2018 Hyundai i30N pricing and specs revealed

Hyundai’s i30 N is here. Well, sort of.

Actually due in mid-April, order books for the i30 N are now open, with Australian pricing set at $39,990.

That’s in the sweet-spot to lure buyers away from the less powerful $37,490 Golf GTI Original, or the slightly pricier Peugeot 308 GTi 270, which now sits at $45,990.

There’s more good news too. The Aussie specs-sheet is identical to the international version in terms of power.

With 202kW and 378Nm on over-boost, the i30 N is likely to have rivals worried at track days.

In addition, an option pack is available to make the N a little more comfortable to live with as a daily driver.

The $3000 Luxury Pack adds features such as sport seats with suede leather which are heated, as well as convenience additions like wireless phone charging and rain-sensing wipers.

For an additional $2000, you can also add a panoramic sunroof.

Hyundai Australia CEO JW Lee says he’s “confident in the i30 N."

"We’ve set the MLP at $39,990 to ensure there are no excuses! We encourage every genuine enthusiast in the hot hatch market to drive it and make their mind up based on the product’s merits.

"Given the way i30 N looks, sounds and drives, we believe it will make a compelling case against its strongest competitors, regardless of price."

Hyundai ‘N-Division’ boss Albert Biermann says the i30N was designed to be as fun as possible, at an affordable price, rather than chasing performance markers, which makes cars more expensive.

“The Hyundai i30 N has been developed for no other purpose than to deliver maximum driving fun to our customers in an accessible high-performance package,” Biermann says.

“With the high-performance N models we will enhance our brand’s appeal with emotional products that cater to the needs of people who love to have a smile on their face when they drive their car on a winding road and listen to the sound of the engine.

“That’s why we measure high-performance in BPM, heart beats per minute instead of only RPM.”

Though we’ve already driven the i30 N locally on track, stay tuned for MOTOR’s first drive on Australian roads.