After a few tentative attempts that have failed, the South Korean manufacturer seems determined to offer its first proper hot hatch, able to fight with the best in the segment.
That would be the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Ford Focus ST or the Renault Megane RS (hell, throw the new Honda Civic Type-R in there as well), which are the kind of names that can send even some more expensive sports cars running with the tail between their legs.
However, Hyundai believes it's done it properly this time, and from what we've seen so far, it might just have. The i30 N has been seen testing for quite a while, suggesting the carmaker isn't rushing anything.
With the regular i30 out in the open, we now know pretty much what to expect from the N version style-wise. The hatchback isn't particularly a feast for the eyes, so the South Koreans would have to work pretty hard to make the N stand out among the kind of competition we've mentioned.
With hot hatches, a dramatic bodywork is just as important (if not even more so) as the actual performance, so even if Hyundai does pull it off on the mechanical side, poor visuals might be the i30 N's undoing. But we can only operate on guesses for now, since the sportier version of the hatchback is still hidden under the camouflage.
The video shows the i30 N fly through a few of the famous circuit's bends, and while it looks quite competent and sounds enticing enough, it will all be down to the way the car feels when actually driving it. It may go fast on the track in the hands of a racing pilot, but if the steering is soft and the gearbox lever has a long throw, then we're talking about a flop.
Yup, the six-speed manual transmission will be good news for all old-school drivers who like to pick their own gears, but an eight-speed dual clutch automatic is expected to become available later on. The power it will have to deal with comes from a two-liter four-cylinder turbocharged unit said to develop 250 horsepower under its standard guise, and up to 280 for the Performance version.
As you would expect from a front-wheel-drive car, it sounds like the i30 N has a fair share of understeer, but initial test drives say the car is a hoot. Which can only mean more options for us, as well as better cars from the competition in the future.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News