201bhp Hyundai i20 N breaks cover

- Powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine

- 0-100kmph in 6.7 seconds

Hyundai has dropped the veil from the first-ever i20 N. Based on the new-generation of the European supermini, the i20 N is the full-blown hot hatch from the Korean carmaker set to take on the likes of the Ford Fiesta ST and Volkswagen Polo GTI.

Powering the i20 N is a 1.6-litre T-GDi four-banger making 201bhp and 275Nm. It comes paired to the good-old three-pedal setup with six-cogs to play with. Tipping the scale at just 1190kg, the i20 N can hit 0-100kmph in just 6.7 seconds and has a top speed of 230kmph. What’s more, Hyundai also claims of the best-in-class power-to-weight ratios of 169bhp per tonne.

Based on the successful i20 World Rally Championship racecar, the i20 N has some serious hardware to back its hot hatch claims. It gets a mechanical limited-slip differential that utilises a mechanically-controlled torsion gear on the front axle for better cornering ability. There are five driving modes that can alter settings like engine response and sound, steering, ESP, and rev-matching. Oh yes, there’s also a special red button on the steering which controls rev-matching.

To make the i20 N handle the bump in power and make it more involving, Hyundai has stiffened the chassis components at 12 different points, reduced the steering ratio, and slapped on 40mm larger brakes as well. There are a host of driver aids on offer too along with a full suite of Hyundai SmartSense safety features.

There’s no denying that the new i20 is already a handsome looking hatch. With the N treatment, it looks even better with the signature N Performance Blue paint job and blacked-out roof. The red accent all around adds to its sporty appeal. Upfront there are larger intakes with aero lip and at the back, there’s a roof-mounted spoiler as well. We expected dual exhaust tips, but the single-oval exhaust sticking out the stylish diffuser doesn’t look half bad. The i20 N also sits 10mm lower to the ground on lightweight 18-inch alloy wheels that look more Italian than Korean.

On the inside, the sportier bucket seats along with steering wheel, gear knob, and foot pedals are all N-specific. The all-black cabin also gets contrast N Blue accents all around. Lastly, the centre display is also equipped with a Performance Driving Data system to monitor the driver’s on-track driving skills.

European debut of the Hyundai i20 N will happen sometime next year. We will be getting the new-gen i20 as the Elite i20 soon. Could we hope for Hyundai to get us the full-blown N model too?