The Hyundai i20 N made its debut in October 2020. The year which brought the world the coronavirus also gave us this small hot hatch from South Korea as a competitor for proven models in the segment like the Volkswagen Polo GTi and Ford Fiesta ST. There’s no future for the latter beyond 2023 but the i20 N will live to see a facelift – and now we know when the refresh is due.
Hyundai’s Australian division recently published a video featuring the company’s Executive Technical Advisor, Albert Biermann, who answered questions from fans during the 2022 Hyundai N Festival at The Bend Motorsport Park. Around the 10th minute of the video at the top of this page, Biermann was asked whether a facelift for the i20 N is planned. He gave a positive answer, also announcing a debut for this summer. “On the technical side, you don’t need to be afraid. It is still as crazy as it is,” Biermann said.
Gallery: Hyundai i20 N
Not much else beyond this confirmation is known about the refreshed i20 N, though. In its current form, the mini hot hatch has a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a peak output of 204 horsepower (152 kilowatts) and 202 pound-feet (275 Newton-meters) of torque. A six-speed manual transmission sends that power to the front wheels for a 0-62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) acceleration in 6.7 seconds.
The speedy i20 comes with a lot more than just a more powerful engine, though. The chassis, for example, is re-tuned compared to the regular i20 hatch for better drivability and handling. New joints, springs, and shock absorbers make the suspension stiffer and more stable in corners. Larger brake discs are part of the modified performance brake system.
At this point, however, we don’t know what will change with the facelifted version. We doubt there will be a new engine as this would be too big of an investment for such a niche model. We believe there will be mostly small visual tweaks, possibly combined with new performance upgrades for the suspension.
