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• Hyundai revealed its new i20 N.
• Hyundai’s N division is much newer than the GTI established by Volkswagen.
• The i20 N will challenge the Volkswagen Polo GTI.
• For more motorsports stories, visit www.Wheels24.co.za
Go back 10 or even 20 years, and no one really knew who Hyundai was. It is in human nature to stick with something that is tried and tested, and in this case, it was Volkswagen and Toyota.
It was in 2013 when things changed a lot for Hyundai and the Korean automotive in general. The German car designer Peter Schreyer, who previously worked for Volkswagen and above all for Kia, played an important role in the current appearance of this brand’s vehicle.
In addition to the design changes, Hyundai had a vehicle available for most segments, while also featuring its famous seven-year / 200,000 km warranty.
Would you like to see the full range of N models come to SA? Send us an email.
New Hyundai i20 N (NewsPress)
Performance lag
While they built their reputation on producing passenger cars, sedans, and SUVs, they seriously lagged behind in one area and it was a high-performance car.
They dipped their feet into uncharted waters with the Elantra Sport powering 150 kW and 275 Nm from a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder, 16-valve DOHC engine. You can’t forget the Tucson either. Definitely on par with the potential GTI, but the problem was the body shape.
Sadly, sedans are a slow dying breed in South Africa, and a young man who wants a bit of speed won’t consider a sedan or SUV as an option. The next best option is to try a different brand that meets the need for speed boxes. This is where the GTI is a sure winner.
READ: Hyundai Expands ‘N’ Offering With New i20 N, And That Means Business
Koki seem to have been used on the drawing board by working overtime ever since, as there would be no performance offering, but that all changed when the i30N was first launched in 2017 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show.
You see, the GTI is held in such high regard locally and is a benchmark by which most performance hatchbacks are measured, that gas bosses have already begun to evaluate both.
New Hyundai i20 N (NewsPress)
1, 2 Hyundai is coming for you
The I30 N has a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine that produces 202kW and 353Nm, sending power to the front axle through a six-speed manual gearbox. On paper, it beats the 7.5 GTI at 169kW even with the DSG advantage. Volkswagen fans will argue that the I30 N should be compared to the R, but with very different transmissions, there is only one winner there.
While the I30 N offers competition for the GTI, Hyundai didn’t have a little brother to compare it to against another of VW’s ‘softer’ hot hatch models. The Polo GTI generates 147 kW, also with a 2.0-liter engine and a six-speed DSG transmission.
READ: Hyundai’s Golf GTI-killer is finally here! Limited i30N lands on local soil
In a somewhat direct response, Hyundai fought back by taunting the automotive public with images of an all-new I20 N. Inspired by the WRC rally car, it will use a 1.6-liter turbo GDi engine with 150 kW and 275 Nm of torque, combined with a six-speed manual transmission.
Those figures far outshine the local version of the ‘I20 N’. It features mainly cosmetic improvements such as 17-inch alloys, side skirts, front and rear bumpers, as well as a rear spoiler. Performance wise, it only generated 85 kW. It doesn’t fit a Model N at all. In other markets, Hyundai already has Veloster, I10, Elantra, Tucson, and Kona sporting the N badge. If that’s not a statement, then I don’t know what is.
At a time when Volkswagen’s GTI models had nothing to fear, now all of a sudden there are suitors for the crown with serious credentials.
Hyundai i30 N 2020 (QuickPic)
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