The Hyundai i30 Hatch N had been expected to ride off into the sunset. Not so, according to a “well-placed source” who spoke to British publication Autocar.
Instead, Hyundai has reportedly started work on a “new version” of the i30 N, which will feature combustion power and not an electric powertrain.
It’s expected to be hybridised, much like the next-generation i20 N, with Autocar speculating it could employ an uprated version of an existing electrified powertrain or even a new petrol engine entirely.
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Hyundai recently confirmed it was testing a new engine for performance cars, described as high-revving and high-performance and intended for mass production. It was previewed, mounted midship, in a Veloster mule.
Autocar reports this new i30 N could be based on an upcoming facelift for the i30 Hatch, which has already been spied testing, pointing at a late 2026 or early 2027 launch.
That suggests Hyundai could be looking to stretch out even further the lifespan of its current-generation i30 Hatch, which was launched in 2017, even as it plans a similarly sized Ioniq 3 electric vehicle (EV) – previewed by this year’s Concept Three – for markets like Europe.
This move would also make shoehorning a new engine into the ageing i30 less likely.
The regular i30 Hatch (and related liftback and wagon versions) remains on sale in Europe but the N was axed there in 2024. That’s the inverse of Australia, where this year Hyundai confirmed it would axe the ‘regular’ i30 Hatch but retain the N.
In its 2030 product roadmap announced this year, Hyundai confirmed it was expanding the N division lineup to seven models including its first hybrid offering, in addition to its current petrol and electric models.
The N division currently offers hotter petrol models in thei20 N hatch, i30 Hatch N and i30 Sedan N – with hybrid power mooted by previous N boss Albert Biermann in 2024 for the i30 Sedan N.