Next-gen Hyundai i20 N confirmed with hybrid power

Hyundai?global R&D boss Manfred Harrer has confirmed a second-generation i20 N is coming “sooner rather than later” and hinted that it will feature an N Performance version of the Tucson’s 1.6-litre turbo-hybrid system.

The news comes less than a week after the local release of the swansong 2026 Hyundai i20 N Shadow Edition and solidifies more than 12 months of rumours, Chinese whispers and speculation.

Speaking to Autocar, Harrer said “an i20 N for Europe is a must” because “the gap” between where the original model operated and the high-end IONIQ 5 and 6 Ns “is too big”.

“We need this entry-level back for our fans,” he told the British publication. “We are working intensively to do this sooner rather than later”.

He reportedly went on to confirm prototypes of the new-generation hot hatch were already testing and a long way into the development cycle, with a global debut/launch “not so far out”.

What’ll be under the bonnet? The longstanding theory was an N-fettled version of the Hyundai Group’s widely used 1.6-litre turbo-petrol-hybrid system as seen in the Hyundai Tucson, Santa Fe and Staria, as well as the Kia Sorento, Sportage and Carnival.

Without going into specifics, Harrer confirmed to Auto Express the new i20 N would be “hybridised” and told Autocar it’d make sense to use “existing technology”.

Taking another look at the Hyundai/Kia portfolio, the powertrain in question is expected to comprise a new iteration of the retiring model’s 150kW/275Nm 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with a track-capable version of the latest Kia Seltos’ hybrid system.

“I want to go to the Nürburgring and do really successful lap times – better than the existing one,” Harrer told Autocar.

“But you have to work on the battery management system to get this done.”

Word is the new i20 N could be good for up to 224kW/380Nm, making it hugely more powerful than its predecessor and pokier than any current i30 N.

With Harrer promising the car to be not too far off, odds are it’ll debut sometime in late 2027 and go on sale in 2028 – after the next-generation i30 Sedan N which will pack a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine pinched out of the Sonata (and upgraded).

We’re not sure Hyundai would want its ‘entry-level’ N model to outdo its bigger stablemate, but then again, the i20 and Elantra (i30 Sedan) are aimed at two very different markets (Europe vs North America).

*AI generated lead image

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