Wednesday 1st June 2022

Hyundai confirms UK pricing for i30 N Drive-N

75 examples of new limited edition are coming here, but you'll pay for the privilege...

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From Focus RS500 to Megane Trophy R and Civic Type R Limited Edition to Audi A1 quattro, limited run hot hatches for a whole lot of money aren’t really anything new. They are for Hyundai, but the new Drive-N i30 has come straight from the textbook: just 75 from the 800-unit run are coming to the UK, and each will cost £38,190. Which, for a car that launched five years ago with five less horsepower for £27,995, probably looks quite a lot.  

Still, also in best flagship hot hatch tradition, the Drive-N arrives crammed with kit. You can read all the details here, but the salient points are a standard DCT gearbox (which would add £1,975 to the price already), standard N Light Seats (another £600, usually) plus a couple of no-cost pearl paint choices - Phantom Black and Serenity White - that would normally add another £585 to a £34k i30 N.

The white is in fact unique to the Drive-N, there along with the dark bronze bits (including Nurburgring coordinates on the wings), red accents and a numbered badge as the extras not normally on the i30N options list to attract buyers. Hey, there’s even some new safety kit, including Rear Collision Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Assist and Blind Sport Collision Avoidance Assist that hasn’t yet been seen elsewhere in the i30 N range. So don’t say your £38k doesn’t buy anything.  

Offered just as a hatch and exclusively with the dual-clutch ‘box, the Drive-N is in the Hyundai UK pricelist and therefore, presumably, on sale now. Not just Jaguar that can add gold wheels and charge more money, y’know…

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• 2021 Hyundai i30 N DCT | PH Review
• Hyundai launches i30N Drive-N Limited Edition

[ChevronB19]

‘(including Nurburgring coordinates on the wings)‘

God, how pathetic.

[Shappers24]

Mixed bag that. Like the wheels and massive looking brakes but not a fan of limited edition features like the plaque and co-ordinates on the wings… and I must be out of touch with current car pricing as£38K even for a limited edition model seems nuts.

[Dombilano]

I'm always surprised how big these are in real life. They could have bunged another 20 or 30hp in for the price, surely

[Jon_S_Rally]

Not sure it has enough for me to want one over the normal car to be honest, but I'm sure it will appeal to some. It looks nice enough, but a normal one in the blue would be fine and dandy for me.

[NGK210]

A PHer has Rota-style wheels on theirs - much cooler.
Anyone know why i30Ns guzzle fuel compared to an FK8 CTR, Golf R, et al?

[fantheman80]

That plaque has a whiff of the local trophy engravers about it...

[jorders500]

I think it looks great. Some attractive highlights and not too shouty. The coordinates are a bit of fun and in keeping with the ethos of the car. The only problem with these is the thirst.

[BigChiefmuffinAgain]

Seems a lot of extra money for basically nothing. Don't know if there a big wait list at the mo ( let's face it, there is for most things ) so maybe they figure they can squeeze a bit more out of a few impatient punters....

[Limpet]

All that extra money and they make you have a DCT box as well?

I'll stick with my standard manual N Performance. Still attracts a lot of positive attention, and drives so nicely I have absolutely no plans to change it.

[MightyBadger]

Hints of Fiesta In the first pic.

[Clarkedontgo]

Yeah needs another 30 bhp to be taken seriously at that money , standard version will be fine thanks

[Limpet]

NGK210 said:

A PHer has Rota-style wheels on theirs - much cooler.
Anyone know why i30Ns guzzle fuel compared to an FK8 CTR, Golf R, et al?

I've never owned either of those, but I can't imagine they're significantly better.

My i30N is averaging 28 in mixed use but that does include a few short journeys most weeks, and I don't spare the horses once it's warmed up. It will comfortably get up into the 40s on a longer run, sticking to speed limits. It does plummet when driven hard, but I guess that's true of most turbocharged engines. The car also has a certain character to it that makes you want to hoof it.

My M140i was thirstier driven hard, but more frugal in gentle and mixed use.

[AllyM]

N for Ned?

[fantheman80]

Limpet said:

NGK210 said:

A PHer has Rota-style wheels on theirs - much cooler.
Anyone know why i30Ns guzzle fuel compared to an FK8 CTR, Golf R, et al?

I've never owned either of those, but I can't imagine they're significantly better.

My i30N is averaging 28 in mixed use but that does include a few short journeys most weeks, and I don't spare the horses once it's warmed up. It will comfortably get up into the 40s on a longer run, sticking to speed limits. It does plummet when driven hard, but I guess that's true of most turbocharged engines. The car also has a certain character to it that makes you want to hoof it.

My M140i was thirstier driven hard, but more frugal in gentle and mixed use.

The pop and bang map wont help with the fuel consumption, i am sure 99% of owners have it in this mode and will make it pop as much as possible

My mapped civic is about 30-32 now mixed with mild canters now and again

[anonymous-user]

Spokey wheels and bright red paint to draw attention to your 1 pot sliding caliper, sporty as fk that is

I don't understand these cars at all, the point of a hot hatch is that you can have your sensible family car with a bit of shove so it's not just dross, but once you start adding all these accoutrements lilke sports seats and silly trim it just looks really foolish, those nurburgring co-ordinates on a car that'll be sold on a 5k a year lease and never go more than 100 miles away from home is just pathetic, you don't see crap like that on actual sports cars that do go on track.

ETA panel alignment on that crease is a bit British Leyland too, an industry wide trend that must have Ferdinand Piech furious down there in hell.


Cheap crap, but not cheap.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 1st June 18:20

[mcelliott]

Limpet said:

All that extra money and they make you have a DCT box as well?

I'll stick with my standard manual N Performance. Still attracts a lot of positive attention, and drives so nicely I have absolutely no plans to change it.

The DCT in mine is brilliant way better than I ever had from previous VAG ownership, like you I have had only positive comments, well apart from a few angry types on the internet.

[NGK210]

Limpet said:

NGK210 said:

A PHer has Rota-style wheels on theirs - much cooler.
Anyone know why i30Ns guzzle fuel compared to an FK8 CTR, Golf R, et al?

I've never owned either of those, but I can't imagine they're significantly better.

My i30N is averaging 28 in mixed use but that does include a few short journeys most weeks, and I don't spare the horses once it's warmed up. It will comfortably get up into the 40s on a longer run, sticking to speed limits. It does plummet when driven hard, but I guess that's true of most turbocharged engines. The car also has a certain character to it that makes you want to hoof it.

My M140i was thirstier driven hard, but more frugal in gentle and mixed use.

For example, I’ve driven the same route from London to Somerset, via A303, same time of day, same(ish) pace/traffic, cruised at 80ish, all were fed Tesco 99: Mk7 R (av 37mpg); FK8 CTR (40mpg); i30N (31mpg).

[Limpet]

stickleback123 said:

Spokey wheels and bright red paint to draw attention to your 1 pot sliding caliper, sporty as fk that is

Some of the best brakes of any car I have driven, never mind owned. They are fantastic. Lots of feel, brilliantly judged servo (no emergency stops with the slightest brush a la VAG) and loads of power. They don’t wilt on track either.

Edited by Limpet on Wednesday 1st June 19:52

[CrippsCorner]

I like the standard cars; I'd personally not pay extra for this. Shame it's auto only too... but are all the facelifts like that now?

Another question is, when are we going to start seeing USB-C in new cars?

[Scoobysaurus]

£38k no thanks