Review: Hyundai i30 N (2018)

Hyundai i30 N (2018): At A Glance

• On average it achieves 81% of the official MPG figure

Hyundai i30 N (2018): What's It Like Inside?

Dimensions
Length	4335 mm
Width	1795 mm
Height	1447–1451 mm
Wheelbase	2650 mm
Full specifications

Like the standard i30, the interior of the N feels good quality, although Hyundai hasn't exactly gone overboard with the hot hatch styling. In fact it's pretty subtle. Which is an understatement.

Still, it does get sports seats which are very supportive with good side bolsters, yet still comfortable, which you'll appreciate on long journeys. There's also a thick leather steering wheel with contrasting stitching, plus a special gear lever.

But that aside it's pretty much the same as any other i30 with the same good level of finish and a solid feel to everything. Exciting it may not be but there's a lot to be said for user-friendliness and the i30 keeps things simple and intuitive.

All the controls are obvious and easy to use, the analogue dials are clear and everything just works. It's a car that you'll quickly feel at ease in.

It's well equipped too with a nice high resolution touchscreen system with navigation as standard along with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. Other nice touches include a wireless charging pad although you'll need to check whether your phone works, especially if you have an iPhone.

There is also a connection to Live Services that provides traffic information, weather updates, speed camera locations and local points of interest in real time. The subscription to the service is provided free for seven years.

Being an i30, the N is also practical with decent room for rear passengers, although if you're above six-foot tall you may find it a squeeze. The boot is useful at 395 litres and is well-shaped, with a nice wide, flat load area and a double floor for hiding valuables.

Standard equipment from launch:

i30 N models get LED head and tail lights, Smart Adaptive Speed Control, Keyless Entry with Engine Start/Stop Button, 8-inch Touchscreen Satellite Navigation with Android Auto and Apple Car Play, 18-inch alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, Electronically Controlled Suspension, 17-inch ventilated front brake discs with 16-inch rear and manually operated hand brake, a Torque Vectoring System and steering wheel mounted Drive Mode Buttons, where the driver can access and customise engine and suspension settings.

Performance Package adds 19-inch alloy wheels with Pirelli P-Zero tyres of a compound that’s specific to the i30 N, an additional 25PS of power, Electronical Limited Slip Differential, 18-inch ventilated front brake discs with 17-inch rear, leather and suede seats with electrical operation on the driver’s and passenger’s seats and the Active Variable Exhaust System.

What's the Hyundai i30 N (2018) like to drive?

• Engines range from 2.0 T-GDi 250 to 2.0 T-GDi 275
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 25–35 mpg

The standard i30 N gets a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with 250PS - it's the same unit used in the Kia Stinger among others - but the N gets a completely different head, pistons, rods and crank. The result is a car that's unlike anything Hyundai or Kia has produced before.

Go for the Performance Pack and power is upped to 275PS although both have the same 353Nm of torque and it's this which gives the i30 N such strong in-gear pace.

That torque is available from 1500rpm, so you don't have to rev the socks off it to get meaningful performance. It also has an overboost which ups this to 378Nm for 18 seconds and is really noticeable when you're overtaking.

On paper, the i30 N will accelerate from 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds. The 275PS Performance Pack knocks this down to 6.1 seconds - quicker than a Golf GTI 230PS manual if you're counting.

The i30 N isn't just about power though. It's the way it delivers its performance which impresses. The engine is flexible and free-revving but never feels coarse, even right up at the red line. The result is a car that wills you on to push the revs ever higher.

Put it in N mode and it sounds superb too, the exhaust taking on a booming resonance. Go for the Performance Package and it adds the Active Variable Exhaust System which crackles and pops when you come off the power. Yes you'll feel like some sort of teenage hooligan who has just passed his or her test, but it's so addictive, it's hard not to drive with the thing permanently in its most sporty N setting.

There's an old-school feeling to the way the i30 N drives. And we mean that in the best way. The steering has a lovely weight and feel to it, so you really feel part of the driving experience, the gear change is lovely and solid, plus it responds instantly to throttle inputs.

The handling is superb too. The i30 N is incredibly agile and feels nimble through corners, yet reassuringly grippy too. Despite all that power going through the front wheels, there's very good traction. Although like any front-wheel drive hatch, accelerate hard - particularly in the wet - and the front tyres will scrabble for grip.

The body control is very impressive and the ride quality isn’t too bad either. Yes it's firm, so hardly what you’d call comfortable, but it's not bone-shattering nor does it feel unsettled at low speeds. It's certainly one of the more refined hot hatches on the market.

If you can afford the extra, we'd definitely recommend getting the Performance Package. It gets you larger 19-inch alloy wheels (a marginal impact on ride quality) that come with Pirelli P-Zero tyres, in place of the standard 18-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sports.

Alongside those are a proper mechanical limited slip differential that keeps the front wheels pointed exactly where you’re expecting them to go, without impairing the steering feel. 

Other extras include a body-stiffening brace between the rear wheels, stronger brakes, slightly tweaked steering and adjustments to the gear ratios. 

This, along with the extra power, means it's a more complete hot hatch than the standard version and you do notice those additional bits of kit - especially the limited slip differential - in everyday driving, even if it's just accelerating away from a tight roundabout.

As for running costs, the official figures say the i30 N will do about 40mpg but in reality you're looking at a figure closer to 30mpg.

Engine	MPG	0-62	CO2
2.0 T-GDi 250	37 mpg	6.4 s	159 g/km
2.0 T-GDi 275	36 mpg	6.1 s	163 g/km
2.0 T-GDi 275 Fastback	-	-	178 g/km

Real MPG average for a Hyundai i30 N (2018)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.