Once on the boil it feels faster than that, though, with a swell of turbocharged torque from around 2000rpm which provokes a degree of torque steer, especially in the wet or on uneven roads. It can be destabilising, but some will find this characteristic charming and reminiscent of the 1980s’ hot hatch greats. Short-shifting the excellent manual ‘box is to be savoured, too.
The occasionally unruly front axle and aggressive geometry exposed another chink in the i30 N’s armour: its electrically assisted steering, which doesn’t have the feedback of something like the Civic Type R would. Push to the limit of grip and you will find it remains composed, but it was clearly honed on a race track (‘N’ is for Nürburgring), because the ride is all but atrocious when in the sportiest mode. Leave the adaptive suspension in Comfort and it does an acceptable job of flattening out bad roads, but it’s still a fussy thing.
The cabin isn’t a particular strong suit, either, being heavy on the black plastic. It’s well put together, though, plus there is plenty of standard equipment and the seats are very supportive. Ultimately, the i30 N is a ‘heart over head’ sort of car. A contemporary Golf GTI is more polished, more predictable and more comfortable but equally less fun. It’s also a bit too obvious, isn’t it? The more esoteric i30 N has some ‘if you know, you know’ cachet that gives it a dose of cult appeal and lines it up for future classic status.
What to look out for:
Exhaust: Post-2019 cars got a gasoline particulate filter, which toned the noise down. Some owners have removed it or replaced the whole exhaust system, but you might be happier with the quieter soundtrack. Owners have also reported rattling from the valves in the exhaust system. Some Hyundai dealers solved this by overriding the active exhaust and closing the valves. But better to replace the spring in the mechanism, which is the likely culprit.
Clutch: A little judder at low speed, especially in reverse, is normal in the dual-clutch auto while it warms up. Go easy on it to get the most life from the gearbox.
Fuel pump: Stuttering, misfiring or a lack of power could signal that the fuel pump needs to be replaced. Mostly affects 2018 cars; some users report that the problem was actually caused by their battery terminals being loose.
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