The Hyundai i30 N was revealed last summer and the sporty hatchback has received praise from a lot of automotive outlets. Carwow recently likened the hatchback to being a more-affordable Volkswagen Golf GTI. That’s high praise indeed, as the Golf has been the benchmark of the segment for a long time. Now, Autocar took the hatchback to a racetrack and it, too, really liked the car.
As a quick recap, the i30 N is Hyundai’s first proper entry into the hot hatch segment. The South Korean automaker has had the Veloster in its lineup for some time, and a new one debuted at the Detroit Auto Show, but that hatchback has always been more about quirkiness than performance. While that might change soon with the 275-hp Veloster N, right now the i30 N is the top dog at Hyundai’s range.
The i30 N was taken to Cadwell Park for a quick thrashing and was found to be really capable and enjoyable on the track. This was fitted with the Performance Package, in which the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder generates 271 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The package also adds sticky Pirelli P-Zero tires, bigger brakes, red calipers, a variable exhaust valve system that makes the engine note even more raucous, and an electronic limited-slip differential.
For its first attempt at a proper hot hatch, the i30 N is clearly here to challenge the new crop of competitors. You can watch the whole review of the i30 N by checking out the video below.