Skip advert
Advertisement

The Hyundai i20 N is dead; we take it for one last drive – car pictures of the week

In the latest issue of evo, we take the now-discontinued Hyundai i20 N for a farewell drive – these are our favourite shots

It's not often that a manufacturer produces a world-class performance car at the first time of asking, but that's exactly what Hyundai did with the i30 N in 2017. Four years later it hit another home run with the smaller but equally infectious i20 N, but just as the N division was establishing itself as a maker of truly great hot hatches, Hyundai decided to discontinue its petrol-powered performance cars in early 2024. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

In the latest issue of evo, we bid farewell to the i20 N by taking it for one last drive on spectacular roads in mid-Wales. To read the full feature, pick up a copy of evo 326 in-store or online via the evo shop

The i20 N’s ingredients are simple but executed brilliantly. It packs a feisty 201bhp 1.6-litre turbo engine and a six-speed manual into its compact size, driving the front wheels with just 1190kg to pull along. The N division was involved in the i20 project from the beginning to make it a stronger base from which to build a hot hatch, and the results are stellar. 

‘I’ve been lucky enough to run both i30 N and i20 N as long-term test cars in the past, and loved them both,’ said evo’s James Taylor.

‘The i30 N even more so than the i20 N: there’s something about the older, bigger car’s more muscular character, the extra performance of its brawny 2-litre engine over the 1.6-litre i20 and the sense that it’s a bit of a hot rod, a skunkworks-style development of a very ordinary base car into something special. But the i20 N does feel a more complete, cohesive car: you can tell N division got its mitts on the source material from the start.’

To read the full feature, grab a copy of evo issue 326.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Is the new Volkswagen Golf GTI a return to form? – car pictures of the week
Mk8.5 Volkswagen Golf GTI
Features

Is the new Volkswagen Golf GTI a return to form? – car pictures of the week

In issue 326 of evo, we get to know the Mk8.5 Golf GTI on some of the best roads in the UK – these are our favourite shots
6 Oct 2024
Peugeot 206 GTi 180 – the car world's greatest misses
Peugeot 206 GTi 180
Features

Peugeot 206 GTi 180 – the car world's greatest misses

Late to the party and betraying its heritage, the GTi 180 marked the end of Peugeot’s hot hatch highs
3 Oct 2024
Could the GR Corolla be coming to the UK? Toyota weighs in
Toyota GR Corolla
News

Could the GR Corolla be coming to the UK? Toyota weighs in

An updated Toyota GR Corolla has been spied at the Nürburgring, leading to speculation about a European introduction for the model. We asked and the J…
25 Sep 2024
Skoda Octavia vRS 2024 review – a more practical and more resolved Golf GTI
Octavia vRS FF – action
Reviews

Skoda Octavia vRS 2024 review – a more practical and more resolved Golf GTI

The Octavia vRS doesn’t just repackage a Golf GTI into a more practical form, it adds in more style and polish, too.
20 Sep 2024
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The £2m McLaren W1 is a 1257bhp successor to the P1
McLaren W1
News

The £2m McLaren W1 is a 1257bhp successor to the P1

First F1, then P1… and now W1. The next chapter in McLaren’s Ultimate Series has arrived to challenge Ferrari’s forthcoming new hypercar
6 Oct 2024
Sports cars on top in the latest car resale value charts
Toyota GR86
News

Sports cars on top in the latest car resale value charts

Sports cars may be getting more expensive, but they’re also among the slowest-depreciating cars, according to new data
7 Oct 2024
Audi TT RS Fast Fleet test – 13,000 miles in Ingolstadt's extinct sports car
Audi TT RS fast fleet front
Long term tests

Audi TT RS Fast Fleet test – 13,000 miles in Ingolstadt's extinct sports car

After more than a year and 13,000 miles, our TT RS has departed. Will we miss it and the TT as a whole?
5 Oct 2024