Hyundai has officially taken the wraps off its updated 2021 i30 N hot hatch, showing off the new car’s sharper design and performance upgrades under the skin whilst giving buyers the option of an automatic dual-clutch gearbox for the very first time.
Let’s start with the changes under the bonnet. Two versions of the i30 N will be offered globally, with a standard model and an i30 N Performance variant. The non Performance model has healthy outputs of 184kW and 353Nm and doesn’t come with the all new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. On the Performance model, power has now been boosted to 206kW, up from 202kW, and peak torque is up 39Nm to 392Nm for 2021. In Australia, expect to only see the Performance model as is the case currently.
These slight increases in power and torque have led to modest gains in the way the new i30 N accelerates with a manual transmission. 0 to 100km/h takes just 5.9 seconds on the new model, 0.2 seconds quicker when compared to the outgoing i30 N Performance.
The introduction of an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for the first time will be music to the ears of many Australians who couldn’t buy the current i30 N on account of it only coming as a manual. With many rivals such as the new Renault Megane RS and Volkswagen Golf GTI coming with automatic gearboxes, the new self shifting i30 N is set to really broaden the appeal of Hyundai’s hot hatch. Expect the new gearbox to shift quickly when going flat out, but also smoothly when driving around town.
Hyundai has upped the safety game with the 2021 i30 N by adding autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane following assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert with AEB. All of these features were missing from the previous i30 N.
Hyundai has also given the 2020 i30 N a bit of a nip and tuck outside, with sportier front and rear bumpers, larger exhaust pipes, slick new headlights, along with new 19-inch alloy wheels which save around 14kg of unsprung mass.
Jumping inside, the i30 N gets newly designed bucket seats and will get Hyundai’s latest 10.25-inch infotainment system, featuring both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The i30 N Fastback is also expected to also be updated shortly. Whilst pricing and final specs are yet to be confirmed for Australia, Hyundai Australia expects the new i30 N to land on our shores in early 2021. Stay tuned to DiscoverAuto for further developments.
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