Hyundai i20N and I30N Discontinued in Europe :
After many months of rumours that that the facelift for Hyundai’s Hot Hatches (the i30N and i20N) was just around the corner, then for almost as long the counter argument that the models were about to be discontinued the facts have emerged.
Hyundai have confirmed that as of February 2024 the petrol ‘N’ models of their vehicles have been discontinued in Europe. Hyundai will now focus their N-Car division on EVs and continue towards their carbon goal of Net Zero.
In an official statement, Hyundai said: ‘Production of the ICE N models has ceased for the European market starting from February, in line with our commitment to offering a zero-tailpipe-emission line-up to our customers by 2035 and to operating 100 per cent carbon neutrally by 2045. Going forward in Europe, Hyundai is developing Hyundai N as a pioneer of high-performance EVs. Our customers will benefit from technological developments that will make EVs even more attractive in the future.’
Both the i20N and i30N have been met with great acclaim. That should be no shock, their development was led by the man behind BMW M-Cars, Albert Biermann. That heritage alone gave the N-Cars an anticipation that had reviewers singing the cars praises and buyers forming an orderly queue at Hyundai dealers.
Since it’s release in 2017 the i30N has consistently reviewed well by both critics and owners. The affordability and overall package have both been a welcome addition to the market and put the i30N as a real contender to the Golf GTI. In A 2021 the i30N received a facelift. That meant it had a new dual-clutch transmission option, some subtle design and chassis tweaks and an increase in power output to 276bhp and 289lb ft of torque.
The 200bhp i20N came along to the market in 2021 and immediately made itself a direct rival to the ever popular (and now also discontinued) Fiesta ST.
Waitlists for the i20N always hovered somewhere from many months to 66 weeks at its peak and from towards the end of 2023 the talk was excitedly buzzing around a facelift for both the i20N and another for i30N. Sadly neither will be natively seen on European shores.
The Kona-N is no longer available and for now your only option is to get one of the last of the dealer stock from that which is in the pipeline or if you are very fortunate, on a forecourt.
With the almost winding up of Renault Sport in the hot hatch market, the end of the Fiesta ST and now the end of ICE N-Cars the options for a new real hot hatch are thin. You can still opt for an expensive Golf GTI, or a £50,000 Honda Civic. The sad reality of it is, if it isn’t already the ICE Hot Hatch is dead. Soon it will be a memory for those of us lucky enough to have experienced or owner one of the genre.
On the positives though, the newest Hyundai N-Car is the Ionic 5 N and the initial reviews of it are spectacular. It, however, will be no where near the affordability of a i20N, or even an i30N. Rather than a hot hatch, a car affordable to the car enthusiast, the Ionic 5 N will be a performance EV and affordable to the wealthy. The hot hatch market will continue for a while yet, but don’t be surprised to see the i30N and i20N as future classics. Go back 30 years and if you told someone a Ford Sierra Cosworth would set you back well in excess of £100,000 they would refer you to a doctor, but that is now fact.
Don’t be shocked when these cars start commanding a premium, nostalgia is expensive.
