Hyundai i30 N 2018 pricing and specs confirmed

The 2018 Hyundai i30 N will start at just $39,990 plus on-road costs when it arrives in Australia in April, and that won’t be for the lower-output model.

That’s because Hyundai Australia has taken the bold decision to make the higher-performance i30 N model - with 202kW of power as opposed to 184kW - the standard version on offer. 

The model we’ll get as the standard offering is known as the Performance version internationally, and with good reason. The power plant is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with the aforementioned 202kW of power and a stonking 353Nm of torque - or 378Nm on overboost. 

There's no overboost function on the version with 184kW, so that's another win for Aussie customers.

The biggest issue for the i30 N could be that it will only be offered with a six-speed manual transmission initially. It’s expected there will be a dual-clutch automatic at some point in the future. 

Unlike some other hot hatches, the i30 N will be front-wheel drive only - but it is priced to compete against like front-drive models: in fact, it undercuts the equivalent Golf GTI five-door manual, and out-powers it considerably, too.

Every i30 N model sold in Australia will get the electromechanical limited-slip diff as standard, enhancing its handling credibility against its peers - some rivals don’t have such a system in their affordable hot-hatch models. Helping pull things up is Hyundai’s 'Performance' brake package.

Hyundai has decided to make only the higher-power 'Performance' variant available in Australia.

The i30 N will also get a standard launch control function, an electronic sound generator system that pumps noise through the speakers, a variable exhaust system, plus the brand’s variable electronically controlled suspension system. And there’s a multi-drive mode system, and an on-board race computer with lap timer.

Further, the i30 N will be loaded with heaps of standard equipment.

It has LED headlights and daytime running lights (with auto on/off), LED tail-lights, 19-inch alloy wheels with Pirelli P-Zero HN tyres and tyre pressure monitoring (plus a space-saver spare), the full N body kit, and gloss black exterior mirrors.  

In the cabin there’s an 8.0-inch media system with in-built sat nav (and five years’ of map updates), DAB+ digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, cruise control (not adaptive), dual-zone climate control, manually-adjustable front seats with height adjust, driver’s seat cushion extension and four-way lumbar adjust. It also gets a black headlining, alloy pedals, blue stitching and a leather steering wheel.

The cabin's highlights include an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The safety side of things hasn’t been sacrificed either, with the Hyundai 'SmartSense' system consisting of forward collision warning, city auto emergency braking (AEB), driver attention alert, lane-keeping assist, and seven airbags. Of course it’ll have a reversing camera and rear parking sensors, too. 

There’ll be two option packs available, too.

The first is the 'Luxury' pack, which adds the following items: front parking sensors, LED courtesy and puddle lights, power folding exterior mirrors, smart key and push-button start, auto-dimming rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers, power-adjustable sports front seats with leather bolsters and suede inserts (12-way adjustment, driver’s with memory setting), heated front seats, front passenger seat cushion extension, heated steering wheel, a wireless charging pad for smartphones (Qi), and rear privacy glass. All that comes for just an extra $3000, making for a list price of $42,990.

The next pack is all of that plus a panoramic glass sunroof. It pushes the price out to $5000, meaning a list price of $44,990.

If the i30 N sounds like your kind of car, you can fill out an online form to secure one of the first 300 examples to arrive locally in April. 

The i30 N is outselling the regular i30 range in Germany, such is the demand.

Hyundai Australia is expecting decent demand for the i30 N, and in markets like Germany the wait list is out to six months. In fact, the i30 N is outselling the regular i30 range in Germany, such is the demand.

Hyundai Australia has indicated there won’t be such a wait time for local buyers, but we think the pricing and spec on offer could appeal to more people than the company currently anticipates.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia chief executive officer, Mr J W Lee, said the company has a lot of confidence in the fortunes of the i30 N locally. "We’ve set the MLP (manufacturer’s list price) at $39,990 to ensure there are no excuses. We encourage every genuine enthusiast in the hot hatch market to drive it and make their mind up based on the product’s merits.

"Given the way i30 N looks, sounds and drives, we believe it will make a compelling case against its strongest competitors, regardless of price."

Stay tuned for more on the 2018 Hyundai i30 N soon. 

Check out all 2018 Hyundai i30 price and spec info here.

Is a price-tag of $39,990 for the Hyundai i30 N appealing to you? Tell us what you think in the comments below.