Hyundai i30 N vs. Peugeot 308 GTi Is Hot Hatch Eye Candy

Let's start with the specs. The newcomer tries to copy the Golf GTI by dropping a 2-liter turbo under the hood. This produces 275 HP and thanks to some intelligent launch control it will reach 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds.

The Peugeot 308 GTi uses a 1.6-liter turbo, which is a significantly updated and modified version of what the co-developed with MINI so many years ago. In its best flavor, it pops out 270 HP. And because the car is designed to be super-light, the 0 to 100 km/h sprint takes only 6.0 seconds.

The review is a feast for the eyes. You and your mate, waking up to two dew-covered hot hatchbacks, both of them painted blue - now that sounds cool.

Even as a fan of the genre, it's hard for me to say which is the best looking. Both of them took the source material to new heights with big wheels, big intakes and tinted... everything. I prefer the Hyundai's exterior and seats, but Peugeot has more upmarket interiors.

The i30 N is newer and noticeably geekier. It features adaptive dampers and no less than five driving modes. In the softest setting, it can feel a bit more comfortable than the French hatch. Rev matching and adjustable exhaust are two more things the 308 GTi misses out on.

Even in front of the home crowd, the Peugeot loses points for having an electric handbrake and an oddly shaped steering wheel, which can obstruct your view of the dials. Price can also be added to this equation, as the i30 N is about €4,000 cheaper than the 308 GTi. However, in France at least, you pay a lot more taxes.