Hyundai i20 n-line
By Tim Saunders
Nearly thirty years ago I owned an old Ford Fiesta XR2 and really enjoyed it for its bucket seats, rasping exhaust and its stealth. It was lower to the ground than the standard Fiesta with a bigger 1.6-litre petrol engine. I am reminded of my youth when I find myself behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20 n-line, the modern day equivalent of my old hot hatch. Although the n-line can be quick it is also possible for it to return over 50mpg thanks to the choice of three driving modes: standard, sport and eco. It has a tiddly one-litre turbocharged GDi petrol engine coupled to a 48 volt mild hybrid system but despite this if driving in sport mode the range drops like a stone. With its 98bhp there is a little more oomph under the bonnet than the 84bhp that I enjoyed with my XR2 all those years ago.
With its purposeful styling, it’s an appealing hot hatch for today. It’s interesting that this model is fitted with a seven speed DCT gearbox and a traditional handbrake. Oh I would prefer a traditional five or six speed manual gearbox, which would really enhance the experience for me but this automatic box can be driven like a manual just by pushing it to the right and then up and down. This reminds me more of a computer console. However, I do enjoy the sound emanating from the exhaust as we go along, even at the slowest of speeds.
My son Henry (9) has discovered that the driver’s window can be opened and closed from the keyfob. This seems to be a growing trend because we’ve just driven a VW Golf whereby all the windows and the sunroof could be opened or closed by the keyfob.
We all like the black cloth trim and the seats are comfortable and supportive. The front seats are heated as is the steering wheel. There’s air conditioning, power folding wing mirrors, a sat nav and a good quality radio. The boot is a reasonable size and the detachable flooring is easy to clean when for instance you’ve returned from the tip…
I put it through its paces on a trip to the Isle of Wight. “There’s a motorbike behind us,” says my wife as I slow down in a 30mph zone.
“Uh, no that’s us,” says Henry (9), who enjoys the boy racer tone of the twin exhausts.
The island provides a variety of roads and there are some sharp inclines. The i20 holds the road well and corners nicely but I do find that despite being advised that the car is returning 48mpg the range drops quite sharply showing that during the day we seem to have driven 100 miles, which doesn’t ring true.
Facts at a glance
