Hyundai’s performance sedan is a gem amongst the SUV craze

Hyundai has leapt from success to success with every model released under its performance-focused N division.

The i30 N hatchback first made waves in 2018 for its fun-loving performance nature and relatively low price point – a theme that has since influenced the Kona N, i20 N and i30 Sedan N.

While a lot of the brand’s current focus has been poured into its first electric performance car, the Ioniq 5 N, the arrival of the facelifted i30 Sedan (late last year) means it’s time for the N version to get its own upgrade.

Aside from a new front fascia, aggressive rear bar treatment and some smaller tweaks under the skin, there’s not a whole lot changed on the 2024 Hyundai i30 Sedan N.

But what it does continue to offer is a purposeful sports sedan experience at an attractive price point, as I found out at the model’s launch.

The new Hyundai i30 Sedan N is $1800 more expensive than its forebear and costs $52,000 before on-road costs. This price is for both manual and automatic options, and the only available extras to add are premium paint ($595) and a sunroof ($2000).

It’s pricier than before so it should include more stuff, but the list of tangible improvements is slim.

Visual upgrades amount to new black ‘H’ badges (becoming a signature N-division touch), enlarged body-colour strakes in the front grille, subtle tweaks to the rear bumper design, and new lightweight 19-inch forged alloy wheels. As before, the wheels come wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres.

Under the bodywork it gets stiffer rear bar bracing said to improve rigidity by 29 per cent, a refined power steering system, polyurethane rear strut top bushes, and updated settings for the electronically adjustable dampers.

It also comes in a new Ecotronic Grey Mica colour, in addition to N favourites like Performance Blue.

The carryover engine remains a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that outputs 206kW and 392Nm to the front wheels. It comes mated to a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Unfortunately, it misses out on the N Light sports bucket seats (which are available in overseas markets) seen on the regular i30 N hatchback.

The i30 Sedan N stands alone with its unique body style at the $52,000 price point, though performance buyers could cross-shop against the $56,090 (plus ORCs) Volkswagen Golf GTI or the Subaru WRX RS ($51,490 manual, $55,490 automatic plus ORCs).

Enter through the driver’s door and the initial cabin impression doesn’t do a whole lot to shout “N!”. Sure, the steering wheel is unique to the N and hosts specific blue (customisable drive modes) and red (N Grin Shift) buttons, and there are some subtle N insignias on the shifter and seats, but the rest of the interior is devoid of bespoke accents.

I think the dashboard could have benefitted from some light blue touches or some specific Alcantara accents. Particularly egregious for me is the hard plastic centre console grip which feels out of place.

In fairness, the Hyundai i30 N hasn’t earnt its enviable reputation on the quality of its interior materials, but I’d expect fewer black plastics than you get on the entry-level $29,000 economy version.

The seats themselves are comfortable to spend long drives, and there’s plenty of adjustment from the driver’s side electric controls (passenger gets manual adjustments).

However, it’s a real shame that the bucket seats aren’t available in Australian i30 Sedan Ns. The standard seats lack side support for holding the driver and passenger in place around quick corners and it’s especially noticeable on the track.

If you’re tall, I’d opt against the $2000 sunroof add-on too, because its framework cuts into front-seat head room. I simply couldn’t fit under the sunroof with a helmet on at the racetrack.

Around the front cabin there’s a decent-sized centre console bin, dual cupholders, a wireless phone charger beneath the dash, and door pockets for larger bottles. The car now gets one USB-A port and one USB-C in addition to a 12V outlet.

Second-row space is great, even for tall passengers. I was comfortable behind my driving position with good foot and leg room, and it was only my head that felt somewhat cramped underneath the sloping rear roof line.

There are two USB-C ports to keep phones charged, air vents, a map pocket, and grab handles to steady yourself through high-speed bends (depending on how enthusiastic the driver is).

Boot space is 10 litres below what’s offered in the regular i30 Sedan – 464L. This is better than what is offered by the VW Golf GTI (374L) and Subaru WRX (411L). There’s a space-saver spare wheel underneath the boot floor.

The size of the i30 Sedan N’s infotainment is on par with rivals – 10.25-inch displays for both infotainment and the digital instrument cluster. On the Subaru WRX buyers receive an 11.6-inch display mounted in portrait fashion, while VW Golf GTI buyers get a 10-inch display.

In my time with the car, I noted it wasn’t the quickest-responding software to switch between screens and scroll menus – however, I was buoyed by the presence of panel buttons that allow the driver to skip between functions. On top of that, the air-conditioning controls get their own unique panel on the dashboard for easy access.

Embedded within the i30 Sedan N’s infotainment is satellite navigation and digital radio (DAB+), but the system also comes with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

On i30 Sedan Elite model grades and up, buyers unlock access to Hyundai’s Bluelink connected services. In addition to connecting to the car via a smartphone app to send navigation instructions to the car remotely (for example), the Bluelink system can also offer live traffic updates, calendar integration, weather information, remote climate control, and vehicle status information.

There are unique N displays that can show engine and oil temperatures, throttle position, brake pressure, and even circuit maps. I was a huge fan of how the system could automatically use live positioning on-track to determine lap times without the driver’s input – bloody cool technology that allows the driver to stay focused.

The 10.25-inch cluster is hugely customisable too, with all kinds of display modes and unique N graphics depending on what driving mode the car’s in. The at-a-glance visibility of key settings is super handy, in particular.

The Hyundai i30 hatch was last tested by ANCAP in 2017 and was awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating. However, this test does not extend to this i30 Sedan variant and its four-door body – only hatch variants are five-star rated, with an ANCAP rating set to expire in December 2024.

As such, the i30 Sedan does not get an ANCAP safety rating. However, one of its rivals does – the VW Golf GTI scored five stars in 2022, while the WRX is similarly unrated.

Unlike other i30 Sedans in the line-up, the i30 Sedan N does not get adaptive cruise control. It also misses out on a 360-degree camera, blind-spot view monitor, and two extra airbags seen on the i30 Sedan N in other markets.

In my time with the car, all active safety systems operated without fault. We continue to be annoyed by the speed sign recognition systems that can falsely alert to incorrect speed limits. For example, it may notice a 40km/h school zone (despite being out of school-zone speed limit times) and beep to let the driver know they’ve breached the limit.

This system is said to be quieter than before and can be switched off using a hot-key button, but it turns itself back on between engine cycles.

All Hyundais sold in Australia come with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, including N cars. This is backed by a generous roadside assistance program that renews 12 months of coverage every time you service the car at a Hyundai dealership. This is uncapped and continues for the life of the car.

The i30 Sedan N comes with capped-price servicing for the first five visits, which amounts to $1065 over three visits or $1795 over five. Do note, these services are required at shorter intervals than usual – 10,000km or 12 months (whichever is sooner).

This compares favourably with pay-as-you-go Golf GTI servicing with VW’s Assured Service Pricing calculating to $2007 over three years and a whopping $3842 over five years.

Comprehensive insurance for the Hyundai i30 Sedan N runs to $1747 per annum based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

This is more expensive than a MY23 VW Golf GTI at $1487 per year, but more affordable than a Subaru WRX quote that came out as $2105 per year.

On the list of important reasons to buy a performance car, fuel economy is probably not up there. However, we did capture some rudimentary fuel data against Hyundai’s 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres claim (combined) for the dual-clutch auto-equipped version.

Given I drove enthusiastically during the launch drive – an extra-urban loop around the picturesque Lake Hume – my fuel use is largely unrepresentative of what i30 Sedan N buyers will experience every day. But economy wasn’t horrific – I saw 11.5L/100km throughout my drive with a car that had barely been run-in.

Thankfully, the 47-litre fuel tank only requires 95-octane fuel, not expensive 98-octane.

If you have your heart set on the manual, its claim consumption sits a little higher at 8.5L/100km.

Now we get to the meat of the matter – the i30 Sedan N’s drive experience. If you’re unfamiliar with the N formula, one of the first things you’ll notice is the gruff, drony exhaust note emanating from twin, big-diameter exhaust pipes.

It’s not super intimidating from a standstill, but the antisocial part of the i30 Sedan N’s exhaust is only a flex of the throttle away. Having the car in its full N mode is its party trick – perfect for car meets and at the racetrack, but it becomes a bit much around town.

On the flipside, if it’s character and boisterousness you’re after in a performance car, look no further than the i30 Sedan N.

The exhaust note is matched by whopping 206kW/392Nm outputs fed through the front wheels. It comes courtesy of a carryover 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox or six-speed manual.

For a majority of the drive experience I was behind the wheel of a dual-clutch-equipped car, which offers rapid shifts at the right moments and delivers an awesome whip-crack sensation while swapping cogs.

It feels as though you pull the paddle at high revs, the car rips your guts out, and immediately shoves them back in, ready to go all over again. It is a similar ‘punch you in the back’ sensation that you used to get in automated manual gearboxes. It just feels dynamic and adds to the sense of occasion.

My time behind the wheel showed there were no instances of torque steer or wheel hop as the car tries to put down all outputs, which is something I’ve felt in an i30 N hatchback before.

On-road ride comfort is surprisingly decent when the car’s not in all-out N modes – the way it’s able to dispatch cracked bitumen imperfections and iron out speed humps is impressive for a sports sedan.

It’s a different story when the adaptive dampers are firmed up in the sportier drive settings, but from then on, the driver is met with unflappable body control through corners and a steadfast ability to switch back on itself through tight, successive bends.

The steering feel is brilliant too. In its weightiest setting the system is go-kart-like in its point-and-shoot character, while there’s a lot of information fed through the steering wheel back to the driver about traction levels underfoot.

There’s only one part of the experience that can’t quite match the same dynamism offered by the rest of the car, and it’s particularly noticeable when on a racetrack.

The sports seats might be comfortable for everyday driving, but they do not provide enough side support to keep front seat occupants still when attacking a corner. It’s a shame Australians don’t get the N Light performance seats because they keep the driver in place. I ended up bracing myself against the transmission tunnel and door card with my knees.

Braking performance on-track was strong, time after time. No matter how long I spent on-track hammering the alloy pedals, the car still pulled up quickly and there was no sign of pedal fade throughout the day.

There’s so much grip to play with too. It feels as though you can fling the car through a corner at irresponsible speeds and it’ll just hang on throughout the ordeal.

In that way, the i30 Sedan N feels really quite approachable for all kinds of drivers to have a go.

The Hyundai i30 Sedan N is not rated to tow trailers. It has a gross vehicle mass of 1960kg and its payload equates to 445kg when subtracting the car’s 1515kg kerb weight from that GVM figure. Given the average Australian male weight is 87kg, you could fit five adults inside the i30 Sedan N and still have 10kg left over.

Any one car from Hyundai’s N stable is a formidable performance offering. But the additions Hyundai has made to the 2024 i30 Sedan N make an already brilliant thing incrementally better.

It now looks as good as ever with sharp, new front end styling, the minor interior tweaks aid everyday-driver connectivity, and the driver-assisting safety tech helps minimise speeding fines.

It’s true that the speed sign recognition system doesn’t always function the way it’s meant to, but Hyundai Australia is feeding information back to head office and is working on a better implementation.

The car remains as fun as we’ve come to expect from the N sub-brand, whether driving on a quiet back road or going all-out at a racetrack.

At launch we had the opportunity to drive the i30 Sedan N, which comes in a single Premium specification. It’s all the performance car buyer could ever want at that price point.

Keep in mind that taller buyers will want to skip past the sunroof option because it does encroach on head room. If it were me, I’d be buying the dual-clutch transmission version for its awesome gear-shift sensation alone, but the six-speed manual remains the most engaging option in the line-up.

I asked Hyundai about its supply of the 2024 i30 Sedan N and heard the brand has 180 units already on the ground in Australia and there is another 270-strong shipment due imminently. The company says orders will take three to six months from ordering to delivery in worst-case scenarios.

The next step on the purchase journey is to check the Hyundai website for stock. You can also find Hyundais for sale at Drive.com.au/cars-for-sale.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Find your nearest Hyundai dealer via this link. We’d also recommend test-driving the Volkswagen Golf GTI because it is popular with consumers and is a good benchmark.

If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest news here.