2021 Hyundai i30 N DCT revealed

First images of the upgraded 2021 Hyundai i30 N have emerged along with details confirming the high-performance hatch will be available with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The N DCT gearbox, complete with dedicated N performance shift modes, headlines a raft of changes in store for the Korean brand’s piping-hot 200kW-plus turbo hatch, including new lightweight forged 19-inch alloy wheels that save more than 14kg of unsprung mass.

A more aggressive edge to the design of the Hyundai i30 N is also apparent, with three dimly-lit images released today revealing a wider grille, redesigned front and rear bumpers, revised LED headlights with V-shaped daytime running lights, new tail-lights and larger twin exhaust outlets.

Other than news of the automatic, the interior changes remain under wraps for now but are certain to reflect the broader updates coming with the 2020 Hyundai i30 hatch due to launch in November.

These include a bigger 10.2-inch infotainment system, which factors in wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as the addition of a digital instrument cluster with 7.0-inch LCD screen.

The new Hyundai i30 N is expected to arrive in the first half of next year in N, Fastback N and all-new ‘Sedan N’ guise, the latter based on the new-generation Hyundai Elantra that will be branded as the i30 sedan in Australia.

Mainstream variants of the i30 sedan will launch alongside the hatch in November, and while the high-performance N version is still to be officially confirmed, the fast four-door is under development and should be revealed soon ahead of its arrival in Australia alongside the other N derivatives.

Also expect to see an upgrade of the i30 N’s 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, which currently produces 202kW of power and 378Nm of torque, but will push higher with the facelifted model.

A manual gearbox, currently a six-speed unit, should also remain available for the purists, but there’s no doubt that the DCT stands to significantly broaden the appeal of the front-drive i30 N – and potentially make it even quicker.

For the record, using launch control the current manual-stick hot hatch can hit 100km/h from standstill in 6.2 seconds.