Review says new 2018 Hyundai i30 N is more than the sum of its parts

It’s apparently a really accomplished hot hatch, especially for a first attempt

Hyundai’s first model to bear the brand’s new N performance badge is the i30 hatchback (also called Elantra GT in the US). The automaker tested and honed the car around the Nurburgring and it seems to have paid off according to the first people who’ve reviewed the 2018 i30 N.

Carwow’s Mat Watson is genuinely bowled over by how good it is, going so far as to call it “more than the sum of its parts.” He praises its accurate steering, its manly yet precise gear shift, the good brakes (which are not Brembos or any other big name) and the car’s overall road behavior – it seems to be the kind of chuckable car all hot hatches should be like and that’s great news for fans of spirited driving.

The i30 N can be had in two flavors: 250 PS or 275 PS courtesy of a performance package, yet it is deemed noticeably slower than the new Civic Type R. It is just as fast as the current Golf GTI, though – the hottest version sprints to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds and both go on to an electronically pegged back top speed of 255 km/h.

EDIT: Added Carfection review