Hyundai i20N high performance hatchback: Launch date revealed

Hyundai will be launching their first N Line variant which will be i20. It will be launching on 24th August. Some Hyundai dealerships have even started accepting the unofficial booking of the i20 N Line for an amount of Rs. 25,000. It is a sportier version of the i20.

Earlier, details about the variants of the i20 N Line were also leaked through an approval certificate. There will be three variants, namely, N6, N8 iMT and N8 DCT variants. The N6 will be based on the Sportz variant of the normal i20 and it will come with a 6-speed iMT gearbox. Both the N8 variants will be based on the Asta variant. It would be offered with a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed Dual-Clutch automatic gearbox.

Hyundai is not offering a manual gearbox with the i20 N Line. If you consider yourself an enthusiast and want to operate a stick shift you would have to opt for the iMT. Its full form is intelligent Manual Transmission, it is essentially a clutchless manual gearbox. So, the driver can up-shift or down-shift operating the clutch. An advantage of this is that the driver does not need to keep modulating the clutch while stuck in traffic.

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Engine

The N-Line would be offered only in one engine option. It will be the existing 1.0-litre turbocharged engine that comes with direct injection. The engine produces 120 PS of max power and 172 Nm of peak torque.

Pricing

The i20 N Line is expected to be priced at Rs. 1 to Rs. 1.5 lakhs more than the variants it is based on. The i20 starts at Rs. 6.91 lakhs ex-showroom and goes all the way up to Rs. 11.40 lakhs ex-showroom. The Sportz Turbo iMT variant is priced at Rs. 8.81 lakhs ex-showroom. The Asta Turbo iMT variant is priced at Rs. 9.91 lakhs ex-showroom while the Asta Turbo DCT costs Rs. 10.74 lakhs ex-showroom.

Mechanical changes

We expect the i20 N Line to have a sportier exhaust note. The suspension setup will also be retuned to provide a more firm ride quality. This will be done in the favour of better handling. In the international market, the i20 N Line sits lower to the ground. This can also become true for India’s i20 N Line. All these changes will make the i20 feel more nimble and fun to drive around corners.

Cosmetic changes

There will be many cosmetic upgrades to the N Line as compared to the regular i20. At the rear, there will be a faux diffuser, revised bumper and twin exhaust tips.  The front-end design will also be a lot more aggressive than the regular i20. It might get a piano black grille with an N Line badging. Moving to the side, there will be side skirts and the alloy wheel size will increase from 16-inches to 17-inches.

The cabin is also expected to get some updates to differentiate the N Line. It will come with sporty body-hugging seats,  that keeps you in place while cornering. There could be aluminium pedals that look sportier and there could be a different steering wheel that comes with paddle shifters.

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