Remember when
Car journalists have the same issue with the
We’re running out of words to describe its great steering and really, really great handling. See what I mean?
N-for-Nurburgring
Enter the new
Even a decade ago, the idea of Hyundai building a class-leading hot hatch was unthinkable. The South Korean company made reliable, budget-priced vehicles for folk who didn’t particularly care about cars: white goods on wheels.
Today,
Heart on its sleeve
Creating a credible Fiesta ST rival hasn’t involved cutting corners. As well as establishing a permanent test centre at the Nordschleife,
Arch-filling 18-inch alloys, branded brake calipers, a jutting roof spoiler and a full complement of red go-faster stripes: the i20 N wears its heart on its sleeve. You wouldn’t call it pretty, but its four-square stance and fat oval tailpipe clearly mean business. More practically, it also comes with five doors – unlike, for instance, the Mini Cooper JCW or Toyota GR Yaris.
There’s more jazziness inside, including a 10.25-inch touchscreen and big-bolstered heated seats. The sat-nav flags up exciting corners in advance, while the digital dials explode into cartoon flames when you select maximum-attack N mode.
Traditionalists will be pleased to note the six-speed H-pattern gearbox (unlike the larger i30 N, there is no paddle-shift DCT option) and physical handbrake lever.
The main event
Hyundai’s 204hp four-pot isn’t as characterful as Ford’s 200hp three-cylinder engine, but it sure is effective. It punches hard from 3,000rpm and keeps on pulling, encouraged by a knuckly and wonderfully tactile manual shift.
The artificially enhanced growl and exhaust crackles will make you smile, while a rev-match function – selected via a big red ‘REV’ button on the steering wheel – helps smooth-out the frantic flow.
As you’d hope after all that ’Ring time, the i20 N’s chassis is the main event. It corners with terrier-like tenacity, Pirellis biting hard as the Torsen diff hooks the front end around. Try hard and it will lift an inside rear wheel, classic Golf GTI-style, but mostly it just grips and goes.
Taut damping and a stubborn resistance to roll mean you scarcely need to slow down. The pay-off is a restless ride that’s perhaps too stiff for some. If it meant driving an i20 N every day, I could live with it.
Meet the new boss
On balance, the Fiesta has livelier steering and handles with slightly more finesse. The
It’s a close call, but I’m giving the new car the win. Long live the compact hot hatch king. Just not for too long, OK?
PRICE: £24,995
POWER: 204hp
0-62MPH: 6.2sec
TOP SPEED: 142mph
FUEL ECONOMY: 40.4mpg
CO2 EMISSIONS: 158g/km
The post
© City AM, source