Hyundai Sends Off the Manual i20 N With a Bronze-Trimmed Shadow Edition

The current-generation Hyundai i20 is nearing the end of its production run, with spy shots and teasers already pointing to a taller, more crossover-like replacement coming out of Brazil. Before that transition happens, Hyundai's Australian division wanted to give the hot-hatch version of the outgoing car a memorable send-off, and the result is a limited-run variant dubbed the i20 N Shadow Edition.

Only 100 examples will be built, and every single one is reserved exclusively for the Australian market. That scarcity alone should make it a target for collectors, but Hyundai has also dressed the car up with enough visual flair to justify the "special edition" badge. The most eye-catching addition is a set of 18-inch matte bronze flow-forged wheels, a finish that gives the little hatch a noticeably more aggressive stance than the standard i20 N's rims.

Rounding out the exterior changes are blacked-out wheel nuts and subtle black decals running along the lower edge of the doors. Buyers won't get the full five-color palette offered on the regular i20 N, though - the Shadow Edition is limited to just two shades, Atlas White or Phantom Black, keeping the focus on that bronze wheel contrast rather than a rainbow of body colors.

Inside is where Hyundai really leaned into the farewell theme. Each car gets a numbered bronze plaque on the dashboard confirming its place among the 100-unit run, along with an Alcantara-wrapped gear knob and a matching Alcantara steering wheel featuring a Performance Blue center marker. The quirkiest touch, though, is a set of custom rubber floor mats molded with the same tread pattern as the car's Pirelli P Zero tires - a small detail, but exactly the kind of enthusiast-focused gimmick that makes a send-off model feel special rather than just a trim-level shuffle.

Mechanically, nothing has changed, and that's precisely the point of this whole exercise. The Shadow Edition still packs the familiar 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 201 hp between 5,500 and 6,000 rpm and 203 lb-ft of torque from 1,750 to 4,500 rpm, routed to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. In a market increasingly dominated by dual-clutch and automatic-only hot hatches, keeping that stick-shift setup intact for the final run is arguably the biggest reason this car matters at all.

All that extra flair does come at a cost. The standard i20 N starts at AU$37,500 (about $26,500) before on-road costs, while the Shadow Edition begins at AU$41,500 ($29,300) in Atlas White, climbing to AU$42,095 ($29,700) for the Phantom Black version. It's a modest premium for a car that represents the last chance to buy a manual i20 N wrapped in this level of detail - once these 100 units are gone, so is the combination of stick-shift engagement and factory-fresh N branding in this body style.