GTI King is Dead; Long Live the King N!
We test Hyundai’s astounding i30N; resets Our hot hatch record books.
Think hot hatch and the obvious contenders spring to mind. GTI, Type R, RS and more. Better you add N to that then. Meet Hyundai’s rare racetrack capable everyday sports car. Unashamedly designed to be fun to Drive, i30N encompasses Hyundai’s three N cornerstones of a nimble handling everyday sports car with great racetrack ability. So, we really looked forward to test. And hoo boy, did it deliver!
N For Nurburgring
Hyundai’s N stands for its Namyang, Korea global R&D Centre. As much as it does for its Nürburgring European Test Centre, where the i30n was extensively developed on the legendary Nordschleife. It shows! Our tester was appropriately clad in Hyundai’s racing Performance Blue war dress. You see traces of it on its WRC cars. They also have a darker hue on their wheels, just like i30N’s 31 lbs lighter 19-inch five double-spoke forged alloys.
Although it’s not available in the US, a few of i30N’s siblings are. The Kona N, Elantra N and Veloster N among them. Like them, this hot Hyundai possesses an aggressive racetrack-inspired stance. Its purposeful hexagonal grille, front and rear bumpers, and a new rear spoiler not only look the part, but they reduce lift too. V-shaped DRL headlamps and LED rear combination lamps at the rear are backed by triangular third brake light in the chunky rear spoiler. Atop a pair of big bore exhaust pipes integrated into the rear diffuser.
The business end of this car comprises a 275 HP 289 lb.-ft 2-litre turbo four-pot engine that has equal power but is 29-foot pounds up on its predecessor. And a similar sum up on the US spec Veloster N. Power is delivered in a flat curve with maximum torque between 1,950 and 4,600 rpm. It has a 5,200 rpm power peak and drives the front wheels. Via an N DCT paddle shifter eight-speed dual clutch transmission with three N performance functions.
Balls Out i30N Power Shift Transmission
The N DCT double clutch transmission delivers the choice of manual paddle or optimal automatic sequential automatic shifting in N Power Shift, Grin or balls-out Track Sense mode and a creep function. Which leaves the the driver to focus on driving. They tell us it has dual electric oil pumps to reduce friction and improve clutch cooling and allow greater torque transfer through the gearbox. Clever.
An N Corner Carving Electronic Limited Slip Differential enhances grip and improves maximum cornering speed aided and abetted by a rack-mounted motor-driven electric power steering. Hyundai claims improved mid and high-rev acceleration for 0 to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and 155 mph. Not that it needs it in Track mode with its growl, pops and bangs, but i30N also has an Electronic Sound Generator to deliver extra acoustic drama
Settle in behind the exclusive N steering wheel with a body color pair of Performance Blue selectors for Normal, Sport and Eco drive modes on the left and the N mode button to the right. It sits ahead of a clean and conventional variable LED red zone rev-counter that doubles as a cold temperature warning and a shift timing indicator. Metal pedals and other cool finishes add to the racy effect. For best effect however, just thumb that N button to turn ESC off and out the beast.