Hyundai i10 N-Line | Test Drive
HYUNDAI i10 N-Line
A MATTER OF “N”
Words Marco Mancino / Photos Gian Romero
If, as I guess, you picked the new issue of Auto Class on purpose, while leaving aside fishing mags on the opposite shelf, you pretty much know that in the world of cars, a simple letter can make the difference. In the tide of codes destined to catalog platforms, engines, transmissions and all those things growing appetite to engineers and designers, more or less imaginative names knock at the door of enthusiasts and customers, which are in turn accompanied by almost infinite combinations as far as engines and variants concern. If twenty years ago, going to the dealer for buying a car was as simple as signing the respective check, now you have to navigate the jungle of letters and numbers.
From this point of view, the Korean company Hyundai combines their more easily identifiable crossovers and SUVs with the hatchbacks range, adding a nice little “i” that tastes so much of third millennium, of technologically advanced. In short, a way like any other to attract the attention, especially that of the youngest. The smallest and cheapest of the Hyundai family is called i10 and sits just one step lower than the i20, which does the same to the i30. In recent months, the brand has shown that it is not only skilled in producing models capable of responding to the needs of motorists in the most classic sense of the term, but also caring about driving fun, in this case identified by the letter “N ”(this time in capital letters!), which adds spice to the models wearing it, celebrating the perfect union between the experimental center of Namyang and that of the green hell, better known as Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Our i10 under test is not a real N. It is not an i10 N. You’ll now think that you’ve probably wasted your time here, but have a little patience, because in this particular case it is a bit like a proper N-car. It is called i10 N-Line and therefore comes as a simple set-up, but starting from this introduction the small five-door hatchback takes on all the distinctive features of the N range, that especially on the front give that sportiness that will make you immediately understand that this is not just any i10. There are 16-inch alloy wheels and another horizontal profile in red at the base of the rear bumper highlighting the double tailpipe. According to Hyundai, a city car must be small on the outside, spacious on the inside, economical and fuel efficient. With the N-Line treatment, all these characteristics are kept intact, with the difference that the 1-liter 3-cylinder now delivers 100 horsepower.
What does it mean? It means that with a weight of just 1,099 kilos and dimensions similar to those of a latest generation smartphone, the i10 N-Line pulls out its claws and plays like an N, at all costs. This is also thanks to a torque of 172 Nm, which thanks to the help of the turbocharger allows you to enter and come out of curves according to the unwritten laws of the hot-hatches we all love. It may not really be part of this ever-popular club, but it comes with a straight leg demonstrating how the drivability and softness at disposal in normal situations can turn into involvement and adrenaline when you push the three-cylinder towards the red line. The set-up, stiffer compared to traditional i10s, is one of the aspects that makes this N-Line interesting to drive, but it is not just a matter of chassis, but of the fateful sum of all parts.
In fact, we have – logically – traction on the front wheels communicating perfectly with the driver, even when direction changes become sudden. The gearbox is a 5-speed manual, with a precise clutch pedal that offers the ideal resistance for any type of use. Finally, despite the size and layout that a city car imposes and suggests, the seating position is not excessively high and this goes to the advantage of a drivability that makes you forget that you are struggling with what at least initially should have been mommy’s car. In the cockpit we have an 8-inch display with an excellent navigation system and high-level connectivity, matched by the driving assistance systems, which confirm that even a novice driver can look in this direction. Of course, the price rises slightly and in the case of the i10 N-Line it starts at € 17,400, to which I suggest adding the € 600 of the Urban Pack, which includes the rear view camera with parking sensors, electric windows for the rear occupants and wireless charging for your smartphone.
With a luggage compartment that offers 252 liters of cargo and fuel consumption that using it with a nod to the N nature of this N-Line, the i10 easily travel 15 km with 1 liter of petrol and you can be sure that every single kilometer you will face with the knife between the teeth will not make uncomfortable that “N” displayed on the gear knob, as if to remember that it takes very little to come back home quicker than usual.
HYUNDAI i10 1.0 T-GDI N Line
Engine 3 cylinder Turbo, 998 cc Power 100 hp @ 4.500-6.000 rpm Torque 172 Nm @ 1.500 rpm
Traction Front-Wheel Drive Transmission 5-Speed Manual Gearbox Weight 1.099 kg
0-100 kph 10,5 sec Top Speed 185 kph Price from €17.400