Auto Express 1671

I CAN remember back in the eighties the furore when Ford decided to can the Cortina and replace it with the ‘jelly mould’ Sierra. It was out with the old family-favourite, three-box saloon and in with the new, aerodynamic five-door hatch. Now it’s the turn of the Mondeo to make way, although Ford says it has no plans to directly replace it. So it’s not only farewell to a big-selling and much-loved nameplate, but it’s also farewell to a whole breed of car – one that can trace its roots back to the good old Cortina. Today’s families and fleet managers don’t want low-riding hatchbacks and saloons – it’s all about SUVs. And Ford’s excellent Kuga is doing a fine job of offering those who might have bought a Mondeo exactly what…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk ● Hot supermini driven on UK roads for the first time● Hyundai has learned from i30 N to deliver an even better car THE Hyundai i20 N hot hatch is the Korean firm’s follow-up to the scorching i30 N. Could it be a difficult second album for the Korean firm’s N sub-brand? Think again, because Hyundai has applied what it learned from its first project to great effect here. This is a small, sophisticated, hardcore machine, and it’s the details that make it, so let’s take a quick re-cap: the i20 N is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 201bhp and 275Nm of torque. There’s a six-speed manual transmission with a rev-matching downshift function that sends power to the front axle, where a mechanical limited-slip differential improves traction. Launch…

THE i20 N’s vital figures put it right in the firing line of the car that’s had the hot supermini class sewn up for years now, the Ford Fiesta ST. The Hyundai outdoes the Ford for power, by 4bhp, although it’s 15Nm down on torque. Of course, the i20 N’s relatively light kerbweight undercuts even the compact Fiesta’s figure. Pricing for the i20 N is a factor that’s still unknown, and at this level of the market it’s key. However, a price tag a shade under £25,000 is highly likely, so given the level of standard kit the i20 N gets – coming loaded with clever chassis features, the latest infotainment and strong safety tech – itputs it on a good footing when compared with the £24,975 Ford Fiesta ST-3 5dr.…

I CAN remember back in the eighties the furore when Ford decided to can the Cortina and replace it with the ‘jelly mould’ Sierra. It was out with the old family-favourite, three-box saloon and in with the new, aerodynamic five-door hatch. Now it’s the turn of the Mondeo to make way, although Ford says it has no plans to directly replace it. So it’s not only farewell to a big-selling and much-loved nameplate, but it’s also farewell to a whole breed of car – one that can trace its roots back to the good old Cortina. Today’s families and fleet managers don’t want low-riding hatchbacks and saloons – it’s all about SUVs. And Ford’s excellent Kuga is doing a fine job of offering those who might have bought a Mondeo…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk THE Hyundai i20 N hot hatch is the Korean firm’s follow-up to the scorching i30 N. Could it be a difficult second album for the Korean firm’s N sub-brand? Think again, because Hyundai has applied what it learned from its first project to great effect here. This is a small, sophisticated, hardcore machine, and it’s the details that make it, so let’s take a quick re-cap: the i20 N is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 201bhp and 275Nm of torque. There’s a six-speed manual transmission with a rev-matching downshift function that sends power to the front axle, where a mechanical limited-slip differential improves traction. Launch control helps the i20 N sprint from 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds and on to a top speed of…

Hyundai i20 N Price: £24,990 Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl turbo petrol Power/torque: 201bhp/275Nm 0-62mph/top speed: 6.7 seconds/143mph + FOR Thanks to lots of advanced hardware the chassis is tenacious in its approach – plus there are lots of great mechanical and electronic features to improve performance. It’s fun - AGAINST i20 N’s engine isn’t a great, but it is effective. Exhaust drones, while quality in some areas of the cabin is lacking Ford Fiesta ST-3 5dr Price: £24,975 Engine: 1.5-litre 3cyl turbo petrol Power/torque: 197bhp/290Nm 0-62mph/top speed: 6.5 seconds/144mph + FOR Fiesta ST is a hardcore hatch that puts driving fun and thrills above all else – and there’s plenty of talent to back it up. Three-cylinder engine is grunty and characterful; chassis is sharp and playful - AGAINST Practicality is compromised, even in five-door form. Boot space and rear legroom can’t match i20’s,…