If you’re angling get your hands on a Hyundai i30 N when it makes its Australian debut in April (starting at $39,990), the latest announcement by HMCA will definitely prove very handy. Driving a hot hatch should be done safely but, to say the least, it’s unfeasible to explore (and exploit) its power and handling limits on normal roads, nor should you.
As one would expect, upon its showroom availability, the i30 N will come attached with their standard 5-year/unlimited kilometre warranty - and that still stands. But now it has been confirmed that the coverage is now expanded to include casual track use, even allowing the use of stickier semi-slicks to improve lap times.
Virtually nothing customer-facing has changed about Hyundai’s warranty programme, and service intervals remain at the expected 10,000km interval or every 12 months. Basically, as long as the car isn’t being used to participate in any competitive events, the warranty stands unaffected.
By this point, any driving enthusiast with an eye open could hardly have avoided reading something on the i30 N, Hyundai’s inaugural hot hatch from a new division recently minted to focus on high performance and headed up by former bigwig at BMW M.
At the very least, it’s due to give other, more established hot hatches an unexpected challenge as the emboldened South Korean company looks to rattle the pond. Initial impressions of the car have emerged positive and the possibility seems strong that it will not just upset the orthodoxy of the Volkswagen Golf, but also other newer contenders such as the Honda Civic Type R, Peugeot 308 GTi, and upcoming Renault Megane RS.
Like those cars, the i30 N uses a turbocharged four-cylinder engine (2.0-litres in this case) that generates 202kW and 378Nm of maximum torque on overboost, sending power through the front wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission or a dual-clutch automatic (to be introduced at a later date) and an electronic limited slip differential.
Given that this is Hyundai’s first real stab at the hot hatch segment, this sounds like there’s a significant amount of trust in the car’s robustness against both day to day hard use and stints at the local racetrack. Even without entering the i30 N into an official competitive event, there’s plenty of situations where we can imagine the car being pushed just as hard.
This confidence must stem from Hyundai N Division’s extensive testing regimen used to develop the final version, whereupon it underwent over 10,000km around the Nurburgring Nordschliefe as well as having competed twice in the ADAC 24-hour endurance race prior to its international launch.
Brakes are one of the most important elements in track driving. Seeing how the i30 N would likely see more than the usual amount of circuit driving, Hyundai have equipped with brakes that have been engineered to withstand plenty of punishment with extra cooling ducts through the front bumper air intake.
To this same end, the six-speed manual transmission has been outfitted with a heavier duty clutch, the lever itself has a short throw to make frequent shifts much less fatiguing, and the body can be made even rigid with a removable body stiffening brake that fits discreetly behind the rear seats.
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