Hyundai’s i30 Fastback N delivers 275bhp family-friendly hot-hatch thrills
It’s like having two cars in one: Family cruiser with heated seats and heated steering wheel, and a boisterous bomber, all for under £30k
ACCORDING to a poll, the age at which we should stop wearing jeans is 53.
Really?
I’d go much lower and say 18 for stonewashed or ripped jeans and any grown-up in skinny jeans and a beanie hat should be shot.
But it got me thinking: At what age should we stop driving hot hatches with whale-tail spoilers?
Thirty-five? Forty? We are supposed to be responsible adults by then, right?
Well, there is a way around it.
You can still have the thrills and a six-second 0 to 60 in an ordinary but extraordinary Hyundai.
Namely the i30 Fastback N. It has the same trick kit as the i30 N Performance hatch transplanted into an understated four-door coupe.
That means 275hp, launch control, six-speed manual, rev matching on the downshifts, beefy brakes and a limited slip diff for mega front-end grip. But you don’t look a tool like Uncle Dave in his Honda Civic Type R.
Another thing that pleases me is the five drive modes: Eco, Normal, Sport, N and Custom. Not only are they noticeably different but you can alter the throttle response, steering weight, suspension and exhaust note independently of each other.
So you can take the kids to school with forgiving suspension — and more crackles and pops than a bowl of Rice Krispies. Tighten everything up at a track day and you can hoon around like Ken Block.
It’s like having two cars in one: Family cruiser with heated seats and heated steering wheel, and a boisterous bomber, all for under £30k. Other observations. Likes. The way it corners. Manual handbrake. The N signature triangular fog lamp on the diffuser.
Note. It’s a brake light on the spoiler of the i30 N hatch but this car doesn’t have a spoiler, does it? No. Because it’s a Fastback, remember. Red detailing in the cabin, much nicer than the bland hatch. And the Fastback is only £500 more.
Dislikes. The driver’s seat is too high and the view out of the rear window is restricted.
I’ll finish by sharing a little secret. Hyundai is deadly serious about its N division and will unleash the Tucson N-Line shortly, followed by an all-singing i20 N in 2020 and a Kona N in 2021.
They’ll be for people still young enough for jeans.
KEY FACTS: HYUNDAI i30 FASTBACK N
Price: £29,995
Engine: 2-litre turbo petrol
Power: 275hp, 353Nm
0-62mph: 6.1 secs
Top speed: 155mph
Economy: 34mpg
CO2: 188g/km
Out: January 21
- Thanks to Dukeries Motor Club for letting us join its track day at Blyton, Lincs.
Jezza's Grand return
REMINDER. Set your alarm for 00:01 tonight to stream the first episode of the new series of The Grand Tour.
Huzzah.
Jezza, May and Hammond are back with 14 weekly episodes of their blockbuster car show on Amazon Prime.
And as these exclusive pictures show: It is business as usual.
Three middle-aged men c**k-arsing about, driving supercars, belittling each other, blowing things up, and carving a penis-shaped race track in the ice.
Jezza said: “It’s been one hell of a year. Not even Tom Cruise travels further on his impossible missions.” Here’s my guide to TGT3:
Episode one. Muscle cars in Detroit. The boys turn a derelict car factory into a race track to test the Ford Mustang RTR, Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and Hennessey Exorcist Camaro. Jezza said: “It’s one of the best films we’ve done in years. And one of the most enjoyable to make. I loved all those cars.”
He also drives the McLaren Senna at Donington.
Episodes two and three. Colombia special. Jezza (Jeep Wrangler), Hammond (Chevrolet Silverado pick-up) and May (Fiat Panda 4x4) have a stab at wildlife photography from their cars.
Episode four. As the trio try to decide upon the best pick-up (VW Amarok, Ford Ranger, Mercedes X-Class), some idiot blows up a helicopter. Jezza asks: “What is the budget for our show?” May: “Smaller than it was.” Hammond: “Yeah. Not big enough.” Jezza also tests the Jaguar XE Project 8.
Episode five. Jezza heads to Sweden to race a Lamborghini Urus against a Porsche 911 Turbo on that penis-shaped race track. May tests the Alpine A110. Clue. He loved it so much, he bought one. Hammond profiles Jim Clark.
Episode six. After Hammond escaped the burning wreckage of the all-electric Rimac One in series two, he’s the obvious choice to drive the world’s fastest electric car, the 1,341hp NIO EP9. He survived. He was at Tuesday’s launch party. The trio also test executive limos (Mercedes S600, BMW 750iL, Cadillac STS) in China. But Jezza admits: “I’d love to say that we came back with a gem of a film. But the truth is it’s a turd. We’ve polished it, of course, but it’s still a turd.”
Episode seven. Road trip around Scotland in three cut-price classics. Jezza (Alfa Romeo GTV6), Hammond (Fiat X1/9) and May (Lancia Gamma Coupe). Jezza’s seen riding a bicycle at one point so I’m guessing it doesn’t end well. Also, Jezza on the BMW M5 and same-but-different Alpina B5.
I’ll share more secrets about episodes 8-14 later.
SATNAV songs, week three: Take Me Home, Country Roads (John Denver); You Spin Me Round (Dead Or Alive); I’ll Take You There (Staple Singers); Stop (Spice Girls). Tweet me at and I’ll print the best.
THEY'RE HOFF
FORD is to supply the RNLI with 450 vehicles, including 100 Ranger pick-ups for lifeguard beach patrols. It warms the heart. But where’s The Hoff or Pammii? They’d have made Page 3.
MOST READ IN MOTORS
RANDOM fact. Gritter teams have stockpiled 1.4million tonnes of salt for the big freeze – enough to fill Wembley to the rafters. Stay safe out there.
MINI'S BIG BIRTHDAY
MINI turns 60 this year – so this special edition really is special. It’s a fully-loaded Cooper S beautifully finished in British Racing Green with black roof, spot lights, bonnet stripes and 60 Years badging inside and out.
On sale March, priced £29,990 and limited to 500 cars. The first BMC Mini cost £537 in 1959. Birthday celebrations will be topped by the first all-electric Mini this summer. Mini happy returns.