i20N - Reviews, General Discussion & Info

[gdh300]

My German language is pretty bad

I'll admit my German was, well, a few decades ago, so I stuck with the sometimes strange autotranslate on YouTube! Like you say, he wasn't necessarily criticising the ride, it's firm as you'd expect it to be. You can see in the driving section, it was quite jiggly.

I've no doubts about the i20N's dynamic abilities. It's the day-to-day stuff that can grate and make you regret the day you bought it. I can put up with firm suspension if the seat is good, but I don't see any adjustable lumbar support. And I do long trips for work, so how is the ride on the motorway, how raucous are the engine and the exhaust? And let's not mention how it will deal with potholes. I hope he's right about it being fine as a daily driver; that test drive can't come soon enough!

 

[GutZZ]

My German language is pretty bad, but I'm pretty sure I get the central points. In general he really like the car alot (yes he can't really contain his excitement). He just point out there is no adaptive damping and the suspension is really 'sporty' (=pretty hard). That is the only negative that subtract from his finale score (A-). I don't think lack of comfort (suspension-wise) is worse than other hot hatches he just point out its something to be aware of because you have to live with it all the time (due to the lack of adaptibility obviously). However he also compares it to a Porche 911 stating both have the quality to master a truly 'sporty feel' while working perfectly fine as daily drivers.
I think the car looks super entertaining to drive. More than anything else it is obviously built to make the driver smile and have fun.

But the i20n comes with setups for the suspenssion stifness afaik, 3 levels, wen he refers to the stiffness for a daily usage he was refering to the normal setup or the N mode? cuz i remember that the i30n was too stiff on the N mode but in the normal mode it was alright for daily use, acording to the reviews.

 

[PowerLee]

The i20N dampers are fixed rate - there non adjustable.

 

[GutZZ]

The i20N dampers are fixed rate - there non adjustable.

ahhh shoot

 

[PowerLee]

We have seen Hyundai testing i20N prototypes in various different areas of the globe during its development so there maybe some slight differences / tuning in damper specification depending where the car is heading to.

But there still gonna be a fixed rate damper from the factory.

 

[GutZZ]

I guess the best thing to do is testing the car before buying wich is what im going to do.

 

[PowerLee]

I'm waiting on EURO NCAP to crash test the i20 ( possibly March 21 ) & if it gets the full 5 stars I'd then think about testing a i20N later in the year.

 

[Wetherfell]

Interesting to see that Ford and MINI are doing their bit to help along sales of the i20n. Ford have considerably hiked the price of the Fiesta ST (apparently because the engine falls foul.of EU rules on origin so is hit by tariffs), while the Cooper S has been given a facelift and lost about 14 bhp in the process!

 

[gdh300]

Interesting to see that Ford and MINI are doing their bit to help along sales of the i20n. Ford have considerably hiked the price of the Fiesta ST (apparently because the engine falls foul.of EU rules on origin so is hit by tariffs), while the Cooper S has been given a facelift and lost about 14 bhp in the process!

Ouch!

I really like the current ST, I think it is far more appealing than the model it replaced. But I can't shake those doubts about Ford testing and reliability. Added to which, it is so easy to steal apparently.

 

[PowerLee]

Ford made a big noise in the press about fixing the security weakness of the keyless fob system.
Fobs now have motion detection that switches off the signal after 45 seconds of being still.

Didn't find any news of Ford securing the OBD port which is the other method of making a modern Ford disappear.

The Fiesta is still number 1 stolen car in the UK.

 

[gdh300]

Didn't find any news of Ford securing the OBD port which is the other method of making a modern Ford disappear

When I was researching the ST six months ago, I saw one video were an owner was showing how to make a metal bracket to cover the ODB port. No way I'm buying a car with such a weakness, and one Ford (at the time) seemed unwilling or unable to address.

 

[R Veloster N]

There is a device that allows you to lock out the OD port. I have it posted in my thread and it works well. give me a minute or so and I'll post the item.

 

[mikeo]

Interesting to see that Ford and MINI are doing their bit to help along sales of the i20n. Ford have considerably hiked the price of the Fiesta ST (apparently because the engine falls foul.of EU rules on origin so is hit by tariffs), while the Cooper S has been given a facelift and lost about 14 bhp in the process!

Indeed they have bumped the price of the Fiesta ST!

Looking at possibly a 2nd family motor (must be interest to drive), super-mini sized will do.

Spec'd up a Fiesta ST3 with 5 doors (a must for us) + spare wheel and LED lights (should be standard IMHO) + decent colour and it came in at just over £28K !!!! A lot for this size of car.

Think I will wait and see what reviews and price are of the I20N before going any further. Then a test drive of course.

EDIT.
In the blue it comes in at £28,300. That's a higher list price than my I30N performance was little more than 12 months ago!

 

[gdh300]

In the blue it comes in at £28,300

Taking the proverbial!

Hyundai will be well aware of this and I it wouldn't be surprising if they were tempted to push-up the price of the i20N. How close do they dare get to the price of the i30N?

Looking back at that Alexander Bloch video, I notice that it was on Michelin Alpin winter tyres, I guess because he was in a country were they are required by law this time of year. Having looked around this forum, owners don't seem to rate the P-Zero tyres, so if an i20N did come my way, I might be tempted to buy some another set of wheels and get some decent winters myself. Also, I much prefer the N speedo to the two white dials!

 

[Wetherfell]

Ouch!

I really like the current ST, I think it is far more appealing than the model it replaced. But I can't shake those doubts about Ford testing and reliability. Added to which, it is so easy to steal apparently.

I've had a 140 ST-Line for 3 years with no issues at all, other than the Sync infotainment system which is pretty poor imo. Fortunately I'm not big on technology so it doesn't bother me as much as some.

Looking for a bit of a last blast before we all have to go battery. I was looking at the ST, but (like the previous version) I can't get on with the seat, which seems to be designed for those with slimmer hips!

So I'm interested to see what the I20n is like. Otherwise it's back to looking at i30N sized cars, even though I don't need one that size these days.

You're right on the thefts - I lurk on the various Ford forums and like most folk on there have bought an old fashioned physical lock.

 

[gdh300]

Fortunately I'm not big on technology so it doesn't bother me as much as some

I'm the same. I tend to tune to one station for the news, and leave it on that. And most of the time, I don't have even have the radio on! Satnav I don't use very often and a I don't really use my phone when I'm driving, so its wated on me . But yes, most other people value it more.

Otherwise it's back to looking at i30N sized cars

That's my alternative as well, a used i30N Fastback probably. With the revised one coming out soon, there may be a few more appearing on the market. I'm drifting away from staying in the KIA family as the 2021 1.6T-GDi Ceed GT and Proceed now are DCT only. But keeping it in the extended family with Hyundai is at least a possibility.

 

[N-Raged]

Indeed they have bumped the price of the Fiesta ST!

Looking at possibly a 2nd family motor (must be interest to drive), super-mini sized will do.

Spec'd up a Fiesta ST3 with 5 doors (a must for us) + spare wheel and LED lights (should be standard IMHO) + decent colour and it came in at just over £28K !!!! A lot for this size of car.

Think I will wait and see what reviews and price are of the I20N before going any further. Then a test drive of course.

EDIT.
In the blue it comes in at £28,300. That's a higher list price than my I30N performance was little more than 12 months ago!

I had a test drive in a Fiesta ST last week and I absolutely loved it, what a car, the first thing I noticed coming from the N was it’s weight, it really shows how heavy the N is, makes a huge difference for me, the steering on the ST is quick and laser point, it’s front end is so direct and nimble, you can just throw this thing into corners, it’s so chuckable which I love, but I think the highlight was it’s engine, wow.. couldn’t believe this was a 3 pot lol, what Ford have done with this engine is nuts, the power and especially the torque really surprised me, lots of torque! and it sounded unreal, sounded like I had something a lot bigger under the bonnet, crazy, the exhaust wasn’t bad either, not as loud as the N but some nice pops and bangs out the back, I also loved the interior, felt premium, much better than my old focus and a much nicer place to be than the i30N, awesome Recaro seats, and the flat bottom steering wheel was really nice, plus the 10 speaker B&O sound system is a cool touch as well.. The hype was real, the ST is a cracking little car, it was just so much fun, even at low speeds, in fact I fell in love with it so much I’m picking mine up next week!

 

[gdh300]

I had a test drive in a Fiesta ST last week and I absolutely loved it, what a car, the first thing I noticed coming from the N was it’s weight, it really shows how heavy the N is, makes a huge difference for me, the steering on the ST is quick and laser point, it’s front end is so direct and nimble, you can just throw this thing into corners, it’s so chuckable which I love, but I think the highlight was it’s engine, wow.. couldn’t believe this was a 3 pot lol, what Ford have done with this engine is nuts, the power and especially the torque really surprised me, lots of torque! and it sounded unreal, sounded like I had something a lot bigger under the bonnet, crazy, the exhaust wasn’t bad either, not as loud as the N but some nice pops and bangs out the back, I also loved the interior, felt premium, much better than my old focus and a much nicer place to be than the i30N, awesome Recaro seats, and the flat bottom steering wheel was really nice, plus the 10 speaker B&O sound system is a cool touch as well.. The hype was real, the ST is a cracking little car, it was just so much fun, even at low speeds, in fact I fell in love with it so much I’m picking mine up next week!

Now you see all these positive posts about the ST are turning me back towards it! I thought this was a Hyundai forum? . I saw, or rather heard, a Mk8 ST burbling out of a car park not long after they came out and thought - Alan Partridge voice required -"ooh, that sounds dirty". Cue a month of intensive research... and finally rejection.

The Recaros in my GT are lovely, probably the best seats I've ever had in car. Several times, 1000 miles in two days has not been a problem. Which brings me back to the i20N; I hope those seats are comfortable. The lack of adjustable lumbar might be a deal breaker for me. The i30N Fastback however, does come with adjustable lumbar

 

[N-Raged]

Now you see all these positive posts about the ST are turning me back towards it! I thought this was a Hyundai forum? . I saw, or rather heard, a Mk8 ST burbling out of a car park not long after they came out and thought - Alan Partridge voice required -"ooh, that sounds dirty". Cue a month of intensive research... and finally rejection.

The Recaros in my GT are lovely, probably the best seats I've ever had in car. Several times, 1000 miles in two days has not been a problem. Which brings me back to the i20N; I hope those seats are comfortable. The lack of adjustable lumbar might be a deal breaker for me. The i30N Fastback however, does come with adjustable lumbar

I’d be surprised if the i20N has better seats than the STs Recaro's, they are heavily bolstered, if you are bit tubby then they might be a tight fit, they were perfect for me though..

 

[gdh300]

There is a device that allows you to lock out the OD port. I have it posted in my thread and it works well. give me a minute or so and I'll post the item.

That's a neat bit of kit. A couple of BMWs have been stolen off our estate IIRC by using the OBD port. Most probably they were company cars, so who cares? But the again maybe some (unreported) Fiesta STs too.