun, but it’s not the quickest way to get off the line.
The rolling acceleration is also good. We recorded consistent times of 5.6 seconds running from 60-120 km/h (37 – 75 mph), and that’s only about a second off most bigger hot hatches. Aiding in the i20 N’s respectable acceleration figures is the fact that it can hit 100 km/h in second gear, rather than requiring a change into third gear, which is common.
The 1.6-liter does need to be revved to get the most out of it. Before 4,000 rpm, it feels pretty gutless. However, once you hit 4,000 rpm, it instantly comes to life, feeling a little bit like VTEC kicking in with a Honda. Unfortunately, it’ll only rev to 6,700 rpm, meaning there’s only 2,700 rpm of useable power to play with.
For all the talk about straight-line performance, that’s really not why anyone would buy a car like this. Like other N products, the i20 N thrives when the roads get twisty. In fact, on a tight, technical mountain road, it will keep up with much more expensive sports cars.
All examples leave the factory equipped with a set of 215/40 Pirelli P Zero tires developed specifically for the Hyundai N division and a mechanical limited-slip differential. This combination means you can fly into a corner, pin the throttle halfway through, and the i20 N will sling you into the apex without breaking a sweat. It’s very difficult to push into the slightest form of understeer, no matter how fast you’re going, and occasionally, one of the rear wheels will lift up into the air.
Read: 2024 Hyundai i30 N Sedan Perfects Price-Performance Ratio
For sheer on-road fun, the i20 N’s size and power make it just about perfect. You can push it to its limits without doing crazy speeds, and it thrives in the wet just as well as it does in the dry. It’ll be easy on your bank balance, too, and we averaged 7.1 l/100 km (33.1 US mpg) during our time with it. Hyundai claims 6.9 l/100 km (34 US mpg).
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Like other Hyundai N products, there are plenty of ways to customize the driving experience. The engine, steering, rev-matching, ESC, and exhaust all have three different profiles. I predominately kept the engine in Sport+, steering in Sport, rev-matching in Sport+, ESC in in Sport, and the exhaust in Sport+.
Speaking of the exhaust, it produces some lovely pops on the overrun, but they are much more muffled than they are in the i30 N. However, on startup, the exhaust does produce a weird metallic ring, and it almost sounds like something is broken. However, once everything’s warmed up, that unpleasant sound goes away.
The shifting action is good but lacks feel and does not provide enough resistance. Additionally, the clutch pedal was way too light for me. I could probably blow on the pedal through a straw, and it would depress. That’s nice for ease of use, and when stuck in traffic, but it’s not so good when you’re enjoying a spirited drive.
Get One Before They’re Gone
It’s highly likely that the 2025 model will mark the final chapter for the i20 N. Production for the European market ended in early 2024, and Australia now stands as one of the last remaining strongholds where it’s still available. If Hyundai decides to build another compact hot hatch in this spirit, it will almost certainly be all-electric, and it’s unlikely we’ll see it before the next decade rolls around, if at all.
The 2025 i20 N isn’t without its flaws, but as a driver’s car, it continues to shine. It’s quick, composed, and engaging in all the right ways. Add in its solid efficiency, decent practicality, and competitive pricing, and it becomes clear why this little hatchback has earned such praise. Like the rest of Hyundai’s N division lineup, it delivers an experience that punches well above its weight, and as such, it’s bound to be fondly remembered long after the last one leaves the showroom.