Hyundai i30 N

Inside the cockpit, Hyundai has taken a much-restrained approach, with the pale blue N paddles on the steering wheel, the sportier seats, subtle 'N' badging, and the presence of an H-gate shifter and clutch pedal. Interestingly, the i30 N is the only hot hatch on sale with a manual gear transmission setup, keeping Civic Type R aside, which is quite odd for recent times. There is more lateral support from the seats with help from Alcantara surfaces. Interior differences from the vanilla i30 hatch include a redesigned steering wheel, with two large blue drive mode toggles under the left and right spokes, some discreet shift lights within the instrument binnacle and a lovely looking stick shifter. There's a wide range of seat and steering wheel adjustment on offer, and the switches to swap drive modes are right in front of you on the steering wheel. Cargo room is similar to the basic i30 hatch, and rear seats also do fold in 40:60 fashion. Infotainment and communication features include FM/AM/Radio, Bluetooth connectivity, USB and auxiliary input, front and rear speakers and Integrated 2DIN Audio.

The bold paint scheme and striking looks make the i30 N stand out in the crowd. Appealing new colour schemes are spot-on, while the front splitter, rear diffuser and dual pipes plus hatch-mounted spoiler make the hatch look like a bold and confident car with just the appropriate design chops. The N model benefits from some look-faster body kit, inclusive of blacked-out headlamps, a repositioned set of running lights, a specially built rear wing and twin tailpipes. The paint schemes on offer are - Performance Blue, Engine Red, Phantom Black, Polar White, and Micron Grey. Other exterior features include power-adjustable exterior rearview mirror, rear window defogger, alloy wheels, outside rearview mirror turn indicator and integrated antenna.

There are six different drive modes – Eco, Normal, Sport, Sport+, N and N Custom – and you can fiddle with the steering, suspension, power delivery, electronic stability and more than recall the setting with a second push of the steering wheel-mounted N button. The i30 N comes equipped with an Electronically Controlled Suspension (ECS), MacPherson strut at the front and Multi-Link at the rear, that continuously adjusts dampening force to deliver exceptional turn-in characteristics and body control, without sacrificing the ride quality and comfort.

Powering the i30 N is a 1998cc, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, 16-valves engine featuring direct injection, variable valve timing and twin-scroll turbocharging. The engine on the base variant churns 247 bhp peak power at 6,000 rpm and 353 Nm peak torque between 1450-4000 rpm. The performance variant churns 24 bhp more power but same torque. Power is transmitted to the wheels through a 6-speed manual transmission setup on both variants. The Rev Matching feature of i30 N automatically synchronises engine speed to the input shaft speed for smoother or sportier downshifts. Hyundai claims that i30 N consumes 7 litres of fuel every 100 km and can reach to 100 kmph from still in just 6.4 seconds.

Being a fast, hot hatch, the i30 N calls for a robust braking setup - disc brakes at both ends. The 345mm front ventilated disc brakes are clamped by distinctive red N callipers to deliver strong and fade-resistance stopping power. Safety features include passenger airbag, side airbag-front, child safety locks, driver airbag, anti-lock braking system, parking sensors, crash sensor, engine check warning, and door ajar warning.

Hyundai may have been late entering the hot hatch game, but it indeed was worth the wait. It's a power-packed hatch, looks very striking, and offers an amazing driving experience. It truly is an affordable performance car.