2019 Hyundai i30 Fastback N price and specs

Hyundai has launched its latest i30 variant and only its second ever N performance car in the form of the one-off Hyundai i30 Fastback N. Sourced from Hyundai's Czech Republic plant, the i30 Fastback N is all but identical to the i30N hatchback, save for an updated suspension tune and the shape of the body from the C-pillar rearwards.

The five-seat, four-door i30 Fastback N coupe will cost $41,990 plus on-road costs, which is a $1500 premium over the i30 N hatch (which has also increased in price by $500 thanks to exchange rate pressures). The i30 Fastback N can also be optioned with a pair of option kits: the Luxury Pack ($3,000) and the Luxury Pack with Panoramic Sunroof ($5,000).

Hyundai Australia product development manager Andrew Touatahi told WhichCar that customers will be able to pick the subtle changes between the i30 Fastback N and the i30N hatch.

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“You will feel a difference,” he said. “It will be a little different. I think the Fastback will give you a slightly broader comfort window so up front it will be a little bit more comfortable on the road, a little more compliant. The hatch will feel a little bit more ‘immediate’.”

The four-door coupe style body is 12kg heavier than the hatch and uses 29 additional welds to stiffen and strengthen the body. The front bumper and bonnet are identical to the hatch, while the rear end gets a custom tailgate spoiler, customised rear bumper and full-width diffusor. It runs the same 19-inch alloy wheels as the hatch, as well.

Inside, the only real difference is to the colours of the contrasting stitching on the trim; the hatch uses blue, while the Fastback adopts a red theme. Sports seats, leather-trimmed steering wheel, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via an 8.0-inch multimedia system, digital radio, dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights and one-touch powered glass all round are standard.

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There is a manual handbrake – a preference of the Hyundai N project leader, former BMW M head Albert Bierman, we’re told – and there are no vents for rear-seat passengers. Two ISOFIX baby seat mounts are included.

Safety gear includes LED daytime lamps, LED headlights and taillights, rear-view camera, AEB and lane-keep assist, along with seven airbags.

Boot space measures out at 436 litres with the seats up, and 1337 litres with the seats lowered. There is also a removable chassis stiffening bar across the cargo space.

Mechanically, the Fastback adopts Hyundai’s top-spec Performance tune, meaning it uses a 202kW, 353Nm version of the company’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, driving the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and electronically controlled front diff.

There is no automatic version of the i30 Fastback N available as yet, with Hyundai currently working on an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission to suit the car. It’s expected to arrive later this year.

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The suspension system uses adaptive dampers at all four corners, with the front end receiving slightly softer springs than the hatch. Several bushings throughout the front suspension set-up have also been stiffened, and a second set of ‘helper’ springs have been added to the tops of the regular springs.

An active variable exhaust system is also fitted, which can be controlled via Hyundai’s N Mode Drive System. The N Mode system also contains performance timers and a launch control function, while the dash features a row of shift-light LEDs.

While the Fastback bodyshape has no real competitor in the space, the i30N goes up against rivals like the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Peugeot 308GTI and Honda’s Civic Type-R.

Read the Hyundai i30 Fastback N review here