Hyundai i20 N (2021 - 2024) - performance and 0-60
Has all the performance you could reasonably expect at this price and size
Hyundai claims the i20 N will reach 62mph in 6.2sec and go on to a top speed of 143mph. This is 0.3 faster than the Fiesta ST, which will do the same sprint in 6.5sec, but it’ll top out 1mph ahead at 144mph. What the numbers don’t tell you about is the little Hyundai’s character.
In typical N fashion it comes with turbocharger whistles, a rasp from the exhaust and plenty of pops and bangs. It’s very similar in character to the i30 N’s unit, and is more boisterous than the three-cylinder unit found in the Fiesta ST.
However, when it comes to ultimate performance and response, the i20 N’s unit does lack that final ten per cent of sparkle. It doesn’t quite leap towards the red line with the enthusiasm that the best turbocharged fours do – we’re thinking of the now long-dead Peugeot 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport, or previous-generation 1.6-litre Fiesta ST.
This can be put down to the Hyundai using an engine that was never really designed to be such a high performance, instead being designed for use in Hyundai/Kia's more sedate models. As a result, underneath its raucous character, it just isn’t quite as scythe-sharp or reactive as Ford’s three-cylinder, let alone Toyota's.
Yet as with the 2-litre Theta unit in the Hyundai i30 N it doesn’t destroy the experience, far from it in fact, but neither does it shine, or even just enhance the overall package. It’s definitely a supporting role in an otherwise brilliantly executed package.
