Hyundai had previously teased a performance concept to be unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, and here it is, the RN30, which is rumoured to preview an even quicker version of the i30 called the N Plus that will go up against the top hatches of today such as the Focus RS and Civic Type R.
Clearly the production version will ditch the various requisite outlandish ‘concept’ bodywork we have a feeling extended rear wing might just survive the transition. The RN30 Concept was developed by Hyundai’s N performance division along with Hyundai Motorsport and their European Technical Centre.
The result is quite impressive, an aerodynamic but purposeful and aggressive combination that looks to be able to deliver a level of performance and dynamic tenacity that we’ve not yet seen from the Korean marque. It’s a touring car mega hatch.
Despite having the wheelbase and rough footprint of a normal family five-door, the RN30 augments this with a lowered body that’s gone through some serious widening and panels that are far more sculpted than the regular car. It sits 84mm lower and has gained 30mm in breadth, to be exact.
Up front we have the basic fascia as the all-new i30, the ‘cascading’ grille present but shaped to match the lowered stance and flanked by a more feline set of headlamps. Its wheels are a set of special lightweight 19-inch units that, once the tyres are fitted, sit nearly flush with the RN30’s extended arches, cementing that racy no-nonsense intent.
Cooling vents and sills are everywhere too, and the rear diffuser is large enough to warrant a spot on a Le Mans racer. It’s twin exhausts exist at a sharp angle in the middle of that rear aero, too, which is a novel cue that we hope also makes it to production.
The RN30’s powertrain, though, isn’t as immediately menacing as the body, hiding a 2.0-litre four-cylinder under its moulded bonnet. However, this motor has been turbocharged to produce 280kW and 451Nm. Power is sent to all four wheels this time via a dual-clutch transmission.
Perhaps as a further indication that Hyundai is thinking deeply about the production version this RN30 will go on to inspire, it does not incorporate the kind of materials one would immediately associate with exotic metal. Carbon fibre, magnesium, titanium are missing from key areas of the construction. Hyundai, instead, decided to incorporate sophisticated recyclable plastics in order to keep both the weight and price at a minimal.
As you’d expect of a car that looks like this, the RN30’s interior contains virtually nothing but the essentials needed for the driver to engage with the machine on a race track. Very little soundproofing or creature comforts and as many bits moved lower in the cabin to keep that centre of gravity low.
Hyundai has a lot to prove with their fledgling N Performance division, especially since they’ve hyped it up so much since the inception. Having said that, the RN30 is another signifier that the ambitious Korean firm is up to the task of putting a proper worry into the established hot hatches of today.
The imminent i30N will be their first proper attempt to woo customers into the fold with the promise of performance as an alternative to cars like the Ford Focus ST and Peugeot 308 GTI, but i30N Plus is intended conquer the highest echelons of performance hatches.
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