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2021 Hyundai i20 N Testing in the Snow Is Pure Poetry

A frozen lake in northern Sweden, a prototype of the upcoming Hyundai i20 N, and WRC driver Thierry Neuville behind the wheel - this is all you need for your daily dose of car poetry.
2021 Hyundai i20 N 5 photos
Photo: Hyundai
2021 Hyundai i20 N2021 Hyundai i20 N2021 Hyundai i20 N2021 Hyundai i20 N
South Korean carmaker Hyundai introduced the third generation of the i20 in February 2020 as the first one in its family to use an electrified 48-volt mild-hybrid powertrain and the one that offers the “most comprehensive connectivity equipment.” Big words, and the world was excited, but it still seemed like there was something missing,

That something is the i20 N, the high-performance variant of the hatchback, scheduled to be released later this year. We’ve known for a while the general shape of the car, and a thing or two about its performance, but until now all this information came through third parties.

On Wednesday, May 6, Hyundai released the first official footage and images showing the i20 N in action. All were shot in a snow-covered region of Sweden, where the company’s WRC driver Thierry Neuville is putting the i20 N to the test, together with the i20 WRC rally car and the RM19 racing prototype.

There are two videos (available below) of all three cars in action, and a number of official images, the first ones released by Hyundai (gallery above). All show just how exciting the model is shaping up to be.

Whereas the stock i20 comes with two rather small engines (1.0-liter T-GDi and 1.4-liter MPi) that reach at most 120 hp, the N variant is rumored to use a 2.0-liter turbo that should go as high as 250 hp, right into hot hatch territory.

After driving the car, Neuville found it to be very precise and easy to handle.

“Very interesting car. Very precise. Very easy handling. The engine is revving nicely and the noise is very interesting as well. I’m looking forward to get this one to drive in WRC!” the driver stated.

Hyundai says more details on the i20 N would be revealed soon.

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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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