Hyundai i20 N 2025 Review

Further proving just how much the N brand is valued in Australia, the hotted-up small hatch is the only version of the i20 available here.

Eagle-eyed readers will note that the price has risen since its 2021 launch. Back then the pint-sized hero lobbed for $32,490 plus on-road costs (ORCs). Now, and after the mildest-of-mild facelifts, the manual-only i20 N commands a $36,500 (plus ORCs) price tag.

Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty applies and the i20 N comes with 12 months of premium roadside assistance (that’s extended every 12 months if you opt to service at an authorised dealer). Service intervals are on the shorter side at every 12 months or 10,000km and each visit averages out to about $380 for the first five years.

As for direct rivals, well, there really aren’t any. The Ford Fiesta ST was the default, but it’s no longer on sale. The Volkswagen Polo GTI packs a detuned Golf GTI engine but only comes with a dual-clutch gearbox. A cheaper option is the Suzuki Swift Sport, yet it can’t hold a candle to the i20 N for outright performance.

A few rear-drive, manual options are available for an extra spend and include the Mazda MX-5 as well as the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 twins.

The 2025 Hyundai i20 N receives some visual tweaks to keep it looking fresh.

The biggest exterior change is the shift up to 18-inch alloy wheels, with the Y-spoke design coming with a machined silver finish. Elsewhere there’s a new front grille and the latest revised Hyundai and N badging.

The cabin gains LED interior lighting and the same upgrade to the badges, which can be found on the new leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob. Otherwise, it continues unchanged with keyless entry and push-button start, LED headlights/taillights, cloth-covered, manually adjustable bucket-style front seats and single-zone climate control.

While our test car wasn’t optioned with metallic paint ($595), it does feature the two-tone roof, which is a $1000 premium.

The 2025 Hyundai i20 N has not been crash tested by ANCAP and doesn’t have an official safety rating.

Still, for a small car it comes with active safety tech like autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention monitor, road sign recognition, parking sensors and a reversing camera.

While the i20 N has cruise control, it isn’t a radar-based system and it also misses out on a useful 360-degree camera. It’s fitted with six airbags, while there are dual ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchorages.

Despite being based on a budget-friendly light hatchback, the 2025 Hyundai i20 N is packed with large screens and a level of tech that defies its roots.

Ahead of the driver is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster – or TFT N Supervision cluster in Hyundai-speak. The graphics are detailed and change depending on the drive mode selected. It even provides a fiery ring around the tacho when selecting your custom N mode.

The infotainment is handled by another 10.25-inch display. The touch-screen is intuitive enough, but the operating systems looks and feels a generation old compared to fresher Hyundai products. Also pointing towards its age is the fact that both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t wireless, instead requiring a USB-A cable.

However, Hyundai’s Bluelink connected car services has been added to the i20 N, as has the capacity to carry out over-the-air software updates. Elsewhere there’s native sat-nav, Bluetooth, voice recognition and a premium Bose audio system.

You can also fiddle with N Performance Driving Data that offers things like a lap/acceleration timer, g-force meter, turbo boost, brake pressure and throttle gauges. N Road Sense will even alert you to an upcoming twisty section of road and prompt you to switch to a racy N mode if it isn’t already engaged – which is a bit of a gimmick.

If you’re after boundless straight-line performance, the 2025 Hyundai i20 N might not be the right choice for you. There’s nothing too groundbreaking under the bonnet, with the 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 150kW and 275Nm (up to 304Nm on overboost).

However, the on-paper appraisal does the little Hyundai a massive disservice. After all, it’s only needing to cart around 1235kg, so the pace is punchy at 6.7 seconds to 100km/h with the assistance of launch control.

Plus, there’s a mechanical limited-slip differential to manage that grunt and a slick six-speed manual with a well-judged rev-matching feature – you also can’t miss it given the large, red steering-wheel-mounted button.

Despite the cubic capacity, the boosted four-pot provides plenty of torque, meaning you don’t have to take things to redline to get the best out of it. Yet, it’s also happy to do so, with power being produced cleanly throughout the rev range.

Maintaining a heady amount of engine speed mitigates any turbo lag, which is only present if the revs drop too low or you’re caught in a tall gear ratio.

It would be remiss to not mention the six-speed manual ’box. Okay, it isn’t the best shift action. It lacks tightness and has a slightly longer throw than ideal. Yet, the overall experience is elevated merely because of its presence.

Some say it’s cheating, but the auto-blip rev-matching feature works a treat, although the pedals are nicely spaced for traditional heel-and-toe manoeuvres.

Being an N variant, there are myriad modes to choose from. You can set up two of your own custom settings and save them to the handy steering-wheel-mounted N buttons for quick access on the road.

Then there’s the acoustics. This isn’t the loudest N offering. That honour goes to the i30 Sedan N, but ramp things up to the most aggro setting and the soundtrack not only increases in volume, but in histrionics, too. The overrun has fruity pops and bangs, they’re just a little muted. Hot tip – flip down the back seats for extra noise.

The 2025 Hyundai i20 N has a claimed combined fuel consumption of 6.9L/100km – but if you achieve this low figure, you’re driving it wrong. You buy a hot hatch like this because of the smiles per miles it delivers, not to be a frugal scrooge.

Throughout our week the average consumption never quite dipped below 8.0L/100km. Given the spirited fashion in which it was generally driven, this is a positive result. Plus, you can run the i20 N on the cheaper, base-grade 91 RON fuel and it drinks from a 40-litre tank.

Thrills this good don’t usually come this cheap. The 2025 Hyundai i20 N is an absolute riot, an experience filled with levels of unadulterated joy that are becoming harder to find in the current EV-focused market.

The i20 N gets a lot of the hot hatch must-haves right. You sit low-ish, the seats hug you just tight enough and the three pedals are nicely spaced. Then there’s the hardware, with the six-speed manual pairing brilliantly with the boosted 1598cc engine, while there’s a mechanically adjustable limited-slip differential to make sure all the grunt translates to the road.

In many ways, there’s a maturity to the dynamics that seems at odds with the angular styling and go-kart-like proportions. The front end turns in sharply with loads of purchase and the rear is easy to keep in check – despite the torsion beam rear axle’s propensity to cock an inside leg during hard cornering.

In fact, the amount of grip available both into, through and past the apex from the front axle is astonishing, especially given the relatively skinny 215-section Pirelli P Zero tyres. Look for the ‘HN’ designation, too, as the rubber is a Hyundai-specific selection. Chucking the stability control into the least intrusive setting also doesn’t result in wheelspin, meaning it’s the default for spirited driving.

It’s almost a shame that the i20 N’s character juxtaposes preconceptions so starkly. It doesn’t squirm under braking or feel quite as alive within your fingertips as something like the final Ford Fiesta ST. It could even easily handle 20kW extra. However, there’s still loads of entertainment to be had – it’ll make you chortle aloud.

Considering the taut chassis and large 18-inch alloys wrapped in low-profile tyres, the ride quality is better than expected. There aren’t any adaptive dampers, but the standard passive tune combines with the springs to return acceptable levels of comfort given the handling prowess at play. To be fair, it does breathe better with the surface underneath at speed, whereas you’ll feel the lumps and bumps of the city more.

Speaking of tactility, the steering is best left far away from the sportiest setting as it simply adds unwanted, unnatural-feeling weight. In fact, the lightest setting is best. It returns the most authentic, progressive and connected response through the wheel. The only other small blight on the copybook is slight kickback.    

While it’s a shame the feisty Ford Fiesta is no longer around to do battle, we’re very thankful Hyundai is keeping this ‘affordable’ hot hatch in its ranks. The i20 N is inconspicuously nippy and when you get it on the right road and in the right flow, it returns enjoyment that far surpasses its size.

While you’re constantly reminded of the N division in terms of driving dynamics, the basic i20 part of the equation is most seen within the cabin. It’s where the circa $40K hot hatch doesn’t quite feel its price point.

However, that’s being a little too harsh, because there is a decent injection of N inside the cabin. All the key controls have a racy edge to them, with the chunky steering wheel, N-themed gear knob and the alloy pedals.

Yes, the plastics are rather scratchy and the only leather-wrapped items are the tiller and gear knob, but the build quality is solid and the general ergonomics are sound. Don’t expect hushed noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) – the N does start life as a budget-friendly hatch, after all.

Generally, the advantage of a hot hatch is the balance of pragmatic performance. We already know the i20 N covers the latter, but it tends to the former by having four doors for ease of access to the rear – especially handy if you need to fit a child seat.

Once inside, it’s a welcome surprise to find genuine legroom for adults despite the diminutive dimensions. The tall body affords headroom, too, while shoulder room is acceptable if you aren’t planning to run three abreast.

Amenities aren’t plentiful given there’s no rear air vents or centre arm rest, but there are map pockets, bottle holders in the doors and a USB-A port.

For a car measuring slightly more than four metres in length, the 310-litre boot is sufficient for the weekly shop or daily paraphernalia. You can expand that to 1123L with the 60/40-split folding rear seats stowed, although they don’t lie completely flat. There is a false boot floor that hides a space-saver spare wheel.

There isn’t really anything else on the market quite like the 2025 Hyundai i20 N. And that’s a massive shame.

The plucky Hyundai has a certain character that’s all too quickly being left by the wayside, one that goads you into having fun and repeatedly asks you, “Is that all you’ve got?” The best part is that it has all the right mechanical tools to facilitate this, too.

Hyundai also continues to offer a unique five-year/unlimited-kilometre track warranty. The fine print reveals it’s for non-competitive events only, but still, it’s further proof that the South Korean marque takes its products seriously – and backs them.

If you have a penchant for a thrill-seeking yet practical hot hatch, the Hyundai i20 N is a brilliant bastion of a fading genre.   

2025 Hyundai i20 N at a glance:
Price: $36,500 plus on-road costs
Available: Now
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 150kW/275Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 6.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 157g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

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