Hyundai i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition revealed
Hyundai has added some bespoke styling touches to our favourite hot hatch
The Hyundai i30 N is currently our pick of the hot hatchback bunch, so any new variant or special edition is always welcome and this new Drive-N Limited Edition is no exception. Available exclusively in hatchback form with the dual-clutch transmission, Hyundai will build 800 units in total with 75 committed to the UK market.
No mechanical changes have been made to the i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition, but that’s no bad thing as the standard car is already a comprehensively brilliant hot hatchback combining a 273bhp turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a bespoke wet eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential. Instead, the changes will be specific to the styling and interior, with a spread of bespoke colour and trim elements that give the Drive-N a different aesthetic to the standard car.
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Key changes outside include the application of matt bronze detailing on the forged 19-inch wheels and some subtle decals applied along the sills, front wing and front and rear bumpers. The red pinstripes remain, matching the standard red-painted brake calipers. The i30 N Drive-N will be only be available in two colours – Phantom Black and Serenity White – making this the first full-house N product not available in the hero Performance Blue colour.
Inside, things have been given a more substantial update, with Hyundai re-trimming lots of the i30 N’s interior touchpoints in Alcantara, while also incorporating bespoke trim and colour components. This includes the deletion of all Performance Blue elements inside, replacing the steering wheel-mounted drive mode buttons, all interior stitching and floor mat detailing with red elements.
Components like the centre console lid, steering wheel, gear shift lever and handbrake lever are now wrapped in the aforementioned Alcantara, the latter usually a rough injection moulded plastic handle that normally feels like the sole oversight in the standard i30 N’s interior. The now standard-fit lightweight bucket seats (usually a £600 option) have also been given an update, with red and gold elements stitched into the Alcantara inserts, while the accent stitching and seat belts are also now red.
Hyundai UK has not so far announced pricing for the i30 N Drive-N Limited Edition, but we’d expect a subtle lift over the base car’s £37,255 price when as fitted with the optional lightweight seats.
