In line with the i30 hatch, Hyundai has extended its N-Line trim to the recently-launched i30 Fastback, with i30 N-lite styling and a fettled chassis.
Pricing for the warmed-over Fastbacks begins at £20,495, so undercuts the full N models by a healthy margin, though naturally they don’t pack quite the same punch as the Korean brand’s hottest hatchbacks.
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As with the standard hatch, the N-Line is available with a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 138bhp, coming in at £21,760, and a 1-litre, 118bhp turbocharged triple which lends the Fastback N-Line its £20,495 starting price. 1.4 models sprint to 62mph in 9.2sec, while the 1-litre manages the figure in 11.5sec.
The 1.4 is also available with a dual-clutch transmission, which is an additional £1000 (and a 0-62mph penalty of three tenths compared to the manual), while an N-Line+ trim is also available with extra equipment. Only available with the 1.4 motor, pricing here comes in at £23,760 for the manual and a grand extra for the DCT.
Plenty of the i30 Fastback N’s aggressive styling has been carried across, sharing its front bumper, grille and darkened headlights. The tail has also been given a new treatment sharing the sportier-looking rear bumper and natty triangular fog light with the aforementioned i30 N.
Look closely at the details and you will notice that the Fastback does without some of the N’s more aggressive elements, though, namely the red pinstripes, black rear wing, dual exhaust pipes and its larger wheels, brakes and tyres.
Inside, the N’s sport seats, steering wheel (sans those blue drive mode buttons) and trim is all carried across, too, and although the handling set-up is nowhere near as focused as the N’s, Hyundai is adamant that some of the lessons learnt from the N have been passed across, usefully tightening up the body control and steering.
Standard N-Line kit includes the aforementioned visual tweaks and a suite of safety features, while N-Line+ models add heated faux-leather and suede sports seats with electric lumbar adjustment, dual-zone climate control, a heated wheel and LED headlamps, among other features. An 8-inch satnav system is optional, as are a wide range of colours aping the full N models.
> Click here for a full review of the Hyundai i30 Fastback N
