Hyundai i30 N DCT Prototype 2021 Review

A host of potential Hyundai i30 N owners have patiently waited three years for this day. You could say purists have been dreading it.

They needn’t. Hyundai says the arrival of a long-awaited dual-clutch automatic version of the i30 N does not consign the existing manual to history. If anything, it may prolong it.

According to officials, the forthcoming eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission fitted to the hot hatch from the first half of 2021 will drive up to 75 per cent of future i30 N sales, thereby shoring up the model’s long-term potential.

And unlike Volkswagen and Peugeot, Hyundai wants to continue with a three-pedal option well into the future.

“Where possible, we would continue to like to offer buyers the choice of a manual transmission for purists or the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission,” Hyundai’s product planner Howard Lam told carsales.

So with that settled, this is the new Hyundai i30 N DCT in prototype form. Let’s get to it.

A new transmission choice isn’t the only headline act for the 2021 Hyundai i30 N hatch and i30 N Fastback.

Coming to Australia in the first half of 2021 – potentially as early as April – the facelifted 2021 Hyundai i30 N twins boast a beefed-up version of the current 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that climbs to 206kW (+4kW) and 392Nm (+39Nm).

Other headline upgrades for the faster, more powerful front-wheel drive Hyundai i30 N hatch and Fastback include lighter wheels to reduce unsprung weight, suspension tweaks to improve agility, and bigger, more powerful brakes.

Visual changes are designated via a more aggressive front bumper, new grille design, tweaked LED headlights and tail-lights (the latter with an LED signature), a new 19-inch alloy wheel design and bulbous exhaust outlets.

The i30 N Fastback, which currently accounts for about a third of total i30 N sales, sticks with the current rear-end design.

The cabin will feature a larger 10.25-inch colour touch-screen display (up from 8.0-inch) and a new optional N Light Sport Monoform seat package offering more support and less weight.

New semi-autonomous driving systems include upgraded autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, a lane following assist system, blind spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross traffic alert and active avoidance systems.

Prices are expected to rise from the current $41,400 (plus on-road costs) starting point for the six-speed manual i30 N hatch – the Fastback starts at $42,910 – while the new eight-speed dual-clutch auto is certain to attract a premium over the manual.

The i30 N is backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty as well as servicing plans which cost $897 for three years or $1595 for five years, based on 12-month/15,000km intervals.

Hyundai says the added firepower for the i30 N spawns from a larger turbocharger and intercooler, as well as engine mapping tweaks.

Not only have the changes eked a further 4kW and 39Nm from the turbo-four (to 206kW and 392Nm), those figures are spread across a more useable range. Peak power now arrives at 5200rpm (down from 6000rpm) and peak torque of 392Nm at 1950-4600rpm (up from 1750-4200rpm).

The six-speed manual version is believed to have an identical 0-100km/h time as before of 6.1 seconds, while Hyundai says the dual-clutch automatic is two-tenths faster to triple figures, at 5.9sec.

That’s despite the automatic tipping the scales at about 60kg heavier than the 1520kg manual.

A less powerful 184kW version of the i30 N will be available overseas, but Australia is sticking with the full-fat i30 N Performance version as it’s known.

The new N-DCT is a ‘wet’ dual-clutch set-up that uses oil to cool the clutch components, creating less friction and allowing a higher amount of torque to be transferred through the gearbox, according to Hyundai.

The driver can shift gears manually via the gear lever or paddle shifters on the steering wheel, and choose between three modes: N Grin Shift (NGS) increases torque from 353Nm to 392Nm via overboost and maximises transmission response for 20 seconds; N Power Shift (NPS) provides torque fill when 90 per cent or more throttle is requested; and N Track Sense Shift (NTS) is said to deliver shift timing akin to “a professional race car driver to provide optimal performance”.

Hyundai’s go-fast N division has introduced new 19-inch forged alloy wheels replacing the current cast alloy rims, reducing the i30 N’s mass by 14.4kg.

Pirelli P Zero tyres will continue to be standard-fit footwear and the adjustable electronically-controlled mechanical LSD returns for active duty as well.

Hyundai says it has retuned both the suspension and steering, “resulting in improved ride and handling performance for both transmission types”, but has not yet provided details.

It has also improved the braking performance of the 2021 Hyundai i30 N via bigger front discs that now measure 360mm in diameter (+15mm).

Our first hit-out in the new self-shifting Hyundai i30 N comes in the form of half a dozen laps in an early prototype at Goulburn’s Wakefield Park.

We’re told the one-off is an original development car used by Hyundai engineers internationally and has logged thousands of kilometres in its journey to this point – so take parts of the dynamic appraisal with a pinch of salt.

For that reason, we’re holding judgement on an official review ‘score’.

First things first. The dual-clutch automatic is smooth in its operation and well integrated into the N’s sporty premise. Pulling out of Wakefield’s pitlane, there’s no binding or hesitation, and the auto gently slurs through its eight ratios with equal parts smoothness and expediency.

The gearbox is also happy to make use of the engine’s additional torque, resisting the urge to hunt for gears except for instances where the throttle is buried to the firewall.

We flick the i30 N’s drive select mode to N Mode, whereupon the engine and gearbox take on added sound and purpose. In this setting, the changes feel faster, and the gearbox is more eager to keep the 2.0-litre at its sweet spot. Good start.

Under full-noise acceleration, the gearbox does a superb job shifting between ratios, offering excellent torque fill between upshifts so as to almost surge into the next cog.

There’s a tasteful blat between changes and, as with the manual, enough noise on the overrun to wake your neighbours the next street over…

Left to its own devices, the eight-speed kicks down gears as required, or willingly adheres to our commands via the paddle shifts without reverting to its own course.

At highway speeds, the gearbox spins the engine at a miserly 1500rpm, which bodes well for the car’s everyday amenity.

Getting to the real matter at hand: is the DCT faster than the corresponding manual? We hate to admit it, but on circuit, yes.

Without the added complexity of a third pedal or the fact our test cars are both left-hand drive, the i30 N DCT is a cinch to lap around Wakefield. Simply brake, point and squirt: it’s a less engaging experience, no doubt, but a streamlined one for daily driving.

Irrespective of transmission choice, there’s tangibly more mid-corner gumption on display for 2021 courtesy of those latest underbody tweaks, while the engine’s added firepower is welcome out of corners.

Fitted with the automatic transmission, the circa 1590kg Fastback-shaped prototype feels its weight during changes in direction and is noticeably more portly than an equivalent manual hatch.

However, as before, the i30 N auto feels stable at speeds or under heavy straight-line braking, and its electronically-controlled mechanical LSD doles out power superbly via the Hyundai-specific Pirelli P Zero rubber.

Even withstanding Hyundai’s purportedly more playful focus, the i30 N chassis lacks the neutrality and outright antics of Ford’s tail-happy Focus ST. There’s a bit more lateral leeway than before, but more importantly, the same rock-solid mid-corner poise.

Our only dynamic complaint stems from the i30 N’s larger brakes, which suffer a lengthening pedal action by the end of our short track stint.

However, with thousands of kilometres’ worth of testing, we reckon this is more an issue with the prototype rather than a broader issue with the brakes. We have tracked multiple i30 N’s and haven’t encountered brake fade before.

A handful of laps in a prototype is hardly the definitive impression, but there’s more than enough evidence here to say the new Hyundai i30 N DCT will be a welcome addition to the car-maker’s N stable.

Purists will argue the additional 60kg kerb weight and lessened driver interaction take away from the car. We tend to agree.

With that said, the auto’s most favourable appraisal will materialise on the road, where aspiring owners will finally be able to whet their i30 N appetite without shifting gears for themselves.

How did we ever make it this far…?

How much does the 2021 Hyundai i30 N DCT cost?
Price: $45,000 plus on-road costs (estimated)
Available: April 2021 (estimated)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder
Output: 206kW/392Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 8.0L/100km (estimated)
CO2: 186g/km (estimated)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)