Hyundai reveals i30 Sedan N

THE Hyundai i30 Sedan N has finally been officially revealed and will bolster the brand’s growing performance range in Australia before the end of this year, joining the just-launched updated i30 N hatch, Kona N crossover that arrives later this quarter and i20 N small hatch due in Q4.

Like the Kona N, the sedan looks likely to come exclusively with Hyundai’s latest eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission and 213kW overboost function for a 0-100 km/h sprint claim of 5.3 seconds – one tenth quicker than the i30 N hatch.

Pricing is yet to be announced but if the fastback body style costs $1510 more than the hatch – which is not yet ruled out to return in facelifted form – the sedan could start from less than $50,000 before on-road costs.

Standard running outputs are 206kW and 392Nm, like the hatch, as is the front-drive layout and electronically-limited 250km/h top speed. Peak power is developed from 5500rpm, whereas the hatch peaks at 6000rpm.

High-performance small sedans are a rare breed so mainstream competitors to the booted i30 N are limited to the Subaru WRX that costs from $43,990 before on-roads with an automatic transmission and lower 197kW/350Nm outputs, or manual-only 221kW/407Nm WRX STI at $52,640 plus costs.

Other sedans of similar performance include the Audi S3 sedan ($65,800, 213kW/380Nm) and Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan ($72,700) or CLA35 ($85,900) both of which develop 225kW and 400Nm. Like the Subarus, all these alternatives have all-wheel drive.

The i30 Sedan N is Hyundai’s first model to include WRC-inspired integrated drive shaft, wheel hub and bearing design that is claimed to be both 1.7kg lighter and stronger than conventional setups, with useful extra resilience against cornering loads.

Also new is an integrated air intake and filter unit, saving more weight while reducing suction pressure for improved engine response.

Wrapping the 19-inch alloys are the first 245-section Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres to be used on a production Hyundai, while special engine mounts and dual-compound suspension bushes that better separate motion across different axes are said to help both dynamics and refinement.

Similar to other N models are reinforcements on the front struts and a rear cross-brace in the boot for extra rigidity. A revised active muffler system is also claimed to reduce boominess at idle without sacrificing exhaust note quality from the big-bore dual tailpipes.

Plenty of typical Hyundai N performance enthusiast goodies are along for the ride, including an electronic limited-slip front differential and launch control, multiple driving modes including customisable settings, lap timer, track data logger and engine vital signs displays.

A synthetic engine note generator also enables the driver to customise how their hot i30 sounds from the inside, able to replicate the noise of various Hyundai motorsports entries as well as providing a three-channel equaliser function for creating a unique soundscape.

Based on an already distinctive car, the N-fettled i30 Sedan strikes out with a full-width black front fascia encompassing the grille and big ducts at each end of the front bumper that feed cooling air to the 360mm front brake rotors, underlined by a red strip on the leading edge of the splitter.

The red strip wraps around the sides with fin-like details either side of the front wheels and carries along the skirts to accentuate the low-slung, coupe-like stance of the donor vehicle.

Around the back, the red line resumes just before the tailpipes and wraps above them to bisect the rear splitter, passing above a triangular central reflector inspired by Formula 1 racers.

The look is finished off by a big black wing on the bootlid and airy alloy wheel design through which the red brake calipers can be clearly seen.

Inside are sports seats with reinforced bolsters that can be replaced by optional buckets with illuminated N emblems, 10mm-lower hip point and 50mm-thick backrests that liberate rear legroom.

A multi-function steering wheel with paddle-shifters features a shortcut button that activates ‘N Grin Shift’ mode for the full 213kW overboost for 20 seconds plus a pair of customisable driving mode shortcut buttons.