New Hyundai i30 Fastback N 2019: price, details and release date

The all-new 2019 Hyundai i30 Fastback N goes on sale in the UK on 21 January, costing from £29,995. The car made its public debut at the Paris Motor Show, and is a product of the South Korean manufacturer’s performance-orientated ‘N’ brand. It’ll go up against the Honda Civic Type R and Renault Megane R.S., although its closest rival in bodystyle terms is the slightly less powerful Skoda Octavia vRS. Official prices reveal it costs a few thousand just £500 more than the equivalent hatchback i30 N.

Hyundai i30 Fastback N styling, engines and performance

Hyundai claims that the i30 Fastback N is the first five-door performance coupe in its class, offering a more ‘elegant’ and ‘sophisticated’ take on the standard Hyundai i30 N hatchback. Much of that car’s styling is carried across to the new model, including its sporty bumpers, 18 or 19-inch wheels, dual exhaust pipes and triangular rear foglight. The biggest changes come at the rear, where the i30 Fastback N brings a sloping boot lid and subtle rear spoiler.

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Inside, there's a new N sports steering wheel with red stitching and a chequered flag button that puts the car straight into the N driving mode. A button on the left of the wheel cycles through Normal, Sport and Eco settings. There's also red stitching around the gear lever, while red accents adorn the air vents. Customers can also specify red highlights for the seats, which are available with cloth or suede and leather upholstery.

It’s business as usual under the bonnet, where the Hyundai i30 Fastback N is fitted with the same 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that comes as standard with 272bhp, managing the 0-62mph sprint in just 6.1 seconds. A six-speed manual is the only gearbox on offer.

Fuel economy is rated at 36.2mpg, while CO2 emissions of 178g/km will place the i30 Fastback N in the 36% Benefit-in-Kind band for company-car drivers.

In the UK, every i30 Fastback N gets the uprated hardware found in the i30 N Performance model, which along with more power brings 19-inch alloys with Pirelli P-Zero tyres, a limited-slip differential, adaptive suspension and a sports exhaust. This specification also opens up the largest range of configuration options for the car’s drivetrain, suspension and exhaust using the central infotainment screen – much like the Hyundai i30 N hatchback.

Hyundai i30 Fastback N: prototype driving impressions

The Korean manufacturer has been testing prototype version of the i30 Fastback N at the Nurburgring in Germany – a popular destination for the development of upcoming performance production cars. Hyundai has its own technical centre at the racetrack; the prototypes are tested both on the Nurburgring and on the surrounding public roads.

Recently, Carbuyer was given the opportunity to drive the Hyundai i30 Fastback N in disguised prototype form at the famous German racing circuit. Over the course of two laps, we were able to get a feel for what a production version might be like when it arrives.

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At speed on the Nurburgring, the i30 Fastback N feels considerably faster than the Skoda Octavia vRS, although not quite as punchy as its Honda Civic Type R and Renault Megane R.S. rivals. Hyundai has set the Fastback up to be slightly softer and more compliant than the hatchback i30 N, but this doesn’t seem to have changed the car’s focus significantly. The car’s N mode is still overly stiff, but in Sport mode it remains just as fluid and capable in Fastback guise as in hatchback form.

We’ll have to wait until closer to the Hyundai i30 Fastback N’s release date to see how it fares on UK roads, but early signs are good.