Hyundai SA working to keep i30 N hot hatch alive locally

It’s not over yet! While the i30 N has indeed been axed in Europe, Hyundai Automotive South Africa says it’s working to keep the hot hatch on sale locally…

Reports suggesting the Hyundai i30 N has been discontinued in South Africa may turn out to be a mite premature. Yes, Hyundai Automotive South Africa has confirmed to Cars.co.za that it’s working to keep the hot hatch on sale locally.

Towards the end of February 2024, Hyundai Motor Europe released a statement confirming that production of both the i20 N (which isn’t offered here in SA) and i30 N for Europe had ceased, explaining that the N division would instead turn its attention – on that continent, at least – to high-performance electric vehicles (EVs).

However, the company’s Australian division soon thereafter told CarExpert that its market is “not affected by the recent European market announcement” (with the publication furthermore suggesting another facelift is on the cards). So, we asked Hyundai Automotive SA whether the i30 N would likewise continue to be offered here in South Africa.

Though Hyundai Automotive SA told us its bid to keep the i30 N alive in Mzansi is “not yet a definite yes”, it confirmed it’s currently following the process required to keep importing the Czech-built hot hatch. Of course, time will tell whether its efforts prove successful.

There’s certainly something to be said for having a high-performance model in the line-up, even if the i30 N is by no means a volume driver for the South Korean automaker’s local division. In 2023, for instance, Hyundai registered 60 units of the i30 N in South Africa, followed by 6 units in January 2024 and 7 examples in February 2024.

As a reminder, the i30 N launched in South Africa in February 2020, with its turbocharged 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder engine sending 202 kW and 353 Nm to the front axle via a 6-speed manual gearbox. Hyundai’s local distributor then switched to a refreshed version in April 2022, ditching the pre-facelift model’s manual cog-swapper in favour of an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The updated i30 N’s motor delivers improved outputs of 206 kW and 392 Nm through the aforementioned dual-clutch cog-swapper, facilitating a claimed 0-100 kph time of 5.4 seconds. Topping out at 250 kph, Hyundai’s hot hatch is currently priced at R848 900 (March 2024).

Interestingly, in September 2023, Hyundai Automotive SA confirmed to Cars.co.za that production of the closely related Kona N had ended, though added there was “more than enough stock” in Mzansi – considering this flagship derivative’s “niche” standing – to satisfy local demand for some time. At the time of writing, the Kona N was also still listed on the company’s local website.