Automotive

The Hyundai i30 N Fastback Shows How Much Cooler Hyundai Is in Europe


Hyundai isn’t really known as a flashy performance brand in the U.S. quite yet, through it is working hard with the new performance Hyundai Veloster N. That Veloster is based on Europe’s Hyundai i30 N hatchback, and now it’s in Fastback form.

The i30 Fastback will get the same 247 and 272 horsepower trims as the hatchback, both using a tuned version of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder. It’s also 115 mm, or about 4.5 inches longer behind the rear axle than the hatchback and features a bubble butt design that reminds me just a bit of the first-gen Porsche Panamera from the side.


Of course, the regular i30 Fastback has been on sale for awhile and I never had that thought before, but I still like it.

Performance should be just about identical to the hatchback, and both it and the new fastback get a new softer suspension setup and tweaked chassis tuning. Hyundai claims the i30 N Fastback will get from zero to 62 mph in 6.4 seconds for the 247 HP model, or 6.1 for the more powerful car.

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It also keeps the hatch’s Pirelli P Zero tires and limited slip diff, 19-inch wheels, and while you can still get Hyundai’s cool pale blue paint job on the bodywork, the interior trimmings have gone from pale blue to red, which is a bit of a shame if it’s not still an option.

Either way, I feel like watching Hyundai’s development of N Performance models over in Europe is like watching a delicious meal being prepared, and since both the Hatchback and now the Fastback are promising, and we’ve already enjoyed the Veloster N hatch, I can’t way to see what they serve up to us.


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