The Hyundai i30 Fastback N will be unveiled at the Paris motor show on 2nd October, doubling the Korean brand’s performance line.
The coupe-look Fastback will be identical mechanically to the i30 N, Hyundai’s first hot hatch that was very positively received, including by The Car Expert, when it was launched in 2017.
It uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, which in the hatch version has been sold in standard 250hp form and as an N Performance model with 275hp. However, in the UK only the higher-power Fastback will only be offered, Hyundai reacting to the vast majority of i30 N hatch buyers choosing the N Performance model.
Maximum torque figures are 353Nm, increasing to 378Nm using an overboost function. Five driving modes are included under the ‘Grin Control System’ – selected by buttons on the steering wheel, they range through Eco, Normal, Sport, N and N Custom.
The 275hp Fastback will go from 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds, the same time as the hatch despite being very slightly heavier. Top speed remains an electronically limited 155mph, while Hyundai quotes 39.8mpg fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 169g/km.
At the front, the Fastback replicates the hatch with the same grille and front bumper, while it gets its own rear bumper with a dual twin muffler exhaust. An arched rear spoiler is also built into the car’s tailgate.
Hyundai expects the Fastback to appeal to a slightly different buyer to the hatch – it will be slightly more practical, its boot offering 450 litres of space compared to the 395 of the hatch.
Pricing and final specification for the i30 N Fastback are yet to be revealed – they are likely to be slightly more than the hatch, which costs £28,010 in N Performance form.