Next in line

Hot hatches still have an undying appeal and Hyundai spruces up their successful i20 with N Line trims, introducing its performance brand to India. We drive the new i20 N Line in Udaipur

- Abhik Das

Performance divisions for manufacturers can be a great marketing tool to boost the appeal of regular commuter cars. The formula is simple, take the race-bred car as the mascot, steal a few badges here, some cosmetic tweaks there and out comes a special edition that’ll get them more money for essentially the same car. I’ll admit it, I did think of the i20 N Line along the same lines and on the face of it, so would you but let’s not forget that the i20 has its genes rooted deep in motorsport, specifically in rallying.

Hyundai’s N division was born at the Namyang proving grounds in South Korea while the motorsport headquarters is based in Germany where the legendary Nurburgring plays host to the high-performance cars to further hone their performance capabilities. Now, this isn’t the 204bhp i20 N that’s a true performance version of the hatchback we’re familiar with. That particular model is still a distant future away from us but what this is, is the essence of the N car, a little tease if you will.

Hyundai i20 N Line N8 DCT

Engine 1.0-litre, 3-cyl, turbo-petrol

Power 120bhp@6,000rpm

Max torque 172Nm@4,000rpm

Gearbox 7-speed dual clutch automatic

LxWxH (mm) 3,995x1,775x1,505

Wheelbase (mm) 2,580

Price Rs 11.75 lakh (ex-showroom) On sale Now