Car review: Hyundai i30 N Performance Pack

When Hyundai announced it was introducing a hotter version of its i30 hatchback, most people weren’t expecting much – just a bit more grunt. But now it is here, the i30 N (for Nurburgring, the German race track where its performance was honed) is a revelation. This is the first high performance Hyundai and very much a statement of intent about other “N” models to come.

Hyundai’s performance and handling supremo Albert Biermann spent more than 30 years making BMW the “ultimate driving car”, and these are the latest fruits of his work for the Korean car giant. No effort or expense has been spared, and the result is extremely impressive.

Powered by a four-cylinder, two-litre engine with 250 or 275PS with the Performance Pack version, the car handles and grips superbly, partly thanks to sticky, bespoke Pirelli tyres. There are four driving modes to cope with anything from the school run to serious track workouts, which come complete with bangs and pops from the twin exhausts and rev matching on down-changes.