Hyundai India’s Auto Expo 2020 display is going to be a big one. Not only will the brand showcase the next-gen Creta and announce prices for the Tucson facelift, its stall will also have the i30 N Fastback on display.
The Hyundai i30 N was the first model to roll out of the Korean company’s N performance sub-brand. The i30 N Fastback and other models followed soon after. Underlining the more focused sub-brand’s intention, the hot-hatch and the coupe are both based on the i30 hatchback (sold in international markets) but come with a number of modifications – cosmetic and mechanical – that justify the N badge. The Fastback is mechanically identical to the hot-hatch but comes with a raked coupe-like roofline, which begets its name. The design has seen drag co-efficient reduce from 0.32Cd to 0.297Cd and overall length increase by about 120mm longer compared to the hatchback.
Under the bonnet of the i30 N Fastback sits a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces 275hp and 378Nm of peak torque (353Nm without the overboost function). An electronically limited slip differential (E-LSD), five drive modes – Eco, Normal, Sport, Sport N and N Custom – a rev-matching function and launch control are all standard fit.
Everything from the brakes to the suspension and tyres are a significant upgrade over the standard i30 and the exteriors, interiors and equipment levels mirror this sporty ethos. Reinforcing the hot-hatch’s “hot” status is the fact that it underwent a lengthy testing period, including more than 9,600km of running on the dreaded Nürburgring Nordschleife.
