Hyundai i30N: spy shots, testing and video

First N-badged Hyundai performance model has been testing at the 'Ring before it goes on sale this autumn for less than £30,000
Doug Revolta Autocar
by Doug Revolta
10 July 2017

The hot Hyundai i30N - a rival to the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST, will be revealed at 1pm today, alongside the i30's Fastback variant. 

Hyundai i30 N revealed at Frankfurt Motor Show

Hyundai previewed its upcoming i30N in a new video of the hot hatch at the Nürburgring - released before the car is revealed on 13 July.

The i30 N has now officially been revealed - read the full story here

It shows the future Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST rival being driven at pace on the track where much of its testing and development have taken place.

In the footage, the brand's head of vehicle testing and high performance development, Albert Biermann, says the car has been developed to withstand long stints at track pace.

Along with its road car testing, the brand entered two racing i30Ns into this year's Nürburgring 24 Hour event - something it said has helped improve the road car.

Alongside its 'Ring running, Hyundai has also brought development versions of the car to Britain to hone its setup to roads here. Biermann said of the UK stints: "We have to make sure that on these challenging UK roads, the driving performance is also comfortable enough for everyday driving."

The car is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that's expected to produce about 260bhp. This would bring it into close contention with the next Focus ST, which is predicted to have 275bhp, and well ahead of the Golf GTI, which currently peaks with 242bhp.

Our Verdict

Hyundai i30 2012-2017

Hyundai i30 Turbo

Can the second-generation Hyundai i30 challenge for class honours?

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The i30N's engine will come mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, or, from 2018, an optional automatic transmission.

We've driven an i30N prototype - read it here

The i30N will also be made available with a track-focused performance package that will further boost engine performance.

Biermann has hinted that the i30N could have a top speed of about 155mph. He also said a four-wheel-drive version could follow, suggesting a rival to the Ford Focus RS is being considered. This was supported by the unveiling of the 375bhp RN30 concept.

Hyundai World Rally Championship driver Thierry Neuville drove the car in Sweden and offered his own input to setup, as shown in the video below.

Autocar has driven the 2017 Hyundai i30. Click here to read the review.

“Our car will be affordable,” said Biermann, who in 2014 left his job as vice president of engineering at BMW’s M performance car arm to oversee Hyundai’s new N division. The car is expected to be priced at less than £30,000, with Hyundai stressing that N division's focus will be on "affordable performance".

Biermann also confirmed that Genesis, Hyundai's luxury standalone sister brand, will get high-performance variants of its models, and suggested it would be available in the UK.

"We will go into different markets and regions with N," Biermann said. "We will also develop high-performance cars for the Genesis brand but they won't have the N badge. N is just the sub-label for Hyundai cars."

Hyundai launched its third and final version of the Ioniq earlier this year. The car is available as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or fully electric car, and Biermann hinted that hybrid powertrains would play a part in N's future.

"We have everything available," he said. "It's too early now [for hybrid powertrains in N cars], but the time will come soon, definitely."

The car's engine produced 259bhp and 227lb ft at 6000rpm, suggesting the final road car could offer similar performance.

Hyundai has been working on the development of performance models since 2013, when it first launched the ‘N’ brand as part of its World Rally Championship assault. The company has a 3600m2 test facility at the Nürburgring.

Join the debate

Comments
7

smokescreen38

28 May 2016
For this to sell it has to be cheap, very cheap. Saying sub £30k could mean anything. Be more interesting if they said sub £20k. Now that would be a bargin. Focus ST and the upcoming Astra GSI is more tempting. Not to mention the Golf GTI. Sorry try again Hyundai.

Andrew 61

13 July 2016
It's nice to have more choice, it will though have to be either very good or a bargain price to claim a slice of the market.

TegTypeR

13 July 2016
The pedigree is there in the form of Albert Biermann, so if he has been given free rein or at least a long leash then this could be a very interesting car.

I'd like to see a Ford approach to this car, offer it as a budget performance model, think ST1, which give a low entry point but offer higher spec models if required.

 

 

It's all about the twisties........

xxxx

13 July 2016
"The car is expected to be priced at less than £30,000" that's only slightly less than a Golf R, S3 or Focus RS all of which have more power and 4 wheel drive and, with the exception of the Focus, look way better inside and are put together better.

typos1 - Just can’t respect opinion

smokescreen38

13 July 2016
xxxx wrote:

"The car is expected to be priced at less than £30,000" that's only slightly less than a Golf R, S3 or Focus RS all of which have more power and 4 wheel drive and, with the exception of the Focus, look way better inside and are put together better.

I totally agree. At circa £30k its way too close to the established brands, should be saying circa £20-25k to make it viable for big sales. Sorry its not a premium brand it's a Korean car. Good but not £30k good.

spanco

4 September 2016
Pricing dirt cheap is the wrong move. Make the product good enough to justify the price tag and people will buy it, esp if it shifts perceptions of the brand.

xxxx

15 March 2017
Just think a buyer can save and save for a Golf GTI then this comes along and if they save and save some more they can get an i30 instead. The price is crazy, no deal and it'll end up as difficult to shift as the current Type R

typos1 - Just can’t respect opinion

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