After losing a few of its big names over the years, the sub-compact hot hatch game is set to soon gain a competitor in the form of the Hyundai i20 N.
Almost a year to the day that the first images of an interesting i20 test mule was spotted in Europe, the Korean manufacturer has released its first official videos of its new pint-sized hot hatch; the fourth different model to get an 'N' variant following the i30, Veloster, and Tucson.
Making use of the marque's leading World Rally Championship driver Thierry Neuville, the two clips show the i20 N out testing on the snow in Arjeplog, Sweden. It's a facility known for both handling and adverse temperature tests for new vehicles. Neuville is shown at the wheel of not only the i20 N, but also the RM19 concept and his own WRC car.
“Very interesting car. Very precise. Very easy handling,” he says of the i20 N. “The engine is revving nicely and the noise is very interesting as well. I’m looking forward to get this one to drive in WRC.”
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While it's coated with a thick layer of camouflage, there's still a few things we can learn about the i20 N via these teaser clips. For a start, we can hear that Hyundai has done its best to replicate the spluttering sound of the i30 N. We can also see flashes of its Michelin rubber, its shapely bucket seats, and the way it seems to happily handle the snowy conditions.
While the sub-compact hot hatch game is a little depleted these days, it's arguably as competitive as ever. The Suzuki Swift Sport has the bottom end of the segment covered nicely, the Volkswagen Polo GTI is a surprising savage, and the three-banger Ford Fiesta ST is better than ever.
Expect the i20 N to fit into the frey somewhere close to the Fiesta. Some have rumoured that it may come with a 1.6-litre turbocharged four derived from a petrol unit in the Tucson. But, like most of the i20 N's details, that's still to be confirmed.
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