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.
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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.