Hyundai i30 N Line 2018 first drive

This is the new Hyundai i30 N Line. Think of it as a sort of mash-up of the South Korean manufacturer’s rather exciting i30 N hot hatchback and the not-so-exciting standard car that a member of the village bowls club might be inclined to buy.

It’s a formula we’re becoming increasingly familiar with in the car world. Take the name of nearly any manufacturer’s more hardcore performance division, slap 'line' on as a suffix and, voilà, you have a new model that looks fast, but isn’t really. Ford’s done it with its ST-Line models, Volkswagen’s got R-line and, at the other end of the spectrum, Mercedes has AMG Line. With N Line, Hyundai is vying for a slice of that same action.

So, these changes, then. Unsurprisingly, they’re pretty much all aesthetic. The front and rear bumpers ape those you’ll find on the i30 N, there are natty-looking 18in alloy wheels shod in 225/40 section Michelin Pilot PS4 rubber, a twin exhaust and, of course, plenty of N Line badging. In the cabin, you’ll find new sports seats, as well as an N Line gearlever and steering wheel.

As for the actual mechanics, there’s not a huge amount that’s new. At the nose sits the same 1.4-litre T-GDi petrol motor you’ll find in non-N Line i30 S, which sends its power to the front wheels via a six-speed manual 'box as standard, or a seven-speed DCT for those who don’t fancy swapping cogs themselves.

That engine develops 138bhp at 6000rpm, while its 179lb ft of torque is available from 1500rpm. MacPherson struts comprise the front suspension, while at the rear there’s a multi-link arrangement. The N Line model’s dampers have been firmed up, but Hyundai’s product man couldn’t specify an exact percentage. The brakes have been tweaked, too.

Well it isn’t that quick, and it’s nowhere near as exciting as its i30 N big brother, but there’s still a dynamically well-sorted hatchback on offer in the i30 N Line. The steering suffers from the same lack of feel as the vast majority of electronically assisted racks do, but it does at least weight up nicely as you wind on lock. It’s quick enough in its gearing and lends the car a nose that seems quite happy to go sniffing for an apex or two. Those new tyres feel plenty grippy enough, too.

The firmed-up dampers haven’t quelled a noticeable amount of lateral roll through bends, but you shouldn’t mistake ‘noticeable’ for ‘concerning’. The manner in which the Hyundai i30’s mass shifts around its longitudinal axis is entirely progressive and predictable; you can feel the outside tyres loading up as you turn in to a bend, before shifting back in a steady fashion as you turn the wheel in the opposite direction. Again, not particularly exciting, but tidy and well sorted nonetheless.