HEART STARTERS

T Hyundai's first genuine hot hatch lines up against two heavyweights of the game

he hot hatch formula seems simple enough: fit a powerful engine to a small car. However, getting the ingredients to work well together — the suspension, brakes and steering — is still a black art.

Volkswagen’s GTI has been the benchmark hot hatch for years, while Ford has a history of great hot hatches, including the Focus ST. Hyundai, on the other hand, has taken decades to produce its first real hot hatch, the i30N. Time to see if the wait was worth it.

All three cars are priced just $1000 apart, proving there is plenty of bang for your buck in the low $40,000 bracket. Starting at $43,000 drive-away this generation Focus ST was introduced in 2012 and was updated in 2015. A new model is due in the next two years.

It has a throaty 2.0-litre turbo engine with loads of character and plenty of oomph, a sixspeed manual gearbox, sticky tyres, big brakes and Recaro sports seats.

Inside, most mod cons are covered: a digital speed display, a large touchscreen with built-in navigation, Apple Car Play, Android Auto, dual zone air-conditioning and a sensor key with push-button start.

It also has the cheapest routine service costs over three years, using the national average distance travelled of 15,000km as a guide. However the Focus ST pulls up short on safety.

Six airbags, tyre pressure monitors and a rear camera are standard but auto emergency braking (standard on the other two) is bundled with lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert for $2000.

On the road the ST’s suspension is taut — even on seemingly smooth roads — but it’s not bone-jarring. The steering is well weighted, the grip from the Goodyear F1 tyres is superb and the brakes have a precise feel.

However, in tight turns you can feel the steering wheel start to wriggle as the front tyres scramble over bumps, despite Ford’s electronic “torque steer compensation” working in the background in lieu of a mechanical limited-slip differential.

The gearshift action feels smooth and direct although the clutch was a bit grumpy on our test car, possibly due to a hard life as an evaluation vehicle.

The ST is still a highly capable vehicle that delights the senses with its gutsy sound, ample grip and plenty of go. As with the others, Hyundai has shoehorned a turbo 2.0-litre under the bonnet — the most powerful among this trio — and paired it to a six-speed manual driving the front wheels.

Inside, the i30N’s origins are immediately apparent. Aside from the chunky steering wheel with blue buttons that switch driving modes, and front seats with bigger side bolsters, this looks like the $20,000 version, not $44,000 worth.