Hyundai says that a mere two days after the reservation period opened, all 100 examples of the i30 N First Edition offered in Germany were sold.
The special “First Edition” version of the new hot hatch – which Hyundai has already admitted is aimed squarely at the Volkswagen Golf GTI – was offered in the German market only.
“The high interest in the First Edition confirms our confidence in the i30 N. Our first high-performance model under the N line-up has been developed from the ground up to deliver pure driving pleasure in an accessible high-performance package for the road and for the track,” said Albert Biermann, chief of Hyundai’s high-performance division.
“It enriches the Hyundai brand with emotional appeal. People will experience a contented grin when driving this performance car,” he added.
The First Edition models come standard with the Performance Pack and feature individual numbered plaques. The 100 buyers will also each receive a “fan pack” of some sort, along with an invitation to attend a “product workshop and racetrack training” at the famous Nordschleife, where they’ll meet Biermann. So, how much? Well, Hyundai lists an “introductory price” of €30 900 (which translates to a little over R480 000) on its German website.
The automaker says the letter “N” was chosen for its high-performance arm as it represents both Hyundai’s Namyang R&D centre in Korea and the Nürburgring, where the brand’s European testing centre is located. In addition, the automaker says the “N” logo symbolises a chicane.
Revealed in July, the Hyundai i30 N employs a 2,0-litre turbocharged engine worth up to 202 kW (with the Performance Package specified) and 353 N.m, with drive sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.
