Hyundai i30 N Australian Test Drives Suggest It's a Home Run

Hyundai has tried to make cars like this before. There's Nurburgring-honed Veloster Turbo, the i30 Turbo and Kia's Cee'd GT. However, the new i30 N is said to be the revelation of this segment, unlike its lackluster predecessors.

The Australian division is so into the i30 N project that it shipped two RHD test prototypes to a private test track for some reviews. And they suggest everything is well sorted, from the fade-resistant brakes to the steering wheel's feedback and the grip of the Pirelli tires.

Of course, the i30 N prototypes are still heavily camouflaged. But we have spyshots and inspiration is clearly being drawn from the RN30 Concept that came out a few years ago. What's more, Hyundai released an exhaust sound clip so that you can sample their muffler goodness.

We think the hardcore i30 sounds similar to a Golf GTI, but with a stronger top end. Volkswagen makes the best-selling car in this segment, and Hyundai has clearly benchmarked it. It's not all about speed here, as everyday usability and the predictability of the performance also matter.

The Australians seem to know that the i30 N will undercut the GTI and all the other competitors by a good margin. That's good news, considering they are offering goodies like adaptive dampers too.

The basic model will have a 2.0-liter turbo that's been tuned to around 250 horsepower, to be joined by the 275 HP performance model that's likely the hero of these reviews. At first, all models will come with a 6-speed manual, but there are plans for an eight-speed DCT gearbox to be developed by 2019.