Hyundai i30 N Winter Testing in Sweden
The Hyundai i30 N – Hyundai’s hot hatch i30 – on video winter testing in Sweden ahead of a late 2017 launch as a rival for the Focus ST and Golf GTi.
We’re not entirely sure what we have here can be called a spy video of the new Hyundai i30 N, because it came straight from Hyundai as they work to build awareness and excitement for their first proper hot hatch.
But to be fair to Hyundai, if delivering camouflaged photos and videos of upcoming cars as ‘official’ spy fodder is good enough for Rolls Royce, it’s certainly good enough for Hyundai.
What we get, apart from the ‘spy’ photo of the i30 N (above) is a video too with the i30 N being driven by Thierry Neuville in Arjeplog, Sweden, as Hyundai tune the i30 N’s handling and dynamics in the world’s favourite winter playground for cars.
Neuville is behind the wheel to give feedback to Hyundai’s engineers as they work to properly fettle the ESC, limited slip diff, steering, shocks, suspension and tyres ahead of the i30 N’s launch.
Thierry Neuville said:
So many people have been looking forward to this car, so it’s a pleasure for me to be testing it.
The engineers have done a great job on the gearbox and the differential. There is good traction and good stability in the slippery testing conditions. And it’s very easy to handle. A normal driver should get a sensation similar to that of a racing car.
Aimed at cars like the Ford Focus ST and VW Golf GTi, the Hyundai i30 N is expected to debut at the Paris Motor Show in the autumn and will come, at least initially, with around 250bhp, front-wheel drive and a price tag probably just the right side of £30k.
But we could see the i30 N grow to take on more serious competition like the Focus RS and Golf R complete with 4WD and over 300bhp in time.
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