Hyundai i20 Could Soon Get A Hot-Hatch Avatar

A possible performance-oriented version of the Elite i20 was recently spied testing at the Nürburgring.

Like Volkswagen and Ford, who have go-fast versions of the Polo and Fiesta family hatchbacks, Hyundai is also developing a performance-oriented version of the i20 (known as Elite i20 in India). At least that’s what the latest spy images of a prototype of Hyundai’s upcoming i20 N suggest. The N suffix means that it has been developed by Hyundai Motorsport with the aim to make it go faster than the regular model.

The spy images seem to be of an early prototype, one that has not put on its final top hat. As a result, the i20 that you see in the images looks more like a regular model. The N version will look meaner in terms of the design of its lamps and bumpers. It was spotted at the Nürburgring in Germany where Hyundai is possibly honing its performance and dynamics.

The car in the images has a makeshift flare around the wheel arches on the right side. That might be there to test performance with a wider track or just to compare some data with and without it, since it’s only done on one side. The wheels are also bigger in size and seem fatter than the standard model.

As far as the powertrain is concerned, it remains to be seen which engine will Hyundai use to power it, but if it’s really the N moniker that the i20’s boot will showcase, then we don’t think anything under 200PS would do justice. The Elite i20 in India, for instance, makes 90PS of power in its diesel version and 83PS in petrol. The car that has been spied gets dual exhaust tips.

Frankly, we won’t be surprised if the i20 N that is being developed is actually based on the next generation of the i20, which will be due by 2020-21. Do you think Hyundai should offer the N version of the i20 in India in the future, even if it brings only a limited number of cars? Let us know in the comments section below.

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