2018 Hyundai i30 N hot hatch revealed

Hyundai’s i30 N hot hatch has been floating around the news for a while. Hyundai is looking up their game in the performance hatchback segment, as the Veloster Turbo didn’t exactly hit the mark.

The Hyundai i30 N is painted a unique Performance Blue derived from WRC. Though a few details in the bodywork give it a purposeful appeal, it is not as flamboyant as the Civic Type-R. The N badge is found on the cascading grill up front as well as on the red brake calipers. The vents on the either side of the grill help in cooling the brakes. Compared to the normal model, the i30 N is lowered by 4 mm when it is fitted with 18-inch wheels and by 8 mm with 19-inchers. It also has a spoiler fitted to its trunk to improve downforce.

Inside, a set of bolstered sports seats is fitted to keep the passengers in place during cornering. Customers can choose between a combination of suede and leather, or cloth for the seats. The infotainment system comes with a 5-inch screen as standard while an 8-inch unit is available as an option.

From under the hood, a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder GDI engine powers the Hyundai i30 N from 0-100 kph in 6.4 seconds, courtesy 0f its 247 hp output. If you add the Performance Pack, the i30 N’s engine produces 271 hp. This will slash 0.2 seconds from the 0-100 kph time. Both these cars produce 352 Nm of torque and have a top speed of 250 kph. A 6-speed manual gearbox which comes with rev-matching is mated to the engine.

The Hyundai i30 N comes with a bunch of gizmos like an electronic limited slip differential, launch control, and an electronically controlled suspension. Hyundai claims that all these systems were sharpened by the 10,000 km it ran around Nürburgring during testing. Five different drive modes, Eco, Normal, Sport, N mode, and N custom, help the driver fine tune the car to their liking. The variable valve exhaust system adds more aggression to the noise the car makes at the touch of a button.

The i30 N will be available by the end of this year. The prices will be announced closer to the launch. There is no news yet if it will be sold in the UAE, Saudi Arabia or other GCC countries.