2022 Hyundai I30 vs Mazda 3

What's the difference?

Hyundai’s performance-focused N sub-brand has had a cracker of a year in 2021, aggressively expanding its line-up across a host of segments.

It comes just a few years after the Korean giant entered the space to critical acclaim with the original i30 N hatchback, and the family now includes the smaller i20 N, Kona N SUV, and now this car, the i30 Sedan N.

Perhaps the best part about the sedan though is that it doesn’t make sense. The i20 is destined to capture the hearts of young racers, the Kona is a particular stroke of market genius, getting ahead of the crowd on an impending hot SUV boom, but this sedan? This is just Hyundai flexing its corporate muscle to cater to as many enthusiasts as it possibly can.

Can lightning strike four times, though? After a flurry of launches this year, can this left-of-field sedan capture the same magic as the rest of the N family? We took one on- and off-track at its Australian launch to find out.

If you’re having trouble finding stock of a small SUV or even a hatchback in 2022, I’d strongly recommend you look at a sedan.

The majority of buyers will engage in puzzling mental gymnastics to convince themselves they need to pay more for a trendy small SUV.

Yet, it'll have a smaller boot than the Mazda3 sedan you see here. Yes, this car and other attractive small sedans sit, ignored on dealer lots.

You don’t have to wait six months for it. You don’t have to pay more for less, and you might see why being lower to the ground means better driving dynamics.

For this review, we’re specifically looking at the mid-grade Mazda3 G25 Evolve SP, sitting above the base G20 Pure and packing the larger of three engine options.

Is it the sweet spot in the Mazda3 range? Does it have the right ingredients to lure you from a small SUV or out-of-stock hatch? Let’s take a look.