Hyundai i30 N Teaser Drops Performance Hint: 280 PS And 400 Nm

These numbers come courtesy of the N driving menu displayed at the 1:20 mark of the video. The performance-oriented information the i30 N is capable of expressing also includes a G-force meter, lap timer, and turbo pressure. If I may turn the focus of this story on an older report for a brief moment, the cited material from the South Korean media suggested that Hyundai’s 2.0 T-GDi will be offered in not one, but two states of tune: bog-standard 250 PS (247 hp) or 275 PS (271 hp) with the “Power Package.”

Now that we’ve got the suck-squeeze-bang-blow department covered, let’s move on to what Albert Biermann has to say about the i30-based hot hatchback. The former BMW M official, who’s now the head of vehicle test and high-performance development at Hyundai, makes it clear that the N wasn’t developed to break records. Instead, the catchword with this car is “bpm.” By beats per minutes, Biermann refers to the vehicle’s promise to satisfy even the keenest of go-faster drivers when the going gets twisty.

“Developed from the ground up to deliver maximum fun to drive on the road and on the track,” the i30 N is a front-wheel-drive affair that boasts an electronically-controlled mechanical limited-slip differential, 19” P-Zero tires on all four corners, and a variable valve exhaust system. Right next to the manual transmission’s gear lever, you will find a button that turns ESP off.

Given these circumstances, the Honda Civic Type R and the Renault Megane RS have nothing to be afraid of. With the i30 N, it seems as if the peeps over at Hyundai didn’t try to run with the pack, but go in a different direction.