Little Ripper

Hyundai’s new i20 n is a 150kw front-drive sensation aimed squarely at the Ford Fiesta st. We score an aussie track taste of a prototype, and find the heat is on

- Tim Robson

FROM THE outside, my favourite Chinese tuckshop is – how can I put this – a sketchy proposition at best. Its facade hasn’t seen a lick of paint since the Dulux sheepdog was a weaning pup, and the tatty menus speak of times when coconut oil was still considered a viable alternative to sunscreen.

But to sample its kung-po pork or its chicken and chive dumplings, served with a smile, piping hot and overflowing with an innate richness, speaks of more than just foodstuffs thrown together for profit. That’s why we return again and again. The fact that it remains incredibly affordable is an undeniable part of its latent charms.

Now, rolling back into the pitlane of Wakefield Park after just a tantalising taste of Hyundai’s newest N, I’m feeling an undeniably similar affection for the little i20 N. It’s nicely spiced, just hot enough, keeny priced, and hits the spot in exactly the right way.

I didn’t even know I’d be driving it, either, which made this brief but sweet treat even more delicious. Officially, I’m here to try the i30 N DCT, but luck and happenstance have made 2020 just a little bit less sucky today.

The i20 N sitting in the pit lane is a (very) recent arrival, having rolled out of the belly of a cargo jet just days before our drive, and sourced from Hyundai’s quality engineering team based at the company’s enormous testing facility in Namyang, about two hours from Seoul.

Hyundai calls it a ‘P stage’ prototype car, which is very close to the finished product – though local engineers will continue to beat it senseless and emails will continue to fly back and forth right up until the moment the lever for full production is pulled in early 2021.