The 2020 Hyundai i20 N could get the Kia Ceed GT’s 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine, or even a detuned version of the i30 N’s 2.0-litre mill, with a power output of around 200 hp
Hyundai was first caught testing the performance-oriented ‘N’ badged variant of the current-gen i20 in May 2019. However, it took the Korean carmaker a year and a new-gen model to confirm the news of introducing the 2020 i20 N. A video of the hot hatch wrapped in heavy camouflage and being tested on a frozen lake in Arjeplog in northern Swededn has been released, with Hyundai Motorsport’s WRC driver Thierry Neuville behind the wheel.
The 2020 i20 N was also spotted doing rounds of the Nurburgring about a week ago, but was still covered in camouflage from head to toe. Despite the camo, we can confirm that the performance-oriented hatch will feature a host of sporty bits over the regular 2020 i20, including larger wheels with bigger brakes, a dual exhaust system and a lowered suspension setup as well.
Hyundai has kept the technical specifications of the hot hatch to itself for now, but we expect the i20 N to produce somewhere in the region of 200 horsepower. It could be offered with either the Kia Ceed GT’s 1.6-liter TGDi turbocharged petrol engine, or possibly a detuned version of the larger 2.0-liter turbo-petrol powertrain, that is seen on the i30 N. In the foreign markets, the Hyundai i20 N will go up against the likes of other hot hatches including the Volkswagen Polo GTI, Ford Fiesta ST and the upcoming 2020 Peugeot 208 GTi.
Hyundai’s Indian arm is also soon going to introduce the regular 2020 i20 to the country soon, and the new-gen hatchback will retain its rivalry with the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Honda Jazz and the VW Polo in the country. Just like the outgoing model, the third-gen model will set new standards in the premium hatchback segment.
The Euro-spec 2020 i20 will get a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which will be integrated with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto connectivity, satellite navigation and voice command, a premium sound system consisting of 8-speakers sourced from Bose, a wireless smartphone charger and a fully digital instrument cluster as well. However, a few features might be skipped out on when Hyundai brings the car to India.