Hyundai i30 N (2020) Review: Did Hyundai create a true GTI rival?

When it comes to hot hatches, most South Africans subscribe to the doctrine that the Golf GTI/Golf R duo sets the standard and all others are mere bit players, and never mind that various viable opponents have appeared through the years. From the Ford stable, various STs have come and gone (sadly with no plans to return); Honda’s Civic Type R is still a niche player; and Renault’s stunningly capable RS range likewise gets a limited audience in the mainstream.

All of which places the new(ish) Hyundai i30 N in a bit of a pickle. It doesn’t have the brand cachet of a Golf, and neither does it have a performance heritage that spans decades. But there’s a secret weapon in the i30 N’s arsenal to compensate – a man called Albert Biermann. The chances are that you’ve never heard of him before, but it’s almost a certainty that you would have admired some of his previous creations. 

 

See, Herr Biermann used to be a big shot at BMW M, which means that he’s had a hand in a number of wonderful machines. When he moved to Hyundai at the beginning of 2015, the automotive world scratched their heads in bewilderment, because what could a man of such stature possibly accomplish at humble Hyundai? Fast forward a little less than three years, and the first answer transpired, with the launch of the Hyundai i30 N at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show. The message was clear: Hyundai is taking direct aim at the established high-performance market, and they’re starting off with a Nürburgring-fettled hot hatch.

 

Styling

To local eyes, the i30’s body style looks fresh and handsome, but in reality, this model (the third-generation i30) has been available in international markets since 2017. We’ve never seen it before, though, because the i30 was dropped from Hyundai’s local model line-up when the second generation came to the end of its run. In fact, this i30-generation has already received a mid-life facelift elsewhere, although the i30 Ns we get in South Africa still wear the older styling.

 

Overall, the shape is clean and inoffensive, with some hints of Audi (A3) and Peugeot (308) in its detailing. Crisp edges play nicely with smooth contours and assertive detailing, but it’s still a generic hatchback underneath the decorations. The i30 N does receive some unique touches, though, with an enlarged radiator grille, subtle body kit, and very nicely-integrated double-decker tailgate spoiler. It might not raise eyebrows, but in the time this bright red example spent with us, it still attracted a lot more attention than its comparatively subdued styling would have you believe.

There are some cosmetic bugbears, though. For instance, that tailgate spoiler is beautifully finished in gloss-black paintwork, but is at odds with the matte-black detailing applied everywhere else. Furthermore, the grille surround is finished in glossy medium-grey, but the stylists never bothered to apply this cool styling cue anywhere else on the car. 

 

In the case of our red test car, the i30 N’s signature red detailing was also deleted, presumably to avoid clashing with the body’s paintwork, but it also removed some much-needed visual distinction from the otherwise-unremarkable styling package. In fact, it could look rather like someone’s project car-in-progress to unkind eyes, with pretty machined-face 19-inch alloy wheels and that pert spoiler at the rear – and little else to grab the attention. If the Civic Type R’s styling add-ons are too radical for some tastes, the Hyundai i30 N perhaps swings the pendulum too far to the conservative side.

Related: Want an even hotter FWD hatchback? You might want to consider the Renault Megane RS 300, then...

 

Space and Comfort

This conservative approach is mirrored inside the cabin as well, with a logical but uninspiring dashboard layout, and trim plastics that don’t really mix all that well with the i30 N’s upmarket aspirations. It’s not bad to look at, but the material quality isn’t noticeably better than you’d find in any of Hyundai’s lower-rung models (and quite far behind the squishy stuff you’d get in a GTI). 

 

There are some nice i30 N-specific touches, though, with lovely (electrically-adjustable and heated) bucket seats in front, upholstered in a combination of suede-like cloth and leather. The sporty (heated) steering wheel is likewise trimmed in leather, and uses the same light blue (Hyundai N’s “official colour”) contrast stitching as you’d find on the seats. The only problem is that, when you’re stuck in traffic, most of the visual- and tactile interfaces are normal Hyundai fare – not terrible, but not terribly inspiring, either.

With that said, there’s certainly no lack of features. In addition to the aforementioned electric bucket seats (with memory functions for the driver), there’s a massive opening panoramic roof with an electrically-retractable blind, a colour touchscreen infotainment system with full smartphone mirroring, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, a wireless charging tray, and keyless entry with pushbutton start. For almost all of these features, you’d have to pay extra at a VW dealership, but they’re standard in the Hyundai. Score one for the i30 N over a base GTI, then.

 

The front pews have more than adequate room, but those bucket seats do gobble up some rear-seat legroom. For the rest, it’s a sensible family hatchback, with enough space for four large occupants and a class-competitive 381 litres of luggage space (even with the removable rear strut brace in position). The door apertures are also generously-sized and the doors open to almost 90-degrees, making entry and egress easier even for lanky passengers.

 

Performance

Practical- and cosmetic considerations aside, the Hyundai i30 N’s real beauty lies beneath its skin. This is a properly potent car, with 202 kW and 353 Nm courtesy of a 2.0-litre, direct-injection 4-cylinder turbo engine. The torque peak can go up to 378 Nm for a few moments on overboost, and the power delivery remains linear and progressive throughout the rev range. Barring some boost lag near idle speeds, the engine is just about as good as a modern 4-cylinder turbo could be.

It even sounds good, courtesy of a two-stage exhaust system. In normal drive modes, it’s quiet and civilised, but switching to Sport or “N-mode” instantly liberates a throaty roar from the twin tailpieces. In fact, Hyundai even programmed the engine management to make the exhaust crackle and pop on overrun in the sportier modes, which adds some authentic sportiness to the driving experience.

 

Performance is suitably rapid, with a claimed 0 – 100 km/h sprint in 6.1 seconds and a top speed that’s governed to 250 km/h. Honourable mention goes to the 6-speed manual gearbox, which has a slick and accurate shift feel and well-chosen gear ratios to make the most of the available urge. As an added treat, there’s driver-configurable rev-matching in the sportier modes, which blips the throttle just enough to make even an inexperienced driver look like a professional. On the whole, the engine room gets an unequivocal thumbs-up, thanks to its strong performance, smooth power delivery, sharp-shifting gearchange, and sweet soundtrack.

Related: Close in concept but very different in execution, the Honda Civic Type R is a much more extreme interpretation of the FWD hot hatch theme.

 

The Drive

Let’s get right to the point here: The Hyundai i30 N is a blast to drive, pure and simple. The engineers clearly received most of the development budget, because, while its cabin and styling are both pretty conservative, the underpinnings are bang up to date. It starts with an adaptive suspension that manages to be reasonably comfortable (given the extremely low-profile tyres) in normal driving, while firming up to the point of discomfort in N-mode (selectable via a blue button on the steering wheel).

 

Other available adjustments include a custom driving mode (selectable with a second press of the same “N” button), with various settings for the suspension stiffness, steering effort, stability control thresholds, exhaust volume level, electronic differential control, throttle response, and even rev-matching parameters. This is very BMW M-car-like, by the way, because those can also be configured to the driver’s tastes with the pressing of some buttons. 

Setting up the i30 N with everything in maximum-attack mode, except for the dampers and steering (both of which should rather be set to comfort mode), gives a very sweet balance between drivability, agility, and comfort, and leaves the car feeling alert without resorting to harshness or unnecessary effort. Then, once you’ve adjusted everything to your liking, it’s time to go play.

 

And what a splendid plaything the i30 N is. Whether you’re hurtling down a drag strip and chasing the limiter through the gears, or flinging it along a winding road, it always stays planted and adjustable. There’s even a smidge of torque steer in evidence in the lower gears, but not so much that it becomes at all dangerous – just enough to signal that there’s a fair amount of power going to the front wheels, and that the clever differential is doing its thing.

This brings us neatly to the one component which really ties the whole package together: that electronically-controlled differential. This isn’t new technology by any means, but it’s implemented particularly successfully here. In essence, this is a torque-vectoring system, which sends torque to the wheel with the most traction to help it around curves, and allows it to slingshot through corners with superb confidence. 

 

The result is rock-steady traction and a very strong resistance to understeer. When the limits of traction are approached, a slight lift of the accelerator pedal will see the i30 N’s rear end swing around slightly (provided the stability control is set to “ESC Sport”), but not in a threatening way at all. Instead, that slight rotation merely tightens the car’s line through the corner, and makes the car feel alive. 

Overall, the i30 N is terrific fun to drive in anger, with sharp reflexes through a quick-ratio steering rack, superb stability under duress, a nice-sounding exhaust note, plenty of power, and an eagerness to change direction which belies its modest basic layout. In these respects, it’s about the equal of a Civic Type R (albeit not quite as quick), and a lot more entertaining than any GTI this side of a Clubsport. If you’re looking for a real driver’s hatchback, this is just about as good as it gets.

Related: Watch Chad Lückhoff’s first drive impressions of the Hyundai i30 N in our launch report video (and listen to its soundtrack!)

 

Safety

Scoring a 5-star safety rating in Euro-NCAP crash testing in 2017, the Hyundai i30 range is blessed with solid safety credentials out of the blocks. This is augmented by 7 airbags, stability control (with three intervention levels), hill-start assistance, LED headlights with a turning function, and ISOFIX rear child seat anchors. Low-speed safety is improved by automatic emergency braking, parking sensors all round, and the rear-view camera with guidelines. These are all great to have in a family hatchback with a serious turn of speed.

 

Fuel Consumption 

If the Hyundai i30 N has a notable weakness in its armour, it shows at the service station: there’s a fairly prodigious thirst for 95-octane to contend with. Mixed-cycle driving (albeit with some enthusiastic accelerator applications along the way) returned 11.4 ℓ/100 km, and driving it with gusto will easily see that figure reach for the 18 ℓ/100 km mark. 

Even open-road cruising with the cruise control set to the national speed limit seldom realises sub-8 ℓ/100 km figures, so it should be taken as read that the i30 N will need frequent fuel stops. This is quite a contrast to Hyundai’s claimed average consumption figure of 8.5 ℓ/100 km, but in all fairness, its competitors are also on the thirsty side in normal driving.

 

Price

At first glance, the Hyundai i30 N is priced far above its natural opponents, with a list price of R 679 900 (at the time of writing). This doesn’t compare all that well to a VW Golf GTI’s base price of R 605 100, the more-powerful GTI TCR’s pricetag of R 669 000, or the Renault Megane RS 280 Cup’s list price of R 634 900.

However, the bare pricetag doesn’t accurately reflect the i30 N’s value proposition, because it comes loaded with every bell and whistle (except navigation) as standard – specifying a GTI to the same level will see a similar pricetag, but without the Hyundai’s superbly-finessed chassis dynamics or massive 7-year/200 000 km warranty. In reality, the i30 N shouldn’t be seen as a rival to the GTI, but can be more accurately compared to the Honda Civic Type R: it’s slightly slower, but costs a whole lot less. The overall value on offer is therefore quite competitive with other FWD hot hatchbacks.

Related: Hyundai i30 N vs Volkswagen Golf R vs Honda Civic Type R – which one is the best value for money?

 

The Verdict

Any time spent with the Hyundai i30 N is sure to be stimulating and enjoyable – as long as the so-so cabin appointments won’t be too much of a downer in the daily commute. Its main reason for existence is to be an engaging driver’s car, and in this remit, the i30 N is a remarkable success. 

Coming from a company that has literally never done anything like this before, the fact that their first effort at a hot hatch is so capable is also a major (and very pleasant) surprise. Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s also bound to be very exclusive, with limited nationwide availability. It might even become a collector’s item in future, but in the meantime, buyers who do take the plunge will derive great pleasure in running rings around the establishment. Herr Biermann, enthusiasts everywhere thank you for your efforts!

 

Pricing is accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice. 

Included in the list price is a warranty for 7 years or 200 000 km, and a service plan for 5 years or 75 000 km.

 

Expert rating:

4.5/5

 

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