- Hyundai i20 N and i30 N will gain farewell specials in Australia.
- The hot hatchbacks will continue to be sold throughout the year.
- Hyundai is working on successors, most likely with hybrid power.
The Hyundai N division might have moved into the fully electric era with performance-focused versions of the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, but its ICE-powered hatchbacks are still alive in Australia. The local arm of the brand wants the current generations of the i20 N and i30 N to “go off with a bang” hinting at farewell special editions and confirming that this won’t be the end of the line for the nameplates.
The i30 N has been around since late 2016, with facelifts in 2020 and 2024. The i20 N, by comparison, arrived in 2020 and received mild updates in 2025. Both models were discontinued in Europe in 2024, yet remain available in Australia despite production having already wrapped up.
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Tim Rodgers, product development manager of Hyundai Australia, spoke to CarExpert about the availability of the ICE-powered hot hatches: “Both cars are still coming into the country. We’re still unloading them from boats and we’ll still see shipments arrive into the country. For i20 N through towards the end of the year, i30 N even longer.”
Rodgers also had a little surprise for fans: “But when we do get to the tail-end of each of these cars, we want to be able to see them off with a bang. We’re cooking up some stuff… exciting stuff for fans of N, that’s for sure. We’re working on that and you’ll hear more in regards to what we’re going to do for i20 N very soon, to send the car off with a deserving finale, for the time being. But it’s not goodbye, it’s just goodbye for now.”
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The i20 N has never had a special edition to its name. The i30 N has, twice over. Hyundai built the lightweight Project C in 2019 and followed it with the fully loaded Drive-N Limited Edition in 2022, both produced in tightly capped numbers.
It remains to be seen whether the upcoming farewell specials will offer styling, chassis, or performance upgrades over the standard hot hatches. In any case, we expect to hear more about those in the coming months.
Electrification In The Horizon
Looking ahead, the next chapter for the subcompact segment is already taking shape. Earlier spy shots suggest that the i20 will be fully redesigned, with Y-shaped LEDs and a more angular silhouette. As for the N version, this is expected to swap the turbo 1.6-liter engine of the current model with an advanced hybrid system, signalling the end of the manual.
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An electrification boost could result in greater output and performance, while improving the environmental credentials of the pocket rocket safeguarding its future against stricter emission regulations. At the same time, it could become a hybrid alternative to the fully electric Ioniq 3 N which is heavily rumored for the future.
For the aging i30, sightings of camouflaged prototypes hint at a third facelift that could further extend its shelf life. This is expected to debut in 2027, possibly alongside a range-topping N version. The compact hot hatch could also benefit from a hybrid setup, allowing its return to Europe.
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