The Hyundai i30 N is the car that said Hyundai was ready to be taken seriously in the performance space. Not content with building good-value mainstream cars, the Koreans brought in Albert Biermann from BMW's M division and told him to build something worth talking about.
Amelia tests it on Australian roads and finds it rewards proper engagement. The exhaust is theatrical rather than just loud, the steering communicates what the front tyres are doing, and the chassis manages to feel playful without punishing the driver for buying a practical five-door. The back seat is still usable and the boot still takes shopping: the hot hatch formula, intact.
The i30 N is the car to test before you assume you have to buy a Golf GTI. It is sharper than many expected, better to look at than the segment average, and priced to create genuine competition. Amelia is convinced.
The full review is on the CarTell.tv YouTube channel above.
