Hyundai i20 N-Line makes a style statement

The car, with cosmetic and mechanical tweaks, makes for an enjoyable ride in the hatchback segment

The i20 N Line marks the debut of Hyundai’s performance-focused N brand in India. Established in 2019, Hyundai’s N brand is akin to BMW’s M and Mercedes’s AMG brands developing sportier iterations of regular everyday Hyundais.

However, while a full-blown N car is still some time away, the i20 N Line brings with it some sportier cosmetics and light performance upgrades to areas like the brakes and suspension. The engine though, remains unchanged with the standard i20’s 120hp direct-injection, three-cylinder, turbo-petrol featuring under the hood. All this is accompanied by a mark-up of ₹ 50,000-1,00,000 over comparable variants of the i20. So does the new N Line spice up the driving experience?

Besides the obvious go faster styling bits, the i20 N Line features three crucial mechanical upgrades over the standard i20, and these do enhance its sportiness. The first are its dampers, which are 30% stiffer and enable the N Line to tackle corners in a flatter, more athletic manner while not detracting from overall ride comfort or feeling overtly stiff over bad roads and potholes. The car’s highway manners are much nicer too, and it feels more sure-footed at high speeds.