2018 Hyundai i30 N Reveals Front End Design, Pushing Hard on the Nurburgring

The first thing we noticed was that the black cloth that usually covers the front end has been lifted. Sure, it still has a camouflage wrap, but modern camera lenses are no longer fooled by the swirling patterns.

The all-new i30 hatchback has already been teased and might make its official debut soon. But the design of the front bumper differs quite a bit. Larger air intakes are used to channel air to the 2-liter turbo engine. The overall shape kind of reminds us of the previous Ford Focus ST. Later on, rocker panels will also be added to the car.

Around the back, we see that it has two large but simple exhaust pipes sticking out. This design is also copied from the GTI, which has been using it since the MK6 came out. Hyundai used a test prototype to assess the durability of the 2-liter engine during the 24-hour Nurburgring race earlier this year. And from that, we know the total output should be around 230 PS and 380 Nm of torque.

So in a race against the Honda Civic Type R or Megane RS, the i30 N should lose. But for many years, the Golf GTI has been the benchmark and Hyundai doesn't want to rock the boat. You see, most of these performance compacts cost €30,000, so the people who buy them aren't exactly boy racer types.

Much larger brakes and powered suspension should differentiate the N model from the regular i30. 18-inch wheels might be standard, but this prototype is rocking 19-inch ones with really skinny tires.