Hyundai i30 N, i20 N hot hatches axed in Europe, safe for Australia

The Hyundai i30 N and Hyundai i20 N hot hatches have been axed in Europe – but both models will continue for Australia.

Hyundai has confirmed production of the Czech-built i30 N hatch and Turkish-built i20 N for the European market will end this month as it continues its shift towards an electric-focused line-up in the region.

“Production of the ICE N models [i20 N and i30 N] 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,” said Hyundai in a statement released to European media.

3

“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.”

A Hyundai Australia spokesperson told Wheels the decision to axe the i30 N hatch and i20 N in Europe would have no implication for the local market, with both models to remain available to order for the immediate future.

The current Hyundai i30 N hatch launched in 2017 with a Golf GTI-rivalling 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder, initially matched to a six-speed manual and later joined by an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Meanwhile, the smaller i20 N launched in 2021 as a rival to the Volkswagen Polo GTI and now-discontinued Ford Fiesta ST, with a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder mated to a six-speed manual.

The Hyundai i30 N hatch is expected to receive a facelift in Australia later this year, as standard variants of the i30 hatch prepare to shift from Korean to Czech Republic production for our market.

Hyundai Australia temporarily paused orders for the i30 N hatch between February and September 2023 to allow production allocation to catch up with the order bank.

3

The i20 N was off-sale in Australia for even longer, between mid-2022 and September 2023.

A facelifted version of the Korean-built Hyundai i30 Sedan N is now arriving in Australia, while the all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is also now available as the flagship of Hyundai's N line-up.

There are no plans to replace the first-generation Hyundai Kona N SUV sold between 2021 and 2023 following the launch of the bigger and electric-focused second-generation model.