Exclusive: Hyundai to resurrect petrol-powered i30 N

Sporty model to return again with a petrol engine, potentially with a hybrid boost

Hyundai is preparing to resurrect the petrol-powered i30 N hot hatch, filling the gap left by the recent demise of the Ford Focus ST and Honda Civic Type R, a well-placed source has told Autocar.
The original i30 N was launched in 2017 as the first model from Hyundai’s N performance brand. A close rival to the Volkswagen Golf GTI, it was based on the third-generation i30 but was a highly bespoke proposition under the skin. It featured a stiffer chassis and an electronic limited-slip differential, for example, while its 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder was tuned to produce up to 276bhp.
The Korean firm axed its flagship hot hatch along with the smaller i20 N in 2024 as part of a move to reposition the N brand “as a pioneer of high-performance EVs” as it began its push to phase out combustion cars in Europe ahead of the 2035 cut-off. Today, Hyundai’s N line-up consists of the Ioniq 5 N hatch and Ioniq 6 N