The Hyundai i30N is a great ‘seat of the pants’ hot hatch
thighs mid-corner. The deep engine note with the five-pot soundsymposed warble is monotonous and makes it harder to drive by ear and sounds unrewarding to rev. The steering is hefty yet ultra-pointy, the brake pedal is hard and yet the throttle pedal feels as if it has very light springing to it. Needs customisable drive modes.” Hardly a ringing endorsement.
It’s fair to say that it’s initially underwhelming, in this company at least. Yet the more time spent with the Focus, the more enjoyable it becomes. The abundance of low-end torque makes it a joy to drive around town. It never feels tempted to stall as a result, unlike the finicky i30N. The pedal set-up that initially feels so weird allows you to trail brake into the apex and then gently angle your right foot onto the throttle, easing out of the middle pedal and onto the gas all in one roll of the ankle. It gives the Focus the most beautiful balance on corner exit, helped by the grip offered by its lightning quick clutch-actuated Borg-Warner developed e-LSD. This can lock to a 50:50 ratio of torque split across the front axle and do so predictively, making it faster in real-world scenarios than a traditional reactive helical mechanically locking differential. Doing everyday stuff like punting the Focus ST out of junctions, point and squirting it between turns and jinking it through roundabouts paints a huge grin on your face.
The Focus’ stability control calibration makes the Honda’s set-up feel a generation behind and the value of investing in the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyre pays back in spades, wet or dry. The damping is well-judged but one aspect of flicking the car into its Sport or Race Track modes is that the steering, which has a faster ratio than a Ferrari 488GTB, can feel a little contrived in its weighting. Yes, the ST has some flaws, but its playful personality, sensible ergonomics and accessible skillset might make it the most endearing of the three to live with.
But it’s not the best. That’s something that the Honda and Hyundai get to duke out. In terms of pure dynamic talent, the Honda wins. It addresses the fundamentals of go, stop and steer more effectively and if a hot hatch can nail that brief, it’s always going to be extremely hard to beat. For purists, there’s no argument here. The Type R is uncompromising and, in certain regards, an absolute.
Broaden the discussion and take into consideration which is the best buy and the Hyundai sidles to the fore. It’s huge fun to drive, but it can also dial back the aggression when you want it to and it’s this versatility of character that make it such a formidable talent. When asked which of the three cars they’d buy with their own money, every single one of the road test trio pointed at the Hyundai.
In truth, all three cars here are brilliant hot hatches. The Focus ST is a grower that channels muscle car character and fun-factor into a front-drive hot hatch. The Civic Type R is the destroyer, the car that will dismember the most challenging road you know. The cheapest, slowest car of the trio is the decathlete, the multitalented one that offers the longest-lasting payoff. The Hyundai i30N occupied the top step of the podium back in 2018 and two years later it’s still there.