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Matt Brogan29 Mar 2018
REVIEW

Hyundai i30 N 2018 Review

We push Hyundai’s first hot hatch to the, um, N-th degree on road and on track – and come away mightily impressed
Model Tested
Review Type
Local Launch
Review Location
Albury, New South Wales

Hyundai is proud that, in its words, it has a car for the enthusiast for the first time; and rightly so. And a look through the specifications of the Hyundai i30 N shows the 202kW/353Nm five-door indeed has the bona fides to rival stalwart front-drive hot hatch rivals from Europe and beyond. Competitively priced and generously equipped, the Hyundai i30 N aims to challenge what buyers have come to expect in the performance small-car world. On sale now, the i30 N is priced from $39,990 (plus on-road costs).

Born to perform

It’s not every day you get to bear witness to the birth of a species. While the hot hatch breed isn’t new, the opportunity to drive a genuinely all-new take on the genus at its launch is a rare privilege – and one that invites inevitable comparisons.

The Hyundai i30 N arrives as the latest rival for a long list of well-established players. It directly challenges small front-drive performance hatchbacks like the Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Type R, Peugeot 308 GTi, Renault Megane RS and, of course, the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

In doing so it follows a familiar equation (high horsepower + small hatch = fast), but there are differences.

The i30 N is uniquely Hyundai in that it offers not only its own personality, but also more of almost everything when directly compared to its rivals.

There’s more standard equipment than all of its competitors; more power than all except the $11K-dearer Civic Type R; more torque than all bar the Honda and the Renault; and a racetrack-inclusive warranty that embarrasses most of its rivals by two years.

The Hyundai i30 N is a serious effort and expect other N models to follow to change the brand’s image once and for all. If it doesn’t, we fear nothing will.

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The N-th degree

In other markets, the Hyundai i30 N is sold in two states of tune. Australia receives the higher spec Performance Pack as standard, foregoing the entry-level 184kW offering in favour of the full-fruit 202kW tune.

The Hyundai i30 N's 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol mill shares its block with the mid-size Sonata sedan, but gets a larger turbo and is oiled, fuelled and cooled to withstand the rigours of the racetrack.

Designed at Hyundai’s Namyang R&D facility in Korea and tuned at the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany (hence the ‘N’ moniker), the hot hatch Hyundai cranks peak power at 6000rpm and full twist of 353Nm over 1450-4700rpm (and 378Nm over 1750-4200rpm for up to 18sec on overboost).

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Driving the front wheels via a slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission (an eight-speed dual-clutch will be offered from late 2019) and a dual-mode electronically-actuated mechanical differential, the front-drive Hyundai i30 N uses launch control to hit 100km/h in a claimed 6.2sec and an electronically-limited full whack of 250km/h. Overtaking from 80 to 120km/h happens in just 7.3sec.

Other goodies include a high-capacity rack-mounted steering motor, an active and electronically-enhanced exhaust system, switchable rev-matching function, short-stroke clutch, active aerodynamics and brake cooling ducts.

There’s also a locally-tuned, lowered front and multi-link rear suspension system with adaptive dampers, and athletic 345mm front and 314mm rear disc rotors clamped by Hyundai’s own red-painted callipers.

All Aussie Hyundai i30 Ns ride on 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in bespoke 235/35 Pirelli P Zero HN tyres as standard, and are fitted with a space-saver spare.

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You’re on my kit list

Hyundai packs a lot into its i30 variants. Viewed against its contemporaries, the small hatch includes many standard features the others offer as options, and the Czech-built i30 N is no exception (see pricing news here).

Inside the sporty, body-kitted exterior (available in six paint colours) there’s a cabin dressed entirely in black and accessorised with a perforated leather-clad steering wheel, deeply bolstered cloth-trimmed sports seats, metal-faced pedals and an ‘N’ race computer with shift lights.

The race computer allows personalisation of the engine, rev-matching, launch control, suspension, steering, differential, stability control and exhaust sound settings through a total of 1944 possible combinations.

Your favourite can even be saved for later access via the steering wheel-mounted N Custom button.

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The i30 N offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as part of its 8.0-inch touch-screen infotainment array, as well as satellite-navigation and Bluetooth audio and telephony.

There are auto wipers, dusk-sensing LED headlights and cruise control, but no adaptive cruise control as found elsewhere in the Hyundai line-up.

The $3000 Luxury Pack adds front parking sensors, heated and 12-way power-adjustable front seats in suede-like material, power-folding side mirrors, wireless phone charging, keyless entry and push-button ignition. An additional $2000 adds a panoramic sunroof while metallic paint is another $495.

As we noted earlier, the i30 N is covered by the same five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty offered with all Hyundai passenger models, which extends to racetrack coverage at non-timed events (ie: track days).

Like all of Hyundai’s turbo-petrol passenger range, the i30 N requires servicing every 12 months or 10,000km (whichever comes first). Service pricing is capped for 10 years.

Hyundai’s sporty i30 N also offers a lane-keeping assistant, autonomous emergency braking, driver attention alert and seven airbags; but is yet to receive an ANCAP safety rating.

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Torture test

When we’re invited to sample new cars at a local launch it usually entails a brief drive along a carefully selected road route and, for sporty models, a handful of laps at a purposefully flattering racetrack. This launch was different.

For the Australian press launch of the i30 N, Hyundai took us on a gruelling 400km loop of the Victorian High Country then let us loose on the Winton Motor Raceway – for six hours!

Pricing and Features

It’s the sort of confidence in its product Hyundai will need if it’s to win the hearts and minds of enthusiast buyers, and one that proved to us how capable the i30 N is as an all-rounder.

The i30 N travelled well on mixed surfaces, damping road imperfections and corrugations with a level of maturity lacking in many of its rivals.

Its ability to maintain poise and grip on poorer surfaces was matched by the tenacity of drive to the front wheels, while the lack of axle tramp and torque steer was surprising and welcome in equal parts.

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Using the three pre-set modes of the variable shock absorbers shows a clear difference in damping force. The hardest setting exhibits choppiness on pockmarked country roads, and a reluctance to turn in on the tighter corners of the Winton circuit.

Under the tutelage of Hyundai’s engineers it became obvious the added pitch and roll present in softer suspension modes pays dividends here, with the ability to use lift-off oversteer and left-foot braking shaving more time off an already impressive lap time (1:42.825).

Getting hard on the throttle shows an unflustered willingness from Hyundai’s Theta-family engine, and a power delivery style that’s quite European.

Former BMW M exec turned Hyundai N division head Albert Biermann was a guiding influence in the i30 N’s development, perhaps gifting the all-aluminium engine with its low-end urgency and impressive mid-range pull. (It certainly feels reminiscent of another single letter sports car range we could mention…)

On the flip side, however, we found that the engine can sound ‘fizzy’ under load, and without the sound generator and exhaust in N mode it’s, well, a little sterile. Perhaps as a result of its muscular mid-range, we also found the i30 N redline far too easily, and the shift light quickly became a necessary tool in preventing intervention of the limiter when rowing through the gears.

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N-othing without finesse

Despite its toughened clutch and short pedal throw, the i30 N remains a doddle to drive. There’s plenty of feedback through the B & C pedals, the former even hinting at the inevitable change in pressure as over-heated fluid expands the brake lines.

Still, the pads held up well to fade and we finished the launch with plenty of pad material remaining. The tyres also held up impressively well, showing none of the shoulder wear usually found on hard-charging front-drivers.

As for complaints, they’re minor at best. The seat and steering wheel are both set a little high for our liking and can result in the top of the wheel rim blocking line of sight to the shift lights.

We also encountered a light vibration forward of the instrument panel somewhere deep in the dashboard, and felt the gap between second and third gear was perhaps a little larger than it could have been.

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The steering, too, is still fractionally artificial, in spite of its excellent weighting and appropriately quick rack speed.

Barring these small criticisms, the Hyundai i30 N is a fun, fast and thoroughly entertaining car to pedal at all speeds, while remaining a practical five-door hatch.

It’s a well resolved package that shows wisdom beyond its years, feeling more like a hot hatch Hyundai has polished and honed over decades, not a first-up effort.

If Hyundai’s first attempt at a hot hatch is this good, we can’t wait to sample the next one.

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2018 Hyundai i30 N pricing and specifications:
Price: $39,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 202kW/353Nm (378Nm overboost)
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 8.0L/100km (ADR Combined), 9.9L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 186g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBC

Related reading:
>> Hyundai i30 N International Launch Review
>> Hyundai i30 N local pricing and specifications
>> Hyundai RN30 packs 280kW and AWD

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Written byMatt Brogan
See all articles
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
85/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
17/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
17/20
Safety & Technology
18/20
Behind The Wheel
17/20
X-Factor
16/20
Pros
  • Strong, responsive engine
  • Warranty and value for money
  • Accurate, exploitable dynamics
Cons
  • Exhaust can drone in N mode
  • Lots of black plastic inside
  • No adaptive cruise control
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