Hyundai i30N hot hatch on sale in January from £24,995

Hyundai will open UK order books for its Hyundai i30N hot hatch on 4 January, with prices starting from £24,995 for the entry-level car.

The first model to be developed by its new N performance arm will be available in two levels, with the base model producing 247bhp. A faster Performance model has 271bhp and, as such, commands £27,995.

Revealed alongside the i30 Fastback during the summer, the upcoming Ford Focus ST rival has been developed with a hard focus on performance. It has undergone a lengthy testing period, including more than 6000 miles of running on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, under the guidance of Hyundai’s high-performance boss and former BMW M division executive Albert Biermann.

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“The i30N has been developed for no other purpose than to deliver maximum driving fun to our customers in an accessible, high-performance package,” said Biermann. “With the high-performance N models, we will enhance our brand’s appeal with emotional products that cater to the needs of people who love to have a smile on their face when they drive their car.”

First drive: Hyundai i30N prototype

The i30N features several design changes to the five-door i30, with a cascading grille and new aerodynamic features at both its front and rear. There are wider intakes and a rear diffuser, with the latter helping to reduce lift at speed. It sits 4mm lower than the regular car and gets twin-exit exhausts at the back, along with 18in or optional 19in alloy wheels, which sit ahead of N-labelled brake calipers to signify the car’s performance.

The base-level i30N comes with a 2.0-litre T-GDI turbocharged four-cylinder unit that drives the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. The car produces 247bhp at 6000rpm and 260lb ft of torque at 1450-4500rpm in standard form, enabling a 0-62mph time of 6.4sec. But an optional performance pack edges maximum power output up to 271bhp, helping to trim the 62mph sprint time to 6.1sec, making the i30N comfortably Hyundai’s quickest model.

It also ensures that the i30N outpunches the Focus ST and the Volkswagen Golf GTI in even in its most basic state of tune, placing the new Korean car at the sharp end of the hot hatch segment. Hyundai has long asserted that its first N car will be capable of withstanding long periods of hard driving on circuit. It uses an electronic stability control system that can be completely switched off and cars with the performance package get electronic limited-slip differential technology.

The car has five drive modes - Eco, Normal, Sport, Sport N and N Custom - that can be selected via two buttons on the steering wheel. Cycling through the modes adjusts the car’s damping harshness, engine responses and exhaust volume. The N Custom mode enables drivers to opt for opposing settings for each, such as allowing the car to run with the softest ride but harshest drivetrain mode. The car also features a rev-matching system that can blip the throttle when the driver clicks down through the gears, as well as a launch control mode.