Every time you see a car with a ‘performance’ moniker – ST, GT, Performance, S, for example – followed by the world ‘Line’, you can be sure that the manufacturer responsible is cashing in on motorists’ desires to drive something that looks more sporty than it is.
Enter the new Hyundai i30 N Line. It’s attempting to build on the success of the brilliant i30 N hot hatchback by offering a slightly less hardcore package under the skin but with all the visual drama of its full-fat sibling.
Visual updates are extensive and unique to the N Line. New front and rear bumpers feature, giving the car a more purposeful look, and are accented with a silver paint line. Around the rear, there’s a dual-tip exhaust arrangement, while there are N Line badges on the front wings to mark it out.
Get a first look at the new Hyundai #i30 N Line https://t.co/3jWisYHHSx. pic.twitter.com/hRVY88raDF
— Hyundai Motor UK (@Hyundai_UK) July 19, 2018
Eighteen-inch alloy wheels hide some genuine mechanical changes, too – namely, a set of 16-inch front brakes over the 15-inch ones you get on the standard car, as well as high-performance Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres. The suspension has also been uprated to, in Hyundai’s words, ‘add extra spice to the i30 five-door’.
The interior’s been treated to a makeover, too. There are N-branded sports seats finished in grippy suede to help keep passengers in place during spirited cornering, plus a perforated leather steering wheel and N-specific gearknob.
Hyundai hasn’t revealed pricing details for the new i30 N Line but you can expect it to sit at or near the top of the standard car’s range – although naturally it will undercut the full-fat i30 N hot hatchback. Order books will open in the coming weeks.
