My FH5 Log: The "real" hot hatch Koreans didn't get

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.

Third-Generation Hyundai i30

Looks like we're having a little case of Deja Vu right now because about five years ago, Hyundai gave us the second-generation i30, which is based on the Avante MD, and while it delivers the same stuff they've expected from the previous Avante, how they sum it up is anyone's guess. Now in the year 2016, five years later, the Hyundai i30 hatchback has reached its third-generation and while Hyundai claims that it's now hotter than the previous model, there's nothing hotter about how hot this new model is. In fact, there's only one way to find out...

2017 Hyundai i30

Following last year's launch of the latest Hyundai Avante/Elantra (AD) saloon, its five-door equivalent, the i30, has been redrawn from scratch and whereas the previous i30 looks like when the designers faced the common sentence "Finish or not finish, pass your papers", this brand new i30 looks like it's got its test papers finished...and got a grade of 90%. Now that's what I called a major improvement in the design stakes.

2017 Hyundai i30 interior

On the outside view, the new design started to feel like work in a more athletic kind of manner, and judging from every angle, this hatchback really means serious business when parked alongside its rivals, namely the VW Golf, the Ford Focus, the Peugeot 308, the Citroen C4, or even the Toyota Auris. On the inside, everything's starting to look like they've inspired it by either the Alfa Romeo Giulia or the Mazda Atenza, but from every angle, the interior, like the exterior itself, really means serious business after all. As a five-seater hatchback fit for all kinds of lifestyles, the i30 really suits various lifestyles very well and when folded, there's much more room for all your garage sale haul.

2017 Hyundai i30

What about performance? Does it really mean serious business for this new i30? Make your guess but thanks to its new chassis and the Advanced High-Strength Steel dons, as well as its reworked dynamics, the new i30 is starting to feel as enjoyable as any hatchback can get, without breaking a sweat. Yes, it's starting to feel as sharp as the Europeans but the word of precaution, however, is when your mate is carrying a very big birthday cake he bought at the bakeshop, and when you corner it like a sports car, you're going to ruin that cake, awesomely. Speaking of newly improved dynamics, the new i30 offers a choice of small-displacement turbocharged petrol and diesel engines ranging from the brand new 1.4 T-GDi, the similar 1.6 T-GDi from the Avante Sport, and the 1.6 CRDi-VGT engine. Of course, while the 1.6 T-GDi is the most powerful variant while the diesel has the most torque, the brand new 1.4 T-GDi balances fuel efficiency and performance at the same pace. It produces 140PS of power and 242Nm of torque while delivering a 13.0km/L fuel consumption, which is somewhat average for an entry-level variant, but know this; all of the variants are mated with a seven-speed double-clutch transmission for a more dramatic shift in performance and efficiency resulted in all variants, as long as you got your maintenance budget prepared when things get ugly.

Not only does the new i30 drive very well, but it's very smart indeed because it comes with an array of gizmos in store, including the five-inch touchscreen, an array of safety tech, and a clever way of unlocking doors at the flick of the keys. Touch one time and the driver's door will be unlocked and when touched two times, all of the doors will be unlocked. Nothing says a little easier access than this kind of feature.

2017 Hyundai i30

Should you buy it? The brand new, third-generation, Hyundai i30, starts at a very reasonable 19,100,000 for the mysteriously called "Tuner Package" up to 26,150,000 Korean Won for the 1.6 VGT Premium. Even though is slightly more expensive than the previous model, it's going to be a very competitive hatchback when compared to the best of Europe. So, how can I sum this car up? Well, the new design means business for the new i30, its new driving feel really makes it feel more European than being a Korean hatchback that can be sold at a very reasonable price and I think that's just the start for the new i30 because there's more to come for this new model. 

Available colors: Phantom Black, Iron Grey, Platinum Silver, Polar White, Demitasse Brown Intense Copper, Fiery Red,  Stargazing Blue, and Marina Blue.

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company

Hyundai renames their PYL brand.

Hyundai PREMIUM YOUNIQUE LIFESTYLE

Since March 2011, when the Hyundai Veloster was launched to the SoKor motoring public, the South Korean carmaker began the launch of its PREMIUM YOUTH LAB sub-brand, a sub-brand that caters the needs of the young adults with perks and privileges. Sadly though, this whole PREMIUM YOUTH LAB isn't quite enough for this, so Hyundai decided to give the PYL brand a major overhaul and rename this from PREMIUM YOUTH LAB to PREMIUM YOUNIQUE LIFESTYLE.

The new PREMIUM YOUNIQUE LIFESTYLE sub-brand caters owners of the Veloster, i40, and the new i30 with perks and privileges. For those Hyundai BLUmembers with PYL perks, they'll be enjoying great fun, great lifestyle, and everything that a PYL member would want to think of such as concerts, accommodations, dining, sports, and the list goes on.

You can never get too bored for this.

URL: http://pyl.hyundai.com/

More info: http://blu.hyundai.com/oc/hmnb/prmm_mbr/hmnb_prmm_mbr_index.jsp?screenNm=hmnb_prmm_mbr_index

PREMIUM YOUNIQUE LIFESTYLE Commercial:

Forte Hatchback vs. i30 vs. Cruze5

2011 Kia Forte Hatchback

2012 Hyundai i30

2012 GM Korea Chevrolet Cruze5

The Forte Hatchback, new i30, and the Cruze5. What does these three have in common? They're both made in Korea and these Korean-made hatchbacks deserve a ship's passage to Cagayan, well kind of...

First off, the Kia Forte Hatchback was launched in South Korea since September 2010 as the expansion for the Kia Forte lineup. As of now, all Kia Forte models are equipped with the 1.6-L Gamma GDI I4 petrol engine that produces 140hp of power and 17.0kg-m of torque. AT versions can accumulate 15.7km/L while MT versions can accumulate 16.6km/L.

Then, the Chevrolet Cruze5 is the debutante and an additional model to the Korean-made Chevrolet Cruze. Since March 2011, the Daewoo Lacetti Premiere has been renamed to Chevrolet Cruze as part of shaking off the criticized Daewoo brand to make way for Chevrolet's South Korea launch. Unlike the Forte Hatchback, which is available only in petrol engine, the Cruze5 is available in 1.8L ECOTEC petrol and 2.0 VCDi diesel engine. Sadly, no manual transmission offered, just a 6-speed automatic transmission. First, the 1.8L ECOTEC petrol engine produces 142hp of power and 17.8kg-m of torque. It can achieve a fuel economy of 13.7km/L. That petrol engine powered the Cruze5 is proven to be more powerful than the Forte Hatchback. Here on the 2.0L VCDi engine, it produces 163hp of power, 36.7kg-m of torque, and 15.9km/L of fuel economy.

Lastly is the second-generation Hyundai i30. Launched in Korea since October 20, 2011, the second-generation Hyundai i30 is the second member of Hyundai's new Premium Youth Lab sub-brand. Like the previous model, the Hyundai i30 uses a platform lifted from the Hyundai Avante/Elantra. It follows the "Fluidic Sculpture" design philosophy and this design for the new i30 is dubbed as the "Aero Active" concept. Surprisingly though, the new i30 features Flex Steer, which allows the driver to switch through three different modes; Comfort, Normal, and Sport. I kinda like the Sport mode because it sharpens the suspension system and this makes the new i30 feel more European to handle. Although it has a GDi 1.6L engine lifted from its Forte Hatchback cousin, the new i30 also comes with a 1.6 CRDi-VGT diesel engine that produces 128hp of power and 26.5kg-m of torque. An i30 1.6 VGT with 6-speed auto can go as much as 20km/L while the i30 1.6 VGT with 6-speed manual can go as much as 23.0km/L. Unlike the Forte Hatchback, the new i30 has a BlueSaver variant which uses IDLE STOP & GO that allows its 1.6 GDi engine to shut off automatically when stopped, providing reduced emissions and 17.3km/L of fuel economy.

So the verdict is that the new i30 is more fuel efficient and more fun to drive than the Kia Forte Hatchback and the Chevrolet Cruze 5. That's not the end of it because the new i30 has an impressive looking design but that's only in the front. The Cruze5 has a better looking rear that is somewhat original. The Forte Hatchback? Well, better luck next time.

New i30's Never-Ending Ideas

The new, second-generation (not-for-Philippines), Hyundai i30, really has never-ending ideas. With Hyundai released the latest commercials for the second generation i30, we are getting zealous about its never-ending ideas such as the new Flex Steer, hidden back camera, and EPB (Electronic Parking Brake),

With such never-ending ideas, we have no choice but to plea at HARI to bring the new i30 here but that would be impossible because of its engines.

Second-generation Hyundai i30

European flair and Korean reliability is what Hyundai's best at when it comes to create better looking cars with the finest features. For the Hyundai i30's full model change, this will make European engineers envy over this hatchback It made them so envy, even the Volkswagen Group CEO got jealous over the new i30's silence.

2012 Hyundai i30

The all-new Hyundai i30 is the second addition of Hyundai's new Premium Youth Lab (PYL). In case that most don't know what PYL is, this is the new sub-brand targeted for the young Korean adults in their 20's. This brand was launched since the Hyundai Veloster debuted in March 10, 2011 and BLU Premium Youth Lab members provide special perks and privileges. It uses the "Aero Active" concept as its basis on its design and with its "Fluidic Sculpture" design philosophy, the all new i30 is made to be highly attractive and some say that it was inspired from the Veloster. We might even think that we are going to nickname this the Veloster with 5-doors, you know what I mean. Although the front view its impressive, the back view is somewhat a little bit rubbish, it's like when the designers faced the common sentence "Finish or not finish, pass your papers", get it?

2012 Hyundai i30 interior

A lot of people commenting about the new interior because the new i30's big space got the attention of the Volkswagen Group CEO and he got so jealous that why European car makers didn't do the same thing as Hyundai because of its European flair and Korean reliability but whatever. The new i30 features loads of interior features such as a 7-inch intelligent navigation system, large TFT Supervision Cluster, dual-zone climate control, and panoramic sunroof. Customers can be benefited with the new i30's interior because this has more space than the previous model and the rear seats can be folded to create three seating arrangements suitable for luggage purposes, perfect for the adventurous drivers who wanted to take some time off.

Two engines are available on the new i30 such as the Gamma 1.6L GDI engine and the U2 1.6L VGT engine. First, the GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) 1.6L engine produces 140PS/6300rpm of power and 17kg-m/4850rpm of torque. This helps the car accumulate a maximum fuel economy of 16.3km/L but with the Hyundai i30 1.6 GDi BlueSaver grade, this reaches a fuel economy of 17.3km/L thanks to its innovative idling stop function which helps the Gamma 1.6L GDI engine to shut off automatically when stopped. The U2 1.6L CRDi-VGT engine produces 128HP/4000rpm of power and 26.5kg-m/2750rpm of torque. This helps the engine to accumulate 23km/L of fuel economy, if the 6-speed manual is equipped. GDi variants are equipped with a standard 6-speed automatic transmission but CRDi-VGT variants of the new i30 come with either a 6-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual transmission.

The new i30 comes with the new Flex Steer system that allows the driver to choose from three driving modes; Comfort, Normal, and Sport. The Comfort mode provides easy driving on normal roads, Normal mode for balance, and Sport mode to provide quicker handling on the corners of the earth. From the corners of Monaco, straight Belgian roads, Canadian forests, and the twists and turns of Switzerland, we are sure that hardcore drivers may want to switch the i30's Flex Steer on Sport Mode with a hint of exclamation mark. The new i30 also has SPAS (Smart Parking Assist System) that allows the car to park all by itself hands-free and we won't regret it about its safety feature.

The new Hyundai i30 comes with nine color variations such as Creamy White, Sleek Silver, Hyper Silver, Pink Shell, Hazel Brown, Tropic Red, Santorini Blue, Black Bean, and Phantom Black.

My comment:
With its catchphrase "never-ending ideas", the new Hyundai i30 provides never ending ideas for the driver to come up on the road because of its design, space, technology, and performance, something that the Germans failed to have, even the Japanese. The new i30 is the second member of the new Hyundai Premium Youth Lab brand and it provides three key goals; Shift the Grade, Show your Identity, and Save your Money, referring to its performance, design, and ecology.

Unfortunately though, it is not yet confirmed to bring it to the Philippines because of the previous model's slow sales. Also, the 1.6L GDi engine and the 1.6L CRDi-VGT engine are not strong enough on the Philippine roads. There is a 10% probability that it will come...as a gray market somewhere at either Pitstop Motors or Hancars.

The new i30 has something that European car makers never have...

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company