Ford Focus ST v Hyundai i30 N 2020 Comparison

Right now, Aussie hot hatch buyers are spoilt for choice – or so it would seem.

But we’d argue the traditional hot hatch is a little thin on the ground. And getting more so. Indeed, look a little closer and you’ll find more than a few brands have pulled the plug on the traditional three-pedal, stick-shift front-drive hot hatch, instead opting for fast-shifting dual-clutch gearboxes and clever all-wheel-drive systems.

One of our favourite manual hot hatches, the Peugeot 308 GTi is no more, while the grand-daddy of them all, the Volkswagen Golf GTI, is no longer available with a manual gearbox. Audi’s, BMW’s and Mercedes-AMG’s hotties are all AWD.

Thus we’re left with only a few options: the Renault Megane, the crowd-favourite (but so far manual-only) Hyundai i30 N and the segment’s most recent arrival, the Ford Focus ST.

In this comparison, we’re putting the latter two front-drive manual hot hatches up against each other, on the road and the racetrack, to settle the score.

The award-winning 2020 Hyundai i30 N was updated just last year and sports a revised suspension tune aimed at making it more liveable every day.

Meanwhile, the all-new 2020 Ford Focus ST borrows mechanicals from its AWD Focus RS predecessor, and is available with an automatic or manual gearbox.

The Hyundai is currently only offered with a six-speed manual transmission, while we patiently wait for the Korean car maker’s long-promised “really special” eight-speed dual-clutch auto to arrive.

As they stand on the dealership floor, the 2020 Ford Focus ST is the more expensive of the pair, priced from $44,690 before on-road costs. The 2020 Hyundai i30 N costs $41,400 (plus ORCs).

However, both of our test cars are optioned up.

Our Ford Focus ST totalled $47,840 (plus ORCs) thanks to its optional Orange Fury paint ($650) and a panoramic sunroof ($2500), while the Hyundai i30N tested here is fitted with a $3000 Luxury Pack, bringing its final price up to $44,400 (plus ORCs).

The i30 N’s Luxury Pack includes wireless phone charging, a luggage net in the boot, heated steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, power-folding mirrors, push-button start and plush leather/suede seats with electric adjustment and memory function for the driver. It also comes with manually-adjustable under-thigh support on the driver’s seat – a bonus for long-limbed folk.

You don’t pay extra for creature comforts in the Ford Focus ST, which makes it feel better value-for-money.

Equipment such as sporty Recaro seats with heating and electric adjustments are standard, as are keyless entry with push-button start and wireless phone charging. The ST also comes with an electric park brake, which is a little weird in a manual hot hatch. No more handbrake turns!

Both our front-drive hot hatches come with 19-inch alloy wheels, three child seat tether points, automatic up/down windows all round and LED headlights, tail-lights and daytime running lights (DRLs). Automatic high-beams are fitted to the Ford, while the Hyundai gets a cornering light function.

In terms of rear seat accommodation, neither really stands out as a better option.

The Focus offers plenty of leg room, but our test car’s sunroof takes away a fair chunk of head room, which even modestly tall passengers will notice. The sunroof blind is also made of a thin mesh – nice and airy, but probably not ideal when summer rolls around.

Neither five-door hatch here offers rear air-vents, but the Focus does come with a rear 12-volt socket (the i30 gets an extra socket in the boot). Both cars offer map pockets and rear door compartments (slightly larger in the i30), as well as fold-down centre armrests with two cup-holders.

Gloveboxes are similar in size, and all-round storage doesn’t differ too much between the pair.

Both come with a space saver spare tyre and decent amount of boot space too – the Focus ST holds 373 litres while the i30 N manages 381 litres.

The 2020 Ford Focus ST and 2020 Hyundai i30 N come standard with the kind of safety and driver assist technologies you’d expect.

Features such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, emergency brake assist, traffic jam assist, forward collision warning, reversing camera and sensors, and hill launch assist are standard on both cars.

Handy extras found in each include speed sign recognition and front parking sensors in the Ford and driver attention warning (DAW) in the Hyundai. The i30 N also gets a total of seven airbags – one up on the Focus ST (courtesy of the Korean car’s driver’s knee airbag).

That said, both come with a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.

The Hyundai offers better frontward vision – especially for shorter people or those that like to sit low. We found the Ford’s combination of higher side mirrors and bulky A-pillars encroach on some sight lines.

The 2020 Ford Focus ST and 2020 Hyundai i30 N have even more in common beneath the surface.

Both employ an electronically-controlled mechanical limited-slip differential (LSD) to distribute power to each front wheel; both come with adaptive suspension and both have very comparable power outputs.

The Ford Focus ST is quicker and more powerful – noticeably so in its straight-line speed.

The Blue Oval hatch boasts 206kW of power and 420Nm of torque (4kW/67Nm up on the i30 N), and therefore it sports a quicker (claimed) 0-100km/h sprint of just 5.7sec compared to the Hyundai’s 6.1, but the standing-start acceleration of both cars feels similar.

Each also comes with an auto rev-matching feature, eliminating the need to perform the ol’ heel-and-toe (devastating), while making you look like a superstar in the process (excellent).

Another handy feature on both cars is an anti-stall function, making take-off and low-speed manoeuvring easier.

Both cars come with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and while Hyundai actively promotes its i30 N warranty as covering circuit use, the standard factory warranty from both car-makers covers faults or defects (not damage or wear) that occur on the road or racetrack provided the vehicle is not modified or raced.

However, service pricing differs. The Hyundai needs to be serviced every 12 months/10,000km and costs $897 for every three years and $1595 five years. The Ford costs a little more to maintain, at $1185 for the first three years and $2040 for five years, with service intervals of 12 months/15,000km.

For the penny pinchers, the Hyundai uses a teeny bit less fuel (according to its claimed combined cycle) at 8.0L/100km, compared to Ford’s 8.1L/100km.

As for which is faster on track, we took to the Pheasantwood Circuit in Marulan (NSW) to give them a proper test.

Behind the wheel, there isn’t a great deal to separate the 2020 Ford Focus ST and 2020 Hyundai i30 N. Each of these cars deliver the latest technology and a low, involving seating position.

The Ford is the louder of the two on coarse-chip surfaces. It’s also potentially a little harsher to live with every day, with minimal driver tuning available: Normal, Slippery, Sport and Race Track.

While there is a noticeable change in damping performance over bumps and potholes between Normal and Sport, the Ford Focus ST could do with another setting – like Comfort, perhaps.

On the other hand, the Hyundai i30 N comes with an overwhelming amount of configurable settings, from steering feel to exhaust note. It also gets a racy N computer display that shows lap times, g-force and power/torque/turbocharger boost gauges.

Ford says the Focus ST’s new LSD has been engineered to provide superior performance and improve traction, cornering and stability. That said, the Ford isn’t as willing to put its power down, with some fairly solid torque steer present under heavy acceleration.

Kudos that it feels really playful on circuit, however. It oversteers in and out of corners when provoked, with a looser rear-end when you push it. At first, the ST feels wild, if not a little unpredictable, but it builds confidence the more you drive it.

The Hyundai i30 N, in contrast, feels more mature and balanced. There’s still some torque steer present, but not to the same extent, allowing you to get the power down more confidently.

The gear shift in the i30 N feels better, with a tighter shift and shorter throw, while the Focus ST’s feels more rubbery, with a longer shift action.

The Hyundai also feels more stable around long, sweeping corners, where it hunkers down and holds on tight all the way through, while the Focus ST is more like a snappy terrier – more nimble and better suited to fast changes of direction.

That’s not to say the i30 N doesn’t respond to changes of direction well, but the Focus ST seems to have an added layer of agility to it and lets you get away with more.

You’ve gotta drive the Hyundai with more care and finesse to get the most from of it.

Having said that, both feel right at home on a circuit, with minimal brake fade after numerous laps and the standard fitment of sticky rubber – the Ford wears Michelin Pilot Sport tyres that are quieter and feel grippier than the Hyundai’s Pirelli P Zeros.

As for which hot hatch gets around Pheasantwood Circuit quicker? Well, that title belongs to the Hyundai i30 N, officially lapping the track almost a full second faster than the Ford Focus ST, with a time of 1:02.29 compared to 1:03.14.

Overall, the i30 N feels more analogue and mechanical, while the Focus ST’s driving feel comes across as more artificial. This will suit different drivers for different reasons.

Choosing which of these two is the better pocket rocket is difficult. Both make great points for themselves, each with a slightly different take on the traditional manual front-drive hot hatch formula.

Ford’s brand-new Focus ST is a playful, engaging and even a refreshingly loose-feeling hot hatch. The Hyundai i30 N offers a little more subtlety, composure, refinement and maturity but is still quicker point to point, which is why it’s our pick for the best all-rounder in this comparison.

The Hyundai’s turbo punch, outstanding dynamics and solid long-term ownership prospects make it the winner here.

How much does the 2020 Ford Focus ST cost?
Price: $44,690 (plus on-road costs), $47,840 (as-tested)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 206kW/420Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 8.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 188g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)

How much does the 2020 Hyundai i30 N cost?
Price: $41,400 (plus on-road costs), $44,400 (as-tested)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 202kW/353Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 8.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 186g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)