The Hyundai i30 N - Underrated?

Hyundai, an everyday car brand. Cars they make are usually dismissed as calmly as the Yaris or Swift. But no. Not this car. What Hyundai has done is turn one of their bestselling small hatchbacks into one of the world’s most underrated fun cars. 

The ‘N’ badge isn’t just an embellishment. It’s a fully revamped take on the small hatch. The ‘N’ stands for two things: Namyang, Hyundai’s global R&D Centre; as well as the Nürburgring, one of the most challenging race tracks in the world.

First off, let’s talk about the design. Exterior-wise, the i30 N looks dramatically more aggressive, with angular lines on the new front and rear bumpers as well as a new rear spoiler, all the while not detracting from the original i30 design. The "form follows function" rule that the designers used resulted in a lowered body, together with the newly designed aerodynamics give the car its sporty look, while enhancing its driving capabilities. It comes with 6 colours including the exclusive Performance Blue which has represented Hyundai’s WRC engagement ever since. However, the car I was reviewing was in Engine Red, and that doesn’t detract from its sporty and aggressive appearance. 

Moving on to the interior, everything is made driver focused and not too complicated like most other cars these days. Once you hop in, your eyes are drawn towards 2 key locations: the 2 Performance Blue buttons on the steering wheel, and the manual shifter. On the left side of the steering wheel, drivers can select three standard drive modes: Normal, Sport and Eco. But, for me, I’d always drive in N mode, which is located on the right of the steering wheel. 

Here’s a fun fact: There are 27 ‘N’ logos on the i30 N!

Then there’s the more interesting part of the car: the manual 6 speed! These days it is very had to find new cars with manual transmissions, so having one makes it all the more fun! This, paired with N mode turns the i30 N into something better than ‘just another hot hatch’.

Tapping the N button opens the throat of the exhaust allows you to hear the heart of this little car: the 2.0 litre inline-4 turbocharged engine produces 270hp and 353Nm of torque. This combined with the car’s Active Variable Exhaust system proves to be one of the most exciting cars to hear! The full range of the engine can be heard paired together with crackles and pops you normally hear on larger-engined sports cars! 

Pushing hard down on the throttle launches you at an exhilarating speed, from 0-100km/h at 6.1 seconds! Not bad for a sub-300hp hatchback. The car also has an Overboost system that allows the torque to rise up to a massive 378Nm. 

The i30 N is priced at $54,990, which is a steal! Let me tell you why. Competitors like the Volkswagen Golf R has comparable performance, yet is priced over 65 grand; the Renault Megane RS is at 59 grand, the Ford Focus ST-Line severely lacks performance in every aspect and doesn't come with a manual transmission is priced at about 37 grand; and the Honda Civic Type R comes in at about 60 grand. If you want an amazing fun little hatchback, with all the bells and whistles, but also isn’t overpriced, then you should go try the i30 N!

So, do I think that the Hyundai i30 N is underrated? Definitely!