Hyundai i30 N delivers Golf R grunt for GTI money

HYUNDAI is getting serious with its assault on the Australian hot hatch market, with a sub-$40K price confirmed for its i30 N scorcher, ahead of its arrival in mid-April this year.

Wearing a razor-sharp price of $39,990, the hot Hyundai i30 N will be a full $1500 more affordable than the segment benchmark, the Volkswagen Golf GTI, but will pack a punch almost as hard as its more muscular Golf R stablemate.

While the Volkswagen performance halo has 213kW and 380Nm the Hyundai snaps at its heels with 202kW and 353Nm (and up to 378Nm on overboost) – way ahead of the standard GTI’s now piddly-looking 169kW/350Nm.

Performance also usurps the Golf GTI, with a claimed 0-100km/h dispatched in 6.2 seconds for the manual-only Hyundai, while the manual Golf does the benchmark in 6.5secs – 6.4secs with a dual-clutch auto.

The i30 N will sell in two grades in other global markets, offering a choice of power and performance, but for Australia’s more performance and equipment-demanding buyer, only the most potent version will be offered – effectively making the Performance Pack offered as an option overseas as standard kit here.

Aussie Hyundai customers will have the option to delve deeper into their pockets and add a dose of luxury to their i30 N via a $3000 package.

Ticking the Luxury Pack box adds electric-adjust and heated front sports seats with extended cushioning, suede and leather inserts, a memory function for the driver’s seat, and a heated steering wheel.

The glazing also gets an upgrade with a ‘solar control’ windscreen and rain-sensing wipers, privacy glass for rear-seat passengers, power folding mirrors and a self-dimming rear-view mirror. Front parking sensors are added to the standard rear ones, and the i30 N also gains LED puddle and courtesy lights, wireless device charging and keyless entry and start.

If you want a sunroof, it will cost another $2000 on top of the $3000 Luxury Pack, making it a $5000 option.

Standard performance-enhancing kit highlights include an active exhaust, adaptive suspension, electro-mechanical LSD, launch control, uprated brakes housed in 19-inch wheels (shod in Pirelli P Zeros) and a rear strut brace.

On the inside, black roof lining, an ‘N race computer’, contrasting blue stitching and smoked metallic trims and alloy pedal plates are standard and set the N apart from its more ordinary siblings.

Also differentiating the high-performance halo are sportier front and rear bumpers, a different grille, rear spoiler, gloss black trims and side skirts, as are a number of metallic/mica paint options that add another $495 to the bottom line.