Styling enhancements define new i30 N Drive-N

HYUNDAI has ratcheted up its i30 N hot hatch line up with an enhanced version of the sunroof equipped Premium five door hatchback called i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition.

It’s available now priced at $53,200 for the six-speed manual and $56,200 for the eight-speed DCT “auto” version. Both prices are plus on-road costs and represent a premium over the donor cars of $2500.

Hyundai Australia has secured a shipment of 180 units (global builds 620 through to 799) of this limited run vehicle in a choice of two premium body colours: Phantom Black Pearl and the new Serenity White Pearl.

Though no performance equipment per se added to the Drive-N Limited Edition, however the newcomer lends an air of exclusivity to the popular i30 N with goodies not available on ‘lesser’ variants.

Drive-N builds on the already solid performance credentials of the i30 N by adding a host of styling updates including a red accent interior, Alcantara finishes, bronze forged alloy wheels, exclusive decals and blacked out Hyundai badging.

Inside, it’s fitted with a centre mounted plaque featuring individualised global numbering out of 800, and geographic coordinates to the Hyundai Motor Company Europe Test Centre at the legendary Nürburgring… where the i30 N was co-developed and from where the ‘N’ in the car’s name is derived.

Outside on the side, front and rear, Drive-N features similar dark bronze matte finished limited edition badges also with the geographic coordinates to the Nürburgring Hyundai Motor Company Europe Test Centre.

It gains 19-inch forged alloy wheels in dark bronze matte finish that are at once light and strong while contributing to the car’s exclusivity and defined appearance.

The Drive-N variant is fitted with a Manual Speed Limit Assist (MSLA) system that allows drivers to set a speed using the speed toggle by long holding the cruise control button on the steering wheel. When the set speed is reached, i30 N will limit engine power to prevent the driver from exceeding their set limit. If the speed is exceeded, a warning chime will play to prompt the driver to slow down.

Exclusive to Drive-N, Alcantara replaces leather and covers the steering wheel, gear lever, armrest, and handbrake.

Performance blue accents decorating the interior are replaced with red accents on seat belts in the front and rear, the steering wheel N buttons, the inserts and stitching of the N Light Seats with a new pattern.

The i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition also features dedicated floor mats with distinct design details.

Power comes from a 2.0-litre, twin scroll turbo petrol four cylinder engine rated at 206kW and 392Nm driving the front wheels through an electronically controlled mechanical limited slip differential.

The engine is derived from that in Mitsubishi’s last Evo 10 slightly detuned in this instance.

An eight-speed dual clutch transmission became available this year as an option at the same time as numerous other detail mechanical changes were effected to the car including an increase in front brake rotor diameter and changes to the multi-mode suspension along with a recalibrated engine control unit to deliver improved throttle response from lower in the engine rev range.

It also offers the same three-mode N performance functions offered in the donor model – N Power Shift, N Grin Shift and N Track Sense Shift – the latter of which activates an overboost function for 20 seconds. 

Each Drive-N comes standard with a welcome box and showcases the set of keys and a special Drive-N keyring.

2022 Hyundai i30 N Drive-N pricing*

*Pricing excludes on-road costs.