Hyundai Australia will add another member to its N Performance range before Christmas, with the i30 Sedan N – or Elantra N in other parts of the world – due to arrive in “early December”.
Tim Rodgers, product development manager at Hyundai Australia, indicated first customer deliveries should begin in the early stages of December, with full pricing and specification details to be released in the coming weeks.
Further, Mr Rodgers noted the i30 Sedan N buyer is likely a bit different to buyers of the i30 Hatch N.
“I think fundamentally in that segment, sedan and hatch buyers are quite different. We spec the car a little bit differently because of that,” he said.
“Some customers are much more style focused, and want that really edgy modern design the sedan offers. And, some of the more pure hardcore performance-focused customers might gravitate towards i30 Sedan N as well, it’s got a few really interesting performance parts on it.”
“We’ll likely see pricing for that car in the next couple of weeks, if not sooner, and first customers should be getting into them in early December at this stage,” Mr Rodgers added.
The i30 Sedan N is said to be the quickest of the small-segment N family – which includes the i30 Hatch N, limited-run i30 Fastback N and the Kona N – likely down to its newer, lighter K3 platform and more aerodynamic body.
Like its siblings, the 2022 Hyundai i30 Sedan N is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 206kW of power and 392Nm of torque, with an overboost function upping power to 213kW over short periods.
Hyundai said at the vehicle’s reveal that the turbocharger’s turbine is 5mm larger than the i30 Hatch N, while the turbine passage is 2.5mm larger, allowing for earlier delivery of peak power at 5500rpm – 600rpm earlier than its siblings.
Further, the drive shaft, wheel hub, and wheel bearing are integrated into one unit to save 1.7kg, while the new air intake is lighter but offers 10 per cent more “suction”.
Drive is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual or eight-speed dual-clutch automatic (wet type), though it’s unclear whether both options will make it to Australia at this stage.
When fitted with the DCT, the i30 Sedan N is claimed to hit 100km/h from rest in just 5.3 seconds, a 0.2-second improvement on the latest i30 Hatch N and Kona N.
Other performance gear includes an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential on the front axle, adaptive damping, and an N Grin Shift mode which enables 20 seconds of overboost and sharpens up gearshifts for extra, well, grin factor.
There’s also N Power Shift, which automatically kicks in when the throttle is depressed beyond 90 per cent. It’s designed to minimise torque reduction on flat-out upshifts, essentially slamming them home harder and faster than in normal driving.
Rolling stock comes courtesy of 19-inch wheels shod in 245mm-wide Michelin Pilot Sport 4S performance tyres, with stopping power coming from 360mm front brake discs.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for a full i30 Sedan N price and specs breakdown when Hyundai releases those details in the coming weeks.
MORE: Everything Hyundai i30
