The third-generation Hyundai i30 is no doubt the last i30 offered in the South Korean market and production ended in 2020 without a direct successor. Long story short.
However, in a parallel universe, the i30 PD still exists in markets outside South Korea, and much to the dismay of Koreans, here lies a high-performance version of the i30 PD.
It's called the i30 N and I obtained it from Forza Horizon 5's Lunar New Year's Dry Season playlist after hitting the 20-point target. This is the "real" hot hatch Koreans didn't get.
Born in Namyang, Honed at the Nurburgring. This is the concept of the N brand since its 2015 announcement and this is the result; the very first Hyundai N car based on the i30 PD. The i30 N incorporates most of Hyundai's know-how in motorsport to create an everyday sports car suitable for daily commuting in comfort on weekdays or for race track performance on the weekend. Powering the i30 N is a turbocharged 2.0L engine with up to 275PS of power for the Performance Package, sprinting from 0-100kph in 6.1 seconds while mated to a 6-speed MT.
The i30 N was facelifted in 2020 and it gained a new 8-speed N DCT for the first time. The Performance Package saw an additional 5PS compared to the pre-facelifted model, making its 0-100kph time 0.2 seconds faster than before.
Riding shotgun with the i30 N, I now know what it's like to drive in a high-performance Korean hot hatchback that's not available in South Korea. Sure, it was built by the Czechs but deep down, it has the beating heart of a secret royal inspector from the Joseon Dynasty, always ready for what's next. Gotta love the cackling exhaust sound while changing gears. It has some rally car vibes to it.
Because being a front-wheel-drive hot hatch, it feels moderate to drive. Not too basic but not challenging behind the wheel. It's like putting cheese on a bowl of spicy ramen if you catch my drift.
Such performance demands a plausible question, a "what if" scenario if you may. If the third-generation Hyundai i30 remained in the Korean market and had the N variant in it, what would it be like to drive in the Land of the Oppas? To find out, I played a certain EventLab event modeled after a certain city track from a certain video game. Spoiler Alert: It's Seoul Central from I dunno what game it is.
Okay, next time, let's remember this right away because I've done this twice. Weird about the flicker parts, though.
Had Hyundai sold the i30 N to the Korean market, it would have been the first before the Veloster N but sadly, the i30 is no more. It's too late for that now in the same way Nissan failed to bring a NISMO-fied Sylphy B17 a long time ago. For now, Korean FH5 players are taking a wistful look at the Hyundai i30 N, the "real" hot hatch Koreans didn't get.
Once sampled, driven in tears. Long story short.
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