2024 Hyundai i30 Sedan N review: Australian first drive

With the inexorable creep towards widespread electrification looming heavily in the minds of petrol-loving enthusiasts, being able to report on an even more hardcore, yet still affordable, performance sedan is something of a Taylor Swift moment in 2024.

That is, a bright and shiny respite from the doom and gloom of regular newsfeeds… except that purchasing the new i30 Sedan N should be a shedload easier than expecting a Hogwarts level of wizardry from Mummy in scoring Tay-Tay tickets.

Anyhoo, the point is that despite all of Hyundai’s humble chest-beating about its increasingly kick-arse EVs, there’s still an unhinged turbo-petrol scorcher in its line-up that has just become more aggressive, more focused, and even more desirable than its already-tantalising predecessor.

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Just over two years since the i30 Sedan N launched in our market, along comes this edgier 2024 version – both in the way it looks and the way it drives.

The refreshed visuals are immediately obvious, especially at the front. Sporting a much more aggressive horizontal theme to its front end (that almost looks like a pissed-off frown), Hyundai says the Sedan N’s broad split grille enhances engine cooling and features air curtains that direct extra ventilation to the front brakes through racecar-style guides.

It is a menacing visage that teams beautifully with fang-like body-coloured lower grille inserts, dual-projector LED headlights with LED indicators, new flat aluminium matte-black badging, and purposeful new black 19-inch forged alloys that reduce unsprung mass by 15kg and are tougher-looking than their machined-face predecessors.

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When you take into account that the Sedan N is riding on a newer platform development, right now this is absolutely the N model to covet

The red side-skirt garnishing now extends into the lower rear section while the rear bumper itself is also new, with a chunkier matte-black horizontal insert to make it look broader and meatier.

Indeed, if any visual treatment was going to make the rather contentious i30 Sedan look genuinely great, this is it!

Underneath, the engineering changes are similarly extensive, which shouldn’t be surprising given that the Sedan N accounts for such a large proportion of i30 N sales in Australia (and is the only N variant sold in the US).

Hyundai shifted 1573 Sedan Ns here last year compared to 1626 N hatches, so an almost 50:50 split. And when you take into account that the Sedan N is riding on a newer platform development, right now this is absolutely the N model to covet.

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How much is the i30 Sedan N, and what do you get?

Regardless of transmission – six-speed manual or eight-speed dual-clutch automatic – the 2024 i30 Sedan N costs $52,000 before on-road costs, which is an $1800 rise over its MY23 predecessor.

For that additional outlay, the main extra features for 2024 include intelligent speed limit assist and Hyundai’s ‘Bluelink’ connected car services – complimentary for the first five years and transferable if you sell the car.

Less visible are comprehensive alterations to suspension hardware and body strengthening (detailed in What is it like to drive?), and a new colour (Ecotronic Grey Mica) to go with the aforementioned styling alterations, new bumpers and redesigned wheels.

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Apart from an optional glass sunroof ($2000), everything else is standard.

Interior comfort, space and storage

It’s once you start to pick through the Sedan N’s cabin that you realise the lion’s share of its budget has gone into performance engineering, not plush furnishings.

All the key touch points are generally spot on – the superb three-spoke steering wheel with blue stitching (and new matte-black Hyundai logo), excellent screen graphics, and simple-to-access performance settings and drive modes, as well as terrific forward vision over a relatively low cowl.

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Australian cars don’t get the low-set leather/Alcantara sports buckets offered overseas

There are also new-for-2024 features such as Bluelink connected car services, a revised wireless charging pad to accommodate larger phones, USB-C outlets front and rear, and first-for-N intelligent speed limit assist (which is nowhere near as intrusive as it used to be in previous Hyundai-Kia models).

Australian cars don’t get the wonderfully huggy, low-set leather/Alcantara sports buckets offered overseas. While the all-electric, perforated leather alternatives are amply comfortable and feature cooling as well as heating, they’re mounted a bit too high to truly complement the Sedan N’s dynamic personality.

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Apart from its relatively interesting dashboard design, the N’s interior is fairly rudimentary. For the most part, fit and finish is good, but hard plastics abound.

The doors only take 600ml bottles (awkwardly), and the N’s rear seat lacks a centre armrest. It also folds only as a single piece (rather than 60:40) to expose the red body stiffener you’ll need to thread stuff through if you want to carry long items.

The 464-litre boot is also pretty crummy – not for its size, or even its space-saver spare, but because its trimming is sparse and there’s nothing to grab onto when closing the lid, or even an outside button to open it!

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What is it like to drive?

Developed globally alongside Ioniq 5 N, with Australian engineering input, Hyundai says chassis changes to the i30 Sedan N are derived from its experience in TCR motorsport.

Tweaks include a reinforced upper engine mount (for reduced vibration and improved agility), polyurethane rear strut-top bushes (for improved yaw response and steering precision), a new urethane rear suspension insulator on the rear support (instead of rubber) for improved damping and yaw response, and a lipstick-red rear stiffening bar (a lateral brace behind the rear-seat backrest) that increases body stiffness by 29 per cent.

The electronically controlled three-setting dampers have a finessed tune to enhance body control, while the motor-driven steering system gains a number of new components: a revised gearbox yoke (to enhance feedback and directness), a low-friction universal joint (to improve steering precision), as well as optimised software to make the most of the hardware upgrades.

Even the front brake hoses gain a new thermal protector to improve fade resistance, and the stability control has been upgraded to further enhance braking performance.

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Otherwise, it’s situation normal for the rest of the mechanicals – a multi-talented 2.0-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol four producing 206kW at 5500-6000rpm and 392Nm from 2100-4700rpm, tied to either a six-speed manual or an excellent ‘wet’ eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

The N-DCT version weighs 40kg more than the manual but remains the acceleration star – 0-100km/h in 5.3sec versus 5.8 – though with a shared 280km/h top speed, no one is ever going to question the Sedan N’s performance. Indeed, this is the ballsiest smallish car you can buy this side of an AWD European alternative, for considerably less money.

No doubt the i30 Sedan N would be faster if it were all-wheel drive, but that is completely missing the point – this front-drive stunner is all about driving feel, dynamic nuance, adjustability and reduced weight, not narcissistic Nürburgring times.

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You’d probably need to drive old and new back-to-back to truly appreciate the wealth of engineering changes, but we can definitely tell you this is one hell of a performance car when giving its all – as well as surprisingly liveable and easy to drive when it needs to be.

Even back at launch in 2018, this has always been one of the greatest attributes of the i30 N. Only now the 2024 Sedan N is firmer in the day-to-day stuff, yet still relatively comfortable, with greater bandwidth, more resilience, and an even keener attitude.

The way its balance pivots mid-corner on the road is a delight, yet it’ll still do that, even in its firmest N setting, on a challenging racetrack like Winton in Victoria, where we spent several hours caning a series of Sedan Ns.

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We selected level two for everything except steering, where even the lightest setting delivers plenty of meat

Thanks to its N Mode screen with individually adjustable settings for pretty much everything (engine, steering, suspension, transmission, e-LSD, ESC, and exhaust) – each with three options apart from the superb electronically controlled mechanical front diff (which gets two) – your ultimate N custom mode is a mere finger-press away.

We selected level two for everything except steering, where even the lightest setting delivers plenty of meat for its 2.2 turns lock-to-lock. And in that setup, its combination of damping discipline, handling adjustability and furious power-down when exiting corners is a thrill to experience.

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In full-blown N mode (accessed quickly via the right steering wheel tab), everything gets maxed apart from the ESC (which needs one more press to be fully disabled), though you’ll need a smooth road surface to comfortably experience its many talents.

But around Winton, even deliberately bouncing off ripple strips, the Sedan N is far from feeling like a mechanical skateboard. It offers just enough roll to enhance its involvement, tireless steering assistance that combines firm weighting with crisp precision, and superb grip everywhere – plus that barking, crackling, belting exhaust note that a Hyundai N at full noise is now known for.

Both its brakes (vented discs at both ends, 360mm front and 314mm rear, combined with a proper manual handbrake in Australia) and its bespoke 245/35ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres withstood the punishment dished out by the Aussie motoring media without needing a cold compress and a lie down in a shady corner – they just kept on keeping on.

After all that, I drove a manual Sedan N 650 kilometres back to Sydney, in challenging weather, cranking the decent eight-speaker Bose stereo – and averaged just 7.0L/100km!

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VERDICT

We should be thankful that many enthusiasts deep inside the N skunkworks are still clearly sniffing petrol

In some areas, you can tell the i30 Sedan was built to a price, for Americans. But everywhere that counts, the 2024 Sedan N is a visceral performance machine that brings so much talent to the table for a bargain mid-50s drive-away price.

As a side note, it’s fascinating how Aussie ‘N-thusiasts’ (as they call themselves) have championed Hyundai’s N cars more than any other market in the world. Many of them are also former Ford and Holden faithful – from Fiesta ST to Commodore SS-V Redline.

So while the Sedan N can’t replicate the sound or flavour of a rear-drive Commodore V8, this is the new everyperson’s performance hero.

We should be thankful that many enthusiasts deep inside the N skunkworks are still clearly sniffing petrol.