Hyundai i30 N Fastback review: Hot coupe trumps hatch version

This unlikely hot hatch hero took the world by storm last year, and the last variant spawned from the original takes it to a whole new level.

A slick silhouette and clever fettling under the skin of the Hyundai i30 Fastback N make a very good thing handle, steer and stop just that much better. It’s a new body style to join the i30 N hatch, our 2018 Car of the Year, which also gets the Fastback’s chassis upgrades. The pukka performance machines share the 2.0-litre turbo engine and six-speed manual.

The Fastback’s coupe body make it more aerodynamic and slightly more balanced.

Value

At $41,990, the Fastback costs $1500 more than the hatch. Its distinctive, well proportioned coupe body is longer and lower, yielding aerodynamic efficiency gains and fractionally more rearward weight.

There’s a cute “Fastback” badge on the back, in a typeface that looks strikingly similar to Porsche’s. A coincidence? Of course …

The N signifies that it’s loaded with premium performance tech, including a variable flow exhaust, electronically controlled adaptive suspension dampers, multilink rear suspension, electromechanical limited-slip differential, launch control, 19-inch alloy wheels and Pirelli P-Zero tyres.

Hyundai designed the N to work on the road and on the track, so the 2019 engineering updates extend its capabilities in both environments.

Slightly softer front suspension sharpens initial turn-in and improves ride comfort and mid-corner traction under power.

A 2019 suspension tune has made the i30N more comfortable to drive in the city.

The recalibrated rear set-up gives the car what Hyundai calls “greater playfulness”. That’s code for: “We’ve made it easier to flick the car into a tail-out/nose-in attitude, and adjust it mid-corner when you’re caning it.”

Hyundai claims there are no less than 1944 combinations of engine responsiveness/rev-matching/suspension/steering/differential/stability control settings, selectable via touchscreen menus and the N Custom button on the wheel. For everyday driving, there are Eco, Normal, Sport and N drive modes.

Comfort

Given that the N is a hot hatch, not a limo, we had no issues at last year’s launch with its firm ride. The softer front suspension tune for 2019 makes the Fastback a more comfortable, refined car, especially around town.

Tyre roar is excessive at highway speeds — a shame, because the Fastback is an otherwise enjoyable long-distance drive.

The i30N isn’t the fastest small performance car but it is one of the most well rounded.

As with the hatch, the cabin could be styled up a little more to differentiate it from the shopping trolley i30. As it is, you get a few discreet N logos, blue stitching, dark rooflining, alloy pedals and fat-rimmed BMW M-style steering wheel.

Sequential gearshift lights on the instrument panel tell you when it’s time to change up.

The standard sports seats lack proper support when you’re about to overtake on the outside at Turn Three — so it’s worth ticking the $3000 Luxury Pack, with heavily bolstered, heated and power adjustable Recaro-lookalike front seats, trimmed in suede and leather.

The i30’s footwell is shallow but there’s plenty of seat travel and wheel adjustment, so most drivers can get comfortable. As in the hatch, rear legroom is tight; all of the Fastback’s extra space is in the boot.

The cabin is the N’s weak link.

Safety

At this price, the basic i30 driver assist tech spec — autonomous emergency braking and lane keep assist — is not good enough.

Driving

You’ll find any excuse to drive it. Each time you do, you’ll learn more about its capabilities, which are up there with the sharpest hot hatches — Renault Megane RS, VW Golf R and Honda Civic Type R.

Engineered by Albert Biermann, previously in charge of BMW’s M division, the Fastback has the same, fully cohesive performance machine feel as the go-fast BMWs that inspired it.

Hyundai’s 2.0-litre turbo delivers over a broad, muscular, responsive midrange — there’s no screaming top end — and its claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.1 seconds is average rather than winning.

A little looser than the best Euro manuals, Hyundai’s gearbox nevertheless has a positive, easy action. Rev-matching works well, too, if the heel-and-toe technique proves difficult.

The more responsive front end means the Fastback turns in quickly and accurately, still with a tight, flat attitude but with less of the nose-heavy character of the 2018 hatch.

At pace on a tight, winding road (or track), it requires less effort at the wheel and is an easier, more finely nuanced car to drive.

Heart says

The i30N hatchback looks too much like the base model Mum drives but the Fastback shape is much classier.

Head says

I’m looking at the candidates at the pointy end of the hot hatch class. The Hyundai costs $3000 less than the Megane RS, $10,000 less than the Civic Type R and $13,000 less than the Golf R.

Verdict 4/5

The Fastback body gives the i30 N a much more stylish silhouette than the ho-hum hatch but underneath it’s the same 2018 COTY-winning performance package at a bargain price.

Alternatives

Honda Civic Type R, from $51,990

Pricey but if you can live with the boy racer styling it’s a smile-on-your-dial drive, with the most agile, responsive handing in the class. Rev-happy 228kW 2.0-litre turbo/six-speed manual. Not as fast as it looks, taking 6.2 seconds for 0-100km/h.

VW Golf R, from $54,990

Pole position, at least as far as straight-line performance is concerned, with 213kW
2.0-litre turbo/seven-speed twin clutch/all-wheel drive, launching from rest to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds. Luxe equipment list helps justify the premium price.

Hyundai i30 Fastback

Price: $41,990

Warranty/servicing: 5 years; $1595 for 5 years

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo, 202kW/353Nm

Safety: 5 stars, 7 airbags, AEB, lane keep assist, tyre pressure monitoring

Thirst: 8.0L/100km

Spare: Space-saver

Boot: 436L