A facelift for them Hyundai i20 N hot hatch is due later this year in showrooms overseas – and likely next year in Australia – as local orders remain closed despite a two-year wait.

Former Head of Hyundai’s N-Performance Division – now Senior Technical Advisor for Hyundai – confirmed Albert Biermann in a video about the Hyundai N Australia youtube Channel, the revised i20 N is to be presented in the European summer of 2023 (June to August).

However, Australian launch dates are yet to be determined drive understands that this timing could correlate with arrival at local showrooms early 2024.

That could see buyers standing at the back of the queue today – who were told wait times of up to two years when the i20 N order books closed in July 2022 – to get the updated model.

Mr. Biermann has hinted that the changes for the 2024 model will be superficial – and the engine, gearbox, suspension and other key mechanical components will likely remain unchanged.

“Yes, there will be a facelift. It’s coming next summer, so we’ll have to wait a little longer. But technically there is no need to be afraid, it is still the crazy corner block [today]’ said Mr Biermann.

Mr. Biermann tells drive at a media conference in September: “The midlife update isn’t too crazy because… we’re still having supply issues, we still can’t build enough cars to meet demand.

“Why spend a fortune on a car you can’t get enough of anyway? Of course we will do the typical things, try to bring more emotions with the facelift. We’ll bring something.”

The Hyundai executive poured cold water on any possibility of changes to mechanical components like the suspension. ruled out the option of a dual-clutch automatic transmission due to development costs and its weight.

As reported by drive In December 2022, the future of the i20 N beyond the current generation – with turbo petrol power – remains in the dark.

Mr Biermann confirmed a new i20 range is in development for Europe – but said the N Division was struggling to get Hyundai management to sign off on a new, petrol-powered i20 N.

“We need a strong voice for i20 N. I need a strong voice from everywhere. As you know, the trend in the industry is that all small cars are dying,” he told media at the Hyundai N Festival in South Australia last month.

“I’m not saying the i20 N will die. I’m not saying i20 will die. There will be an i20 successor, but we’re having a hard time getting confirmation for one [new] i20 N which is ridiculous.

“We can never get enough [of the current i20 N]. The whole [production] Plan was just wrong, and now with the semiconductor restrictions and so on… we sold out in Germany with i20 Ns two months ago, [now] We won’t get new cars until next summer [Australia’s winter]’ said the executive.

Now the date of “next summer” is known, which refers to the launch of the revised i20 N.

The arrival of a facelifted Hyundai i20 N in Europe in mid-2023 – and likely in Australia in early 2024 – may seem early, as the original i20 N didn’t go on sale in Australia until mid-2022.

However, the regular i20 hatchback on which it is based was launched in Europe two years earlier – and would be three years old by the time the i20 N facelift was launched.

Updated i20 N prototypes are still being spied during road testing, however the regular model was photographed testing in camouflage in South Korea (images via car spy).