Hyundai Australia recently announced the new i20 N Shadow Edition, which, sadly, marks the end of its ferocious little hot hatchback. As the last remaining affordable hot hatch on the market, the i20 N is still revered by enthusiasts thanks to its fun factor, performance and practicality and its loss is a big one for those looking for an affordable performance car.

Thankfully, however, Hyundai has confirmed plans for a new-generation i20 N based on the new i20 that was recently revealed. It won’t be quite the same as before – hybrid power has been added to the mix for the first time.

Firepower for the new i20 N is expected to come from a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, as before, but this time coupled to a clever twin hybrid motor transmission engineered in-house by Hyundai. The transmission can reportedly handle up to 224kW of power and 380Nm of torque, which will give Hyundai great potential for impressive grunt for the new version.

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For reference, the current i20 N develops 150kW and 275Nm from its non-hybridised 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine, which is enough grunt for a claimed 6.7-second 0-100km/h sprint time. A six-speed manual transmission is the only available transmission, with a dual-clutch ‘box not offered, unlike in the larger i30 N.

The new, compact drivetrain set-up will incorporate two motors: A P1 unit, which acts as a starter/generator and can add torque into the driveline, and a P2 motor which can provide electric drive to the wheels and harvest regenerative braking energy for the battery.

The new i20 N is a project for Hyundai’s global R&D boss Manfred Harrer, who previously worked at BMW and Porsche. “We need this entry-level car back for our fans,” explained Harrer. “It’s hybridised and the prototypes are already running. It’s not so far out.”

Hyundai’s N Performance brand has been a massive success, especially given that many other brands have shied away from performance cars. The i30 N hot hatch has sold well, and the Ioniq 5 N and Ioniq 6 N have given electric vehicles far more engaging driving experiences. But they are quite expensive priced at $115,000 plus on-road costs, so the new i20 N will continue to give enthusiasts an affordable choice for a new performance car.

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As for the i20 itself, a new generation was recently revealed for the Brazilian market in a higher-riding form (above), something that may not translate to the European-spec i20 when its revealed soon.

Hyundai Australia is yet to confirm if the next i20 N will be sold locally, but considering that Australia and New Zealand have been the car’s only markets since 2024, it’s quite likely that we’ll see it eventually.