Is this the silliest car feature ever?

A review of Hyundai i30 Sedan N

I don’t do any research before I pick up a review car. It’s nice to have a first impression not tempered by other people’s opinions. But it does mean I’m occasionally taken by surprise.

After being handed the keys to the i30 Sedan N, I was given a quick tour of the interior and steering wheel by a helpful Hyundai employee. 

“If you press this button,” she said pointing to a blue square with a ‘N’ printed on it “It’ll feel sportier and you’ll get engine noise with more crackling sound.”

I nodded pretending that this was completely expected. Of course I knew what that button would do because I was a professional who researched these things.

I was also introduced to a big, red button labelled NGS.  

Push this, I was told, and you’d get the maximum power out of the engine for 20 seconds.

“Careful using that one when there are police around,” she said.

“Good call,” I chuckled knowingly. My licence with zero demerit points rolled its eyes.

I pulled out of Hyundai, and was driving for only a couple of moments before I decided to press the blue button. A flame animation wrapped around the speedo for a moment and the car felt a little more responsive.

This was not the boring city-bashing sedan I was expecting.

The car dash transition to N-mode

According to Hyundai when you’re in N mode the “engine response, steering, exhaust sound, rev-matching and the dampers of the electronically controlled suspension are at the most dynamic.”

You might have noticed they mention exhaust sound. Yes. The sound is customisable. This isn’t new to the motoring world, but it’s certainly the first car I’ve ever driven with this option.

Buried in the menus were several sounds profiles I could choose from: sports car, rally car, or TCR race car. I could also choose how loud the exhaust was.

I honestly think this is the silliest feature I’ve ever found in a car.

Sure, the i30 is a good performer, but it’s is as much a rally car as the Village People were cops and naval officers.

Frankly, I think it’s no less camp.

Grudgingly, though, I had to admit the car sounded pretty good.

While the i30 Sedan N has racer-boy vibes, it’s not skimping on the creature comforts.

I refuse, refuse to accept we’re making cars in 2023 without heated seats. It’s appalling. There wouldn’t be a chair in the world which couldn’t be electrically warmed if I was in charge. So imagine my pleasure, nay, thrill on discovering that not only were the seats heated, but they also had a cooling function too. A gentle icy breeze wherever you wished for it. Perfection.

I will say that for a car this sporty, I thought the seat position felt a little high. But, with so many drivers accustomed to lofty SUVs, this is an understandable design choice. The i30 is delightfully zippy and responsive both in and out of N mode with no discernable turbo lag. The suspension did feel a bit stiff, however, and wasn’t as buttery smooth as the Golf Life I’d driven earlier in the year.

You do have some control over the tuning, though. You can customise the car’s suspension and transmission in the menus and save it as a drive profile. To be honest, I didn’t feel an enormous amount of difference when I tinkered with the settings. However, my driving was limited to short stints on highways and weaving through city streets. If you were to flog this baby on a track day, you’d likely get a better feel for the different modes 

I’m not a race car driver, though. I’m an office worker. But that’s the joy of the i30 N: it lets you pretend without the expense, inconvenience or discomfort of an actual race car. Sure you might be driving to your boring job, but when the traffic lights go green you can press the big red button on the steering wheel like it’s launch control. For a moment you’re not office drone number 341, you’re Lewis Hamilton.

It’s make believe for adults. Yes it’s a bit silly, but it’s also fun.

And isn’t that what cars are supposed to be?

I take this baby back to Hyundai on Tuesday. What am I picking up next? Keep an eye on the Car Pit Instagram page to find out.

Have a wonderful week and I’ll see you next Monday.

Steph