Talk about icing on the cake.
Last week it was the Hyundai i20 N, this week we slip behind the wheel of its big
brother the i30 Sedan N.
Think same idea, just larger and more luxurious, with an auto for those who would
rather not change gears manually.
Like the i20 N it’s probably on a short leash as the company continues its shift to fully
electric vehicles, with cars like the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 N variants.
STYLING
i30 N comes as a hatch or sedan, with the same 2.0-litre turbocharged power plant.
The third-generation lineup included a ‘fastback’ but this disappeared with the arrival
of the 2020 facelift.
The five-door hatch is priced from $52,000, the Premium version from $55,500
before on-roads. The sedan is available in Premium form only, priced from $53,000.
An eight-speed dual-clutch transmission is standard, a six-speed manual is a no cost
option.
It’s an all-inclusive package, with premium paint ($595) and a sunroof ($2000) the
only options.
Can’t say we even looked to see whether our test vehicle had a sunroof fitted — it
wasn’t a primary concern.
The i30 Sedan N was last updated in early 2024, with an aggressive exterior restyle
and new 19-inch forged alloys, revised suspension and steering tuning, plus
additional tech features, including Bluelink connected services.
The edgy styling may not be to everyone’s liking, but it’s certainly eye-catching.
Sitting low and poised with an equally low roofline, the i30 Sedan N (note it is written
in this order), it’s designed to slice through the air and hug the road in equal
measures.
At the front, there’s a lower and wider split grille, which also serves to improve
engine cooling, and channels cool air to the front brakes through racecar-style
guides.
New 19-inch black forged alloy wheels are lighter than those fitted previously, and
bring better handling and a more aggressive look.
A deeper and more pronounced rear bumper design features a wrap-around lower
red strip, or grey strip when teamed with Ultimate Red.
Aluminium badges are now flat and black.
It’s available in seven, including N-signature Performance Blue which along with
white are no cost options — the rest as mentioned add $595.
Inside, the updated sedan gets an N-specific steering wheel and shift knob,
instrument cluster and infotainment systems as well as N light sport bucket seats
with illuminated logo.
With two-zone climate air, the part leather sports seats are both heated and cooled,
plus a heated steering wheel and three personalised user profiles.
Other new kit includes Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA) which uses navigation
data and road sign recognition to inform the driver of the speed limit.
There’s also a revised wireless charger designed to accommodate larger mobile
phones, additional USB-C outlets (1 x front and 2 x rear) and Bluelink connected car
services.
Cruise control is old tech and not adaptive.
i30 Sedan N is covered by a 7-year/unlimited kilometre warranty provided the car is
serviced with Hyundai, otherwise it reverts to 5 years/unlimited kilometres.
INFOTAINMENT
Infotainment comes in the form of a 10.25-inch touchscreen, with a second 10.25-
inch screen for the instrument cluster.
It all looks very much like the setup in the smaller i20 N.
There’s Bluetooth with multi-connection, natural voice recognition, built-in navigation,
AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio and Bose premium eight-speaker sound.
It also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but neither are wireless — you
need a cable.
There’s also wireless phone charging, with USB -A and -C ports and a 12-volt socket
in front, plus two USB-C ports in the rear.
The system also displays track maps with lap times, personalised throttle response
settings, exhaust note and stability controls.
Hyundai Bluelink connected car services provides access to a variety of services
along with over the air updates.
There’s automatic collision notification, emergency call (SOS) function, connected
routing with live traffic updates, alert services including geo-fencing, valet, speed and
time alerts, remote control of climate and vehicle functions, navigation send to car,
voice recognition for POI lookup, vehicle controls and vehicle settings management.
SAFETY
In terms of safety, the i30 looks even worse on paper than the i20 which gets a four-
star safety rating.
The i30 Sedan N remains unrated for safety, while other variants of the sedan
receive just three stars. Someone’s dropped the ball.
There are six airbags, a reversing camera with guidelines and the Hyundai
Smartsense system that comprises auto emergency braking (car, motorcycle,
pedestrian, cyclist), along with auto high beam, blind-spot collision avoidance, lane
following and lane keep assist (line/road-edge), rear cross-traffic collision warning,
driver attention warning, and rear occupant alert.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
The four-cylinder engine produces 206kW of power from 5500-6000 rpm, and
392Nm of torque from 2100-4700 rpm, with 213kW and 378Nm of torque available
on over-boost for 20 seconds.
The eight-speed wet clutch style auto with paddle shifters is standard, while a short-
throw, six-speed manual is available at no extra cost.
DRIVING
The i30 Sedan N is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, with drive to
the front wheels via a six-speed manual tranny or eight-speed dual clutch auto,
together with an electro-mechanical limited-slip diff with two modes — Normal and
Sport.
It adds up to a 0 to 100km/h time of 5.8 seconds for the manual and 5.3 seconds for
the auto, with top speed electronically limited to 250km/h.
Our test vehicle was the slick, fast-changing auto, which is right on the money and
perhaps a better proposition as a daily driver, especially in traffic.
We can still remember cramping, stuck in a traffic jam on the motorway manual HSV
Holden with a heavy clutch action.
Chassis upgrades include a reinforced engine mount membrane, for reduced
vibration and improved agility, G-bushing reinforcement for improved yaw response
and steering precision, and a new rear suspension S/ABS insulator on the rear
support — now made from urethane rather than rubber for improved damping and
yaw response.
The Electronic Controlled Suspension (ECS) hardware and software have been
further optimised to deliver enhanced body control.
The motor-driven steering system benefits from a gear box yoke revised to enhance
feedback and directness, a low-friction universal joint that increases steering
precision, and software optimised to make the most of the chassis and steering
upgrades.
In addition, braking performance and fade resistance has been enhanced with
upgraded Electronic Stability Control (ESC) software and a new thermal protector on
the front brake hoses.
Needless to say, the i30 Sedan N is a thrilling car to drive, as quick as it is nimble,
whether it’s shopping or fanging from corner to corner.
It’s right up there with the GTI, WRX, Type-R and Renault Megane RS, and it is
worth pointing out the WRX is the only one that’s all-wheel drive. Surprisingly, the i30
is the easiest and most comfortable to drive and this fact should not be overlooked in
the decision-making process.
The car delivers extremely high levels of performance when it comes to power,
brakes, steering and handling — even ride comfort is streets ahead.
Depending on what drive mode is selected, there’s a real bark from the exhaust on
throttle overrun. Reading the fine print though, it’s artificially enhanced.
Launch control is part of the deal, but only really used when it comes to impressing
your mates.
The bad news is that you have to wait three minutes between launches for the
powertrain to cool off.
Geeks will love the race computer that allows you to customise just about every
aspect of the drive experience.
But all you really need to do is select N mode, hold on tight and enjoy the best bang
for your buck money can buy at the moment.
Don’t get caught up in pointless discussions about whether the brakes are up to it or
not — just enjoy the hell out of the car.
There’s no turbo lag, power delivery is extremely smooth and linear, gear changes
are a snap, the steering is pin-sharp, there’s plenty of bite from the brakes and plenty
of mid-corner grip from the Pirellis.
Rev matching blips the throttle automatically on gear changes and also sounds
great.
After a few corners, you’ll love it — this car is that good. We were however
disappointed to find it misses out on some of the advances in car safety.
A form of auto emergency braking (AEB) is fitted, but it’s not as sophisticated as the
system in the standard i30 and it doesn’t get adaptive cruise control. The system
lacks pedestrian detection and cyclist detection.
There’s also no blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and the auto braking
doesn’t work in reverse.
The one notable inclusion is Lane Keep Assist, but it is so annoying that like us you’ll
probably end up turning it off.
With a 47-litre tank, the car takes premium 95 RON unleaded, with fuel consumption
rated at 8.3L/100km.
We were getting 7.7L/100km after close to 400km with a bit of hard driving thrown in.
The long-term average however for more than 6000km was 11.1L/100km. Looks like
someone has been tracking it.
And, on that note, it’s interesting to note the 7-year, unlimited kilometre warranty
extends to track use, including the fitting of semi-slick tyres — but you’re only covered
for untimed, non-competitive events.
SUMMING UP
Like the i20 N, the i30 Sedan N represents excellent value for a performance
machine.
It’s not as good looking as the Fastback, but you get over it soon enough. After all,
it’s the performance that you’re buying it for.
One note of caution. The car sits very low with a low roofline and this can make
getting in and out problematic — more so the older you are. And watch out for that
boot lid. Unless you push it all the way up, it’s going to come crashing down on the
back of your head . . . ouch!
RATINGS:
Looks: 7.5
Performance: 8
Safety: 5
Thirst: 7.5
Practicality: 7
Comfort: 7.5
Tech: 7.5
Value: 8
Overall: 7.3
AT A GLANCE
MODEL LINE-UP
Hyundai i30 Sedan N, priced from $53,000
Hyundai i30 Sedan N with sunroof, priced from $55,000
Premium paint, $595
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact
your local Hyundai dealer for drive-away prices.
SPECIFICATIONS (Hyundai i30 Sedan N 2.0L T-GDI Turbo 4-cylinder petrol, 8sp
DCT, FWD)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.0-litre
Configuration: Four cylinders inline, turbocharged
Maximum Power: 206 kW @ 2100-4700 rpm
Maximum Torque: 392 Nm @ 5500-6000 rpm
Fuel Type: Premium 95 unleaded petrol
Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 8.3 L/100km
DRIVELINE: Eight-speed DCT dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4675 mm
Wheelbase: 2720 mm
Width: 1825 mm
Height: 1430 mm
Turning Circle: 11.7metres
Kerb Mass: 1480 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 47 litres
BRAKES:
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Disc
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Seven years / unlimited kilometres if serviced by Hyundai (Five years / unlimited
kilometres otherwise)
