2016 Paris Motor Show: Hyundai RN30 concept teased

THE Hyundai N Concept RN30 has been teased via a single official image ahead of its showstopping unveiling in Paris next Thursday.

And while the racecar-inspired RN30 concept’s outrageous flared and vented bodywork likely won’t make their way onto any of Hyundai’s future production models, indications are it will at least point towards some of the upcoming i30 N hot hatch’s styling cues.

Based on the just-revealed PD-generation i30 five-door hatch, the RN30 concept tacks on super-wide wheel arch extensions, fits wheels big enough to fill them, and adds a deep front splitter and a plethora of heat-extraction vents.

LED-ringed foglamps occupy each lower corner of the front bumper, and the headlamps feature a distinctive quad-unit LED arrangement that adds a substantial dose of visual aggression to the front of Hyundai’s grocery-getter.

Other race car touches include plexiglass side windows and a bonnet vent to help keep the RN30’s (presumably turbocharged) engine cool.

The product of the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre, Hyundai’s High Performance Vehicle Division and Hyundai Motorsport (that campaigned an i30 N development mule at this year’s Nurburgring 24-hour enduro, below), the RN30 is, for now, merely a design study.

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But, with the i30 N production car due to make its debut in the first half of next year, the RN30 could point towards what that model may look like. Subtract the scoops, splitters, rolling stock and plexi windows, and what remains should resemble what will enter showrooms next year.

While Hyundai’s Nurburgring i30 N prototype was based on the current-gen three-door hatchback that’s available in Europe, Hyundai design boss Peter Schreyer told <Wheels> that the i30’s all-new next-gen car will be a five-door model only – including the performance-focused N.

Other details are yet to be confirmed, but a 2.0 litre turbocharged motor with a scramble boost function and roughly 200kW is the likely powerplant. Power will go to the front wheels, putting it in direct competition with the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Ford Focus ST and Peugeot 308 GTi. A six-speed manual or dual-clutch auto will handle cog-swapping duty.

An electronically controlled mechanical limited slip differential will bring torque vectoring to tame wheelspin and improve traction in corners, while multi-mode adaptive dampers are also likely for Hyundai’s first proper hot hatch.