While it’s technically not the first N-badged model to hit the market – the woefully underpowered Hyundai i20 N was released in August 2015 – the i30 N is being billed as the first full-blown model to be billed under the Korean automaker’s new performance division and it’s scheduled to arrive in 2017.
Albert Biermann, Hyundai’s Head of Vehicle Test & High Performance Development, made the proclamation to Autocar, making it the first time a Hyundai official has gone on record to confirm that the i30 N will be the first Hyundai model to receive the N performance treatment. Biermann’s announcement is a welcome development for those who have been pining to see what Hyundai had in store for its N division and to his credit, he divulged more details about the car than most people expected.
The biggest, and arguably most impressive detail about the i30 N is its use of a use a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that will be mated to a manual transmission. An automatic gearbox will also be offered, but that will arrive sometime in 2018. Details surrounding the output of the i30 N weren’t mentioned, but there has been some buzz surrounding a video released by Hyundai last week that showed the new turbo-four engine packing an output of 260 horsepower and 228 pound-feet of torque. It’s not by any means the actual number that we can expect to see from the i30 N, but knowing that the engine is capable of producing that much is a sign that Hyundai could have a beast of a hatch in store for the market. In any event, Biermann also divulged that the performance hatchback could reach a top speed of 155 mph.
Other upgrades over the standard i30 are also in the cards for the N version. Among those that Biermann enumerated include an electronically adjusted limited-slip differential, increased brake performance, a modified gearbox, and a modified exhaust system. An optional track-oriented performance package could also be in the cards, one that could fetch even more power for the new turbo-four engine.
Last but certainly not least is the price. A car that could offer these kind of specs is expected to fetch a pretty penny, but according to Biermann, the i30 N could be priced in the vicinity of under £30,000, which would be around $43,800 based on current exchange rates.
Note: upcoming Hyundai i30 pictured here.
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