2018 Hyundai i30 N on sale in April from $39,990

Mitchell Jones

Hyundai has surprised hot hatch fans with a cheaper-than-expected entry price for the high-performance i30 N turbocharged hatchback, arriving in Australia in April.

The car will be offered locally in its highest state of tune, the 202kW/353Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. This means that the 184kW version offered elsewhere will not be coming to Australia, giving the i30 N a significant power advantage over its rivals.

Starting from $39,990, the i30N undercuts the equivalent five-door Volkswagen Golf GTI by $2000, which has only 169kW. To achieve similar power you’d have to opt for the $49,990 Golf R, which has 213kW and 380Nm.

Arriving mid-April, the i30 N features a limited-slip differential, bi-modal exhaust and an available luxury pack which includes parking assist, smart key and start button, wireless phone charging, rear privacy glass, 12-way power front seats with driver’s side memory, extendable front cushion for passenger seats and an optional panoramic glass sunroof.

The Hyundai i30 N has been developed on the Nurburgring race track with former head of BMW’s M division, Albert Biermann leading the charge. He said:

“The Hyundai i30 N has been developed for no other purpose than to deliver maximum driving fun to our customers in an accessible high-performance package. With the high-performance N models we will enhance our brand’s appeal with emotional products that cater to the needs of people who love to have a smile on their face when they drive their car on a winding road and listen to the sound of the engine.”

PerformanceDrive will be at the official media launch event in March, and we will be providing a full review and track test as soon as the embargo is lifted on March 29. Stay tuned.

Next Post

All-new 2019 Volvo S60 sedan to debut mid-year

Now that Volvo has revealed the new V60 wagon, the next model we’re yet to see is the S60 sedan version. And it looks like it will be shown halfway through this year. The debut is set to take place during a special presentation in South Carolina during the US […]