Hyundai I20 vs Audi RS3

What's the difference?

The i20 N hatch is so much fun, and not in a special occasion kind of way. It’s an affordable, compact performance car that’ll put a smile on your face no matter where or when you drive it. The Fiesta ST and Polo GTI have a worthy new playmate. I love it!

The Audi RS3 is a special hot hatch and sedan I’m so glad I experienced before its five-cylinder engine is inevitably retired due to emissions regulations. Full of character and charisma, this car is far from a rational purchase, pitched at boy racers who don’t want to grow up just yet.

From a value perspective, too, while the asking price has crossed the six-figure threshold and the option prices add thousands, it’s still much cheaper than the Mercedes-AMG A45 S. Make of that what you will.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

Hyundai’s current WRC challenger may be a coupe but this angry little five-door hatch absolutely looks the part.

We’re assured the N is the only current-generation i20 we’ll see in the Aussie market, and it runs with a relatively low (101mm) ground clearance, a grille pattern inspired by a chequered flag, black mirror shells, and menacing, angular LED headlights.

The ‘Satin Grey’ 18-inch alloys are unique to this car, as are the side skirts, raised rear spoiler, darkened LED tail-lights, a ‘sort-of’ diffuser under the rear bumper and a single fat exhaust exiting on the right-hand side.

There are three standard paint options - ‘Polar White’, ‘Sleek Silver’, and N’s signature shade of ‘Performance Blue’ (as per our test car) as well as two premium shades - ‘Dragon Red’, and ‘Phantom Black’ (+$495). A contrasting Phantom Black roof adds $1000.

Inside, the N-branded sports seats, trimmed in black cloth, featuring integrated headrests and blue contrast stitching, are unique to the i20 N. There’s a leather-trimmed sports steering wheel, handbrake lever and gear knob, as well as metal finishers on the pedals.

The 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and same-sized multimedia screen look slick, and ambient lighting heightens the hi-tech mood.

Audi has made some subtle tweaks to the RS3 that has somehow made this snarling hot hatch look even angrier.

Up front there’s a new fascia featuring more open sections, which in turn improves air flow. A black styling package is now standard so it almost looks like the entire front is open and ready to eat you alive.

The matrix LED headlights now have a darkened finish which adds to the menacing look. There are new signatures, including a special chequered flag one for the RS3 which looks top notch.

Around the side it surprises me just how much wider the front is compared to the rear. Both have big, muscular haunches, but it shows this hot hatch is a bit of a bulldog. I’m a big fan.

These haunches stand out even more when you opt for the new Daytona Grey Matte exterior paint. While the extra $11,400 for the privilege makes me wince, it looks sexy on this car.

The standard 19-inch ‘Y-spoke’ alloy wheel design remains unchanged from the pre-update car, though there’s a new, optional ‘cross-spoke’ design that looks delicious (and tricky to clean).

At the back there’s still the classic RS dual exhaust tip motif which looks mean and it’s surrounded by a new black rear diffuser with a motorsport-inspired vertical red reflector in the centre.

The new LED tail-light signature with the vertical slats is so clean and neat. It looks particularly great in low-light situations or at night.

Inside, the biggest change is the new RS steering wheel with the flat top and bottom. As standard it’s wrapped in perforated leather, but with the optional RS Design package it’s wrapped in 'Dinamica' synthetic suede. I much prefer the standard leather-wrapped unit as the Dinamica likely won’t last in the long run, especially if you’ve got clammy hands.

Other changes include more interior ambient lighting on the door cards through small slits, as well as a new shift-by-wire gear selector. The digital instrument cluster and touchscreen multimedia system set-up remains unchanged which is no bad thing because they look fantastic.

It’s disappointing Audi has stuck with an extensive use of piano black on the centre console because this gets dusty and grimy very quickly, and then can get scratched easily when wiped clean. It now also features on the steering wheel buttons, which are frequent touchpoints.

Although it’s just 4.1m long, the i20N is impressively space efficient with decent room up front and a surprising amount of head and legroom in the back.

Sitting behind the driver's seat, set for my 183cm position, I had plenty of head and legroom, although, understandably, three people across the back will need to be kids or understanding adults, on a short journey.

And there are plenty of storage and power options, including the wireless device charge pad in front of the gear lever, which doubles as an oddments tray when not in use, two cupholders in the front centre console, door bins with room for large bottles, a modest glove box and a lidded cubby/armrest between the front seats.

No armrest or air vents in the back, but there are map pockets on the front seat backs, and again, bins in the doors with room for bottles

There is a media USB-A socket and another for charging, as well as a 12V outlet in the front, and another USB-A power socket in the back. Hyundai suggests the latter could be handy for powering track day cameras. Great idea!

Boot space is impressive for such a compact hatch. With the rear seats upright there’s 310 litres (VDA) available. Fold the 60/40 split-folding rear backrest and no less than 1123 litres opens up.

A dual-height floor can be flat for long stuff, or deep for tall stuff, there are bag hooks provided, four tie down anchors, and a luggage net included. The spare is a space saver.

The RS3’s standard sport front seats are deliciously comfortable and offer plenty of electric adjustment. This means people of any size and stature should be able to find their desired seating position.

Thanks to the electric lumbar there’s also a massage function for the front seats. This is pretty cool to flick on and relax into, but I wish the massage was a little stronger.

While the new steering wheel looks cool interacting with the buttons on it can be a bit of a hassle. They’re touch-sensitive but do have a satisfying click if pressed harder.

There were moments where I accidentally clicked on the buttons during intensive track driving as my hands were at the nine and three o’clock positions. Not the best thing when you’re meant to be focussing.

The digital instrument cluster offers so much configuration you won’t know what to do with yourself. There’s even a new rev counter design especially for the RS3 which looks very cool.

Moving across, the touchscreen multimedia system is classic Audi. It’s easy to navigate around and hard to get lost in the sub-menus. There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity which is virtually a given now.

While you need to use the touchscreen for a number of features, I appreciate how Audi has retained so much physical switchgear up front. It’s particularly handy to have physical toggle switches and a small digital display that’s separate from the touchscreen for the climate control.

Another piece of physical switchgear I like up front is the rotary dial for the media controls on centre console. It’s much like an iPod, allowing you to change the volume if you rotate your finger on it like a click-wheel. Major throwback vibes.

In terms of storage up front, it’s decent but not outstanding. There are two cupholders, a wireless phone charger, a centre console box as well as a lockable glove box.

Moving to the second row, it’s clear it’s more for the sake of it, rather than having a space you’d want to use all the time. At a leggy 182cm tall, I have minimal legroom behind my own driving position.

With headroom, it’s adequate in the hatchback and not great in the lower-slung sedan. I need to kink my neck in the latter to fit, which isn’t comfortable.

The second-row bench seat is comfortable, offering enough support for short-to-medium trips. I wouldn’t want to get stuck back there for too long, however.

In terms of amenities, there are air vents mounted on the back of the centre console with a dedicated third zone of climate control, two USB-C ports, nets on the seat backs as well as a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders.

At the back there’s a power tailgate for the hatchback, however the sedan only has a power-opening boot lid. This means you need to manually shut it, which isn’t uncommon for sedans.

Boot space in the RS3 is a weak spot due to all the componentry for the all-wheel drive system and the tricky rear clutch set-up. There’s only 282L for the hatch and 321L for the sedan, which isn’t much.

In reality, however, the boot space is still usable. It’s fairly square and there’s barely any boot lip, meaning you can slide things in and out with ease.

Boot-related amenities include a netting system to keep things from sliding around, a light, some hooks and a 12V socket. There’s also a parcel cover for the hatchback.

Unfortunately there’s no spare wheel of any kind under the boot floor in the RS3 as this is where the 12V battery lives. Instead there’s a tyre repair kit. This isn’t uncommon in performance cars, though it’s disappointing if you frequently travel in the country, away from tyre repair shops.

This facelift for the Audi RS3 has seen the price tag rise beyond six figures for the first time.

It’s now priced from $104,800, before on-road costs for the hatchback or $107,800, before on-road costs for the sedan. This is between $9000 and $9500 more expensive than the pre-update version, depending on body style.

While this may seem like a considerable amount of money for a hot hatch it’s worth noting the Mercedes-AMG A45 S is well over $120,000, before on-roads.

As standard there are 19-inch alloy wheels, darkened matrix LED headlights, a black exterior styling package, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 15-speaker Sonos audio and RS sport seats with Nappa leather upholstery.

There’s a new RS steering wheel with a flat top and bottom, as well as touch-sensitive and shortcut buttons for the 'RS Performance' drive modes. There’s also more interior ambient lighting and a panoramic glass sunroof as standard.

Optional extras include a 'Carbon Package' ($7400 hatch, $6300 sedan), 'RS Design Package Plus' ($2150) in either red or green, ceramic front brakes ($10,800) and a new 'Daytona Grey Matte' exterior paint colour ($11,400). The latter is the first time matt paint has been offered on an RS3 locally.

While there’s a considerable amount of standard kit in the RS3, it’s easy to add tens of thousands to the asking price with the options list, but as a result you can personalise the car exactly how you’d like.

The i20 N is powered by a turbo intercooled 1.6 litre four-cylinder petrol engine, driving the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen-type mechanical limited slip differential.

The all-alloy (G4FP) engine features high-pressure direct-injection and an overboost function, producing 150kW from 5500-6000rpm, and 275Nm from 1750-4500rpm (rising to 304Nm on overboost at max throttle from 2000-4000rpm).

And the engine’s mechanical ‘Continuously Variable Valve Duration’ set-up is something of a breakthrough. In fact, Hyundai claims it as a world’s first for a production engine.

Not timing, not lift, but variable duration of valve opening (managed independently of timing and lift), to strike the optimal balance between power and economy across the rev range.

The Audi RS3 is still powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder petrol engine which produces an unchanged 294kW of power and 500Nm of torque.

This is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system.

Audi claims both versions of the RS3 can do the 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.8 seconds, which is technically 0.1 seconds faster than a Mercedes-AMG A45 S. Top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h.

Hyundai’s official fuel economy figure for the i20 N, on the ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban cycle, is 6.9L/100km, the 1.6-litre four emitting 157g/km of C02 in the process.

Stop/start is standard, and we saw a dash-indicated average of 7.1L/100km over several hundred km of city, B-road and freeway running on the occasionally ‘spirited’  launch drive.

You’ll need 40 litres of ‘standard’ 91 RON unleaded to brim the tank, which translates to a range of 580km using the official figure and 563 kays using our launch test drive number.

The Audi RS3 sedan is claimed to consume 8.2L/100km, whereas the RS3 hatch is claimed to consume 8.3L/100km, both on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle (ADR 81/02).

Both body types come with a 55L fuel tank and require a minimum of 98 RON premium unleaded petrol.

During my testing I saw an average of 9.6L/100km according to the trip computer. We did around 200km of higher speed driving heading east out of Melbourne, including some spirited sections.

Our on-test figure translates to a range of 570km on a full tank of petrol.

Unusually for a manual car, the i20 N features a launch control system (with an adjustable rpm setting), which we found fiddly to get working, but with or without it, Hyundai claims a snappy 0-100km/h time of 6.7sec.

And it’s such a pleasure to steer a car with a slick-shifting manual gearbox. The six-speed unit features a rev-matching function accessed via the press of a racy red button on the steering wheel. 

Buf for those who prefer an old-school, double-shuffle, heal-and-toe tap dance across the pedals, the relationship between the brake and accelerator is perfect. 

And if you’re keen on Walter Rohrl-style left-foot braking, to help steady the car or steer it in fast cornering, the ESC is switchable through to Sport mode or completely off, allowing fuss-free simultaneous brake and throttle application.

There’s even a shift-timing indicator near the top of the instrument cluster, with colour bars closing in on each other as the tacho needle pushes towards the rev limiter. Fun.

Engine and exhaust noise is a combination of a raspy induction note and adjustable crackle and pop out the back, courtesy of a mechanical flap in the exhaust system, adjustable through three settings in N mode.

Traditionalists may not be thrilled by the addition of in-cabin synthetic enhancement of all of the above, but the net effect is thoroughly enjoyable.

It’s worth remembering in this context N stands for Namyang, Hyundai’s sprawling proving ground south of Seoul where the car was developed, and the Nürburgring where this go-fast i20 was fine-tuned.

The body has been specifically reinforced at 12 key points, along with additional welds, and “bolt-in underbody structures” to make the i20 N stiffer and more responsive.

The strut front, coupled (dual) torsion beam rear suspension has also been set up with increased (neg) camber and a revised anti-roll bar at the front, as well as specific springs, shocks and bushings.

A compact, mechanical LSD is added to the mix, and grippy 215/40 x 18 Pirelli P-Zero rubber was produced specifically for the car and is stamped ‘HN’ for Hyundai N. Impressive.

The end result is outstanding. Low-speed ride is firm, with suburban bumps and lumps making their presence felt, but that’s what you’re signing on for in a hot hatch at this price point.

This car feels balanced and well buttoned down. Power delivery is agreeably linear and at a fraction over 1.2 tonnes the i20 N is light, responsive and nimble. Mid-range urge is strong.

Steering feel is good, with assistance from a column-mounted motor taking nothing away from an intimate connection with the front tyres.

The sports front seats proved grippy and comfortable over long stints behind the wheel, and playing with the multiple N drive modes tweaking the engine, ESC, exhaust, and steering just adds to the involvement. There are twin N switches on the wheel for quick access to custom set-ups.   

And that Torsen LSD is brilliant. I tried my best to provoke a spinning inside front wheel on the exit of tight corners, but the i20 N just puts its power down without so much as a chirp, as it rockets towards the next bend.

The brakes are 320mm vented at the front and 262mm solid at the rear. Calipers are single piston, but they’ve been beefed up and fitted with high-friction pads. The master cylinder is bigger than the standard i20 and the front rotors are cooled by lower control arm mounted air guides blowing through vented knuckles.

The launch i20 N fleet of around half a dozen cars copped an hours long hot lap pounding at Wakefield Park Raceway, near Goulburn NSW without drama. They’re well up to the task. 

One niggle is a large turning circle. The data sheet says 10.5m but it feels like the car is carving a wide arc in U-turns or three-point turns.

A 2580mm wheelbase between the bumpers of a 4075mm car is substantial, and the steering’s relatively low gearing (2.2 turns lock-to-lock) no doubt has a lot to do with it. The price you pay for quick turn-in.

Spoiler alert, it’s a cracker.

Starting up the RS3, you’re instantly aware you’re behind the wheel of something special. Audi has made the start-up more “emotional” with this update and also “optimised” the exhaust flap control for more five-cylinder growl across a wider rev range.

When you’re on the boil, this five-cylinder sounds so fantastic. It’s the clear centrepiece of this car and I’m so happy Audi has continued to offer it.

However, thanks to the addition of a petrol particulate filter (PPF) with this latest-generation model it sounds a little muted in everyday driving. Call me a boy racer, but I want more noise.

Staying on the engine, it’s full of character and gets this small hatch and sedan moving along with ease. Even though the outputs are unchanged with this update, it’s still more than enough; 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds shows it's more than enough.

The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in this car keeps the acceleration feeling relentless with snappy gear changes at a moment’s notice. It’s particularly fun taking control of moving between the ratios with the paddle shifters.

In slow-moving traffic, however, the dual-clutch can get a little lost and stuttery, which is a classic characteristic of this kind of transmission.

As standard the all-wheel drive system remains neutral, keeping the front and rear balanced and in check. However, if you flick to the ‘Dynamic’ drive mode you get more rear-biased action which is fun when you exit a corner with some extra heat.

There’s also still a ‘RS torque rear’ drive mode which is essentially a drift mode. Unfortunately we didn’t get to sample this during the launch program.

Additionally, there’s an ‘Individual’ mode that allows you to choose your own destiny. You could spend hours here fine-tuning your desired drive mode which is both great to see but complete nerd-core.

Like the pre-update car, there’s an electronically controlled multi-disc clutch on the rear axle which actively splits the torque between the rear wheels. However, it’s been "optimised" to allow for quicker cornering.

While this is hard to gauge without testing the pre-update and current car back-to-back, the RS3 is so dynamic it feels like you only scratch the surface on public roads. Thankfully we got to see how far we could push it on Haunted Hills, which is a fantastically complicated hill climb circuit in eastern Victoria.

In terms of the steering, there’s a progressive rack as standard which ramps up the steering intensity the more you turn the wheel. In practice, this means the lock-to-lock ratio is very short, making it easy to link up tight corners.

It also makes it easy to navigate tighter driving scenarios, like parking, though it disguises how wide the turning circle is. Expect to do three-point turns fairly often.

For the suspension, the RS3 has adaptive dampers set-up that generally errs on the sportier and firm side. There is a ‘Comfort’ mode which irons out some bumps, but larger road imperfections still transmit harshly into the cabin.

It’s also worth noting at higher speeds there’s a considerable amount of road and tyre noise that comes into the cabin. Thankfully the Sonos sound system does a great job at drowning this out.

Lastly, the safety systems in this car are generally user-friendly, though the lane-keep assist can be a little too hands-on, especially on narrow roads with poor lane markings. Thankfully you can switch this off by pressing and holding a button on the end of the indicator stalk.

The regular Audi A3 received a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating back in 2020, though this only covers front-wheel drive versions and doesn’t extend to the high-performance RS3.

Standard safety equipment includes seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring with exit warning, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, driver attention monitor, front and rear parking sensors, a surround-view camera as well as a semi-autonomous parking assistant.

AEB is active from 5.0km/h and lane-keep assist activates from 60km/h.

There’s also Audi’s 'Pre-Safe' system as standard which automatically closes the windows and sunroof, as well as pre-tensions the seatbelts if the car senses it’s going to be involved in a crash.

Additionally, all owners get three years of complimentary access to 'Audi Connected Services', including online roadside assistance and remote functions through a smartphone app. There’s also 10 years' emergency SOS call support and automatic service reminders.

Hyundai covers the i20 N with a five year/unlimited km warranty, and the ‘iCare’ program includes a ‘Lifetime Service Plan’, as well as 12 months 24/7 roadside assist and an annual sat nav map update (the latter two renewed free-of-charge each year, up to 10 years, if the car is serviced at an authorised Hyundai dealer).

Maintenance is scheduled every 12-months/10,000km (whichever comes first) and there’s a pre-paid option which means you can lock in prices and/or fold service costs into your finance package.

Owners also have access to the ‘myHyundai’ online portal providing details on the car’s operation and features as well special offers and customer support.

Service for the i20 N will set you back $309 for each of the first five years, which is competitive for a hot hatch in this part of the market. 

Like all Audis, the RS3 is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. There’s also five years of roadside assistance.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

You’re able to purchase a five-year pre-paid service package for $4010. That averages out to $802 per service, which seems like a lot until you see how much Mercedes-AMG charges to service an A45 S.

RS3 owners can also purchase two-year packages to extend the warranty, roadside assistance and servicing coverage. This allows new RS3 owners to have warranty coverage for up to nine years and it’s transferable to future owners.