Hot hatches aren’t really a thing here in the Philippines. But in other markets? There are quite a few of them worth checking out.
One of the supposed hottest right now is the Hyundai i20N. On paper, it’s clear why, too: a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo with 201hp and up to 275Nm, a 0-100kph sprint of 6.7sec, and a top speed of 230kph. Not bad. Not bad at all.
The aforementioned mill is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, and the vehicle brings with it a proper hot-hatch appearance as well. It’s compact and angry, and it has a hatch—there really isn’t much more to look for in these things when it comes to aesthetics, if we’re being honest.
Again, though, all of this is on paper. Top Gear’s Ollie Marriage gets behind the wheel of one to find out if the little N model as feisty as its Korean manufacturer makes it out to be. Watch:
“It’s a proper straight-talking hot hatch, this. I mean, if you look at what else is out there, besides the Fiesta ST, I mean, what have you got? You’ve got the 208 GTI, the Polo GTI, the Mini Cooper S. This has more attitude and sporty intent than any of them,” Marriage says.
“It’s not the most fluent, refined, or smooth-driving car, but feels really well-rounded and complete.”
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Would you like to see make this hot hatch more widely available—say, maybe here in the Philippines? Let the company know in the comments. And for the full review of the Hyundai i20N, click here.
