New Hyundai i30 N teased with first-look pics

In a nutshell: New Hyundai i30N

• New Hyundai i30 N teased with first-look pics.
• Aggressive new exterior design, lighter new 19 inch alloys, and the addition of a high-performance eight-speed dual clutch transmission (N DCT) sets the tone.
• Hyundai says the new i30 N will be ‘ready to tackle the road and the track’.

Hyundai is poised to release an updated version of its loveable i30 N hot-hatch.

And with aggressive new looks, a high-performance eight-speed dual clutch transmission and uprated wheels, it could give the whole segment a shake-up.

When the i30 N first went on sale in 2017, it became a sales smash and a worthy adversary for the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Now a revised i30 N is being teased by Hyundai, with a range of improvements to turn it into a road and track weapon.

First-look new images reveal an exterior design ‘defined by performance, emotion and statement’.

There are sportier-looking front and rear bumpers, two large exhaust pipes, a wide centre grille with the N signature, and new LED headlamps with V-shaped daytime running lights.

That, says the Korean firm, makes the i30 N ‘look fast even when it is standing still’.

Newly-developed 19-inch forged alloy wheels are lighter than those of the previous i30 N, contributing to weight reduction in the car.

Up until now, the i30 N has been available as a manual only.

But now Hyundai has also revealed that the new i30 will be get the company’s eight-speed dual clutch transmission (N DCT) auto-box, including dedicated N performance shifting functions – the first Hyundai car in Europe to do so.

With the DCT you get paddle shifting ability as well as Hyundai’s hilariously-brilliant ‘N Grin Shift’, or NGS, which is currently seen in the Hyundai Veloster N, a car not currently available in Europe.

As Hyundai explains, the NGS ‘gives you maximum performance at the press of a button. For 20 seconds you can enjoy a boost of performance like no other, utilizing the engine's overboost and N DCT's ideal shift pattern. Go on, you can't help but grin.’

Then there’s the increased performance.

Early tests indicate the new i30 N will use the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine as previously, but power has been boosted from 271 bhp to 276bhp, with torque also up from 260lb ft to 289lbft.

It’s also now quicker, doing the 0-62mph sprint in 5.9 seconds with the standard manual gearbox.

There’s no word yet on pricing, but the current i30 N costs from £29,810, and there’s a choice of six colours - red, black, blue, white and two different greys.

A Hyundai spokesperson adds: “With these updates, the new i30 N will be ready to tackle the road and the track.”

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