We sample the i30 Fastback N
If the Hyundai i30 N is a hot hatch tearaway, the i30 Fastback N is its more studious sibling. It’s a little more sophisticated, and concerned with style as much as performance, although its engineers insist it’s still fun to drive.
We drove a pre-production i30 Fastback N prototype in Performance spec at the Nürburgring. The most obvious aesthetic difference between this model, due to be launched at the Paris motor show in October, and the i30 N hatch is clearly the roofline, but there will be a handful of other styling changes.
The i30 Fastback N weighs slightly more than the hatch, although the powertrains are unchanged. The 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine is available in two states of tune, producing 247bhp or 271bhp. The only gearbox option is a six-speed manual. The Performance derivative gets the more potent engine, a limited-slip differential, 19in wheels, bigger brakes, Pirelli P Zero tyres and an exhaust that can be configured for different levels of ferocity.
What is clear from our lap of the Nordschleife is that by pursuing slightly more compliant and refined dynamic traits, Hyundai’s engineers have not made the i30 Fastback N dull or lifeless to drive. It isn’t any less thrilling than the hatch.
Much like the hatchback, the i30 Fastback N is easy to drive at 90% of its potential, but to get near the absolute limit would take time and familiarity. That gives the car appeal across the board, from beginners to the more experienced enthusiasts and racetrack wizards alike.
The tyres generate lots of grip, bleeding into moderate understeer at the limit. Even then, there’s enough adjustability in the chassis that the whole driving experience on track isn’t entirely one-dimensional. You can tell by the pedal weights, and how well they match up with the throw of the gearshift and the steering response, that Hyundai’s engineers have lavished care and attention on the important details. This is no half-baked effort.
Like its sibling, the i30 Fastback N offers several driving modes. The firmest suspension setting is a little too unyielding for a bumpy track such as the Nürburgring. The car feels tough and sometimes harsh in that damper setting, but body control still isn’t completely iron-fisted. That is what mostly distinguishes the i30 Fastback N from the hatchback on a circuit, albeit by only a slender margin.
The medium steering setting is well judged, and communicates a good idea of how hard you’re working the front tyres, while the rate of steering response is entirely intuitive. The limited-slip diff is effective without making the front end nervous.
The i30 Fastback N feels slightly more compliant than the hatchback and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect it to be better suited to the UK’S bumpy, potholed roads. That could make the Fastback N the quick i30 of choice.