Happenings

One Hot Hyundai

BY Azfar Hashim

Hyundai presents a delicious kimchi which should entice the younger crowd - now lets see how it's priced

The i30 N is Hyundai Motor’s first high-performance car under the N line-up. Built on the New Generation i30, the i30 N has been developed from the ground up to deliver maximum driving pleasure on both the road as well as on the track. Inspired by Hyundai Motorsport’s experience in WRC since 2014, the i30N was born in Namyang - Hyundai Motor’s global R&D Centre in Korea - and honed at the Nürburgring, one of the most challenging race tracks in the world and home of Hyundai’s Testing Center.

The i30 N has been developed on the basis of three corner stones under the theme ‘Fun to Drive’: Cornering, Race Track Capability and Everyday Sports Car.

Available only in front wheel drive guise, the i30 N's 2.0-litre turbocharged T-GDI engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. There are two power options for customers to choose from: Performance Package (270 bhp and 353 Nm of torque, 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds) and Standard Package (247 bhp and also 353 Nm of torque, 0-100 km/h in 6.4 seconds).

Drivers can also drive the car in five individual drive modes: Eco, Normal, Sport, N and 'N Custom' settings, which can be activated by using the two dedicated buttons on the steering wheel. The different modes changes the character of the car, adjusting the parameters of the engine, the dampers, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Electronic Limited Slip Differential (E-LSD), engine sound, steering and rev-matching.

According to Hyundai, when the driver hits the throttle and shifts through the gears, the rev-matching function supports smooth gear shifting, while the overboost function increases torque (by 8%) and acceleration (between 6% to 7%). This is enhanced further by the car’s sound from the dual muffler exhaust, featuring the variable exhaust valve system (standard with the Performance Package). And yes, Launch Control comes standard..

The Electronic Limited Slip Differential (E-LSD) enhances grip and delivers maximum power to the road - E-LSD increases the maximum cornering speed by 5%, and is standard with the Performance Package. For the real enthusiasts, the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) can be switched off completely for, well, maximum freedom.

The lowered body (the i30 N sits 4mm lower than the standard i30) is rigid and in combination with the Electronic Controlled Suspension (ECS) reduces roll and enhances cornering speed, enabling the driver to adjust the dampers from comfort-oriented daily commuting to high-performance track-driving.

Active safety features were not forgotten. The i30 N will get items like Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Driver Attention Alert (DAA), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Speed Limit Information Function and High Beam Assist.

Hyundai will launch the i30 N across Europe by the end of 2017.