Hyundai has unveiled the i30 Fastback N, the hotter version of its i30 Fastback.
The i30 Fastback N combines the sleek, swoopy styling of the regular Fastback with the aggressive visual cues of the i30 N hatch. These latter elements include a black honeycomb grille, red accents, black rear wing, diffuser, skirts and bumpers and N badges aplenty.
Powering the hot Hyundai is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. In standard trim, it produces 184kW of power and 353Nm of torque, or 378Nm during short periods of overboost – sending drive to the front wheels exclusively through a six-speed manual, it can hit 100km/h in 6.4 seconds. Opting for the Performance Package ups the power to 202kW (torque is unchanged), and drops the 0-100km/h time to 6.1 seconds.
Inside, there’s the same interior layout as the N hatch. The Fastback features the same red-stitched N-branded steering wheel, as well as 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a special N app that allows drivers to select one of 1944 combinations of engine response, exhaust note, suspension stiffness, stability control intensity and many more settings. In addition, there are N-branded leather and suede sports seats, as seen in the press materials.
Practicality wise, the boot measures in at 450 litres – around 15% more than the hatch.
Safety tech consists of Hyundai’s SmartSense suite, which includes autonomous emergency braking, forward collision alert, driver attention alert, lane keep assist, high-beam assist and speed limit warning.
The Hyundai i30 Fastback N lands in Australia in March 2019, solely in Performance Package trim. Expect a price tag slightly higher than the $39,990 RRP of the hatchback.
