Hyundai’s former N boss and now technical adviser, Albert Biermann, has confirmed there is a facelift for the exciting little i20 N coming later this year.
In an interview with Hyundai N Australia, Biermann was asked by a fan if there is an update coming for the i20 N. He said: “Yes, there will be a facelift… It’s coming next summer (European summer, mid-2023).”
No further details regarding the update are revealed by the man who essentially created the N brand, however, he says the technical details are set to remain. Biermann said: “On the technical side, you don’t need to be afraid. It’s still the crazy corner rascal as it is.”
This means it’ll likely carry-over the same 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder engine from the current model, which produces 150kW and 275Nm. We’ve scored a best 0-100km/h time of 6.67 seconds during our testing with a Vbox, to give you some idea of its performance.
A six-speed manual will no doubt remain, which means it’ll be one of the only manual-only passenger cars on the market by the time it arrives in Australia. A local date is yet to be confirmed, but some time in 2024 is likely.
The facelift is expected to incorporate minor design changes around the front end, new lighting details, and potentially an updated bodykit and aero parts. Hyundai might also update the 10-inch infotainment system to include its new Bluelink connectivity suite, bringing in features such as remote vehicle check, find my car, and SOS emergency assistance.
However, since the future of the i20 N is still quite hazy at this stage, with the uprising of SUVs and electric vehicles, we doubt Hyundai HQ is willing to invest much in this segment at this point. As such, the facelifted i20 N could be the last of its kind. An electric version with a smallish battery could be possible in the future but nothing has been officially confirmed.
There has been huge demand for the compact hot hatch so far. In Australia the delivery wait times are well over a year. Which means some buyers who signed up today will probably receive the facelifted model. During 2022 there were 597 deliveries of the i20 recorded in Australia, according to VFACTS.
See below for the full interview video with Albert Biermann, and further below for our i20 N review and 0-100 videos.
