Finally, Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) has launched the Hyundai i30 N 5-door hot hatch here after previewing it late last year at the KL Motor Show. It has taken them a WHOLE year to finally offer it for sale. Unfortunately, or fortunately since it is finally on sale here, it will be offered for sale exclusively on Lazada Malaysia during its 12.12 Grand Year End Sale. Only 20 units of the i30 N will be available for pre-order from 2 December 2019, through Lazada’s Chup Dulu pre-order feature.
from left to right,
Datuk Aishah Ahmad, President of Malaysia Automotive Association (MAA), Mr Luca Suino, Director of Motors in Lazada, Mr Low Yuan Lung, Managing Director of Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors and Mr Andrew Basham, Managing Director of Sime Darby Motors Division
The i30 N is Hyundai’s first true high-performance car. This is even if you factor in those Hyundai Scoupe model, the i30 N may look like a tame hatchback with some warpaint, but the car had been developed to debut Hyundai's N division - their performance car division which has the aim to change the perception of Hyundai's vehicles and their driving dynamics.
The hot hatch is priced at RM298,888 (Peninsula Malaysia, excluding insurance) and it is fully imported from the Czech Republic. Yup, the car hails from Europe where Hyundai actually sells a lot of their i30. It is the main target market aside from the home market of Korea. If you look at the overall styling, the i30 does look very European in terms of design. The very clean lines that you wouldn't find out of place if it had a German car badge up front.
Note that HSDM has not offered the bread and butter i30 variants here. The smallest Hyundai car on sale here are the Elantra and Ioniq C segment cars. The i30 hatchback is also a C segment car and it is a shame that there isn't an entry level i30 for those that cannot afford the N variant but want to buy parts to make their i30 as close as the N variant. HSDM should have brought in the i30 rather than the IONIQ, while is a very, very good EEV C segment car, and affordable, it could have been part of the long term plan to make Hyundai a performance car brand in Malaysia. So now they should bring in the base i30 so that buyers can after that aspire for the N model.
Anyway, over in Europe, there are two variants for the i30 N - the 'base' N variant with 250PS & 353Nm torque and the N Performance variant that comes with 275PS and 353Nm torque. The good this is that Malaysia gets the higher powered and specced N Performance variant. So its all good even though we only get 20 units of the i30 N in total.
The N Performance variant gets 19-inch alloy wheels, Red Brake Caliper with N logo, Driver and Front Passenger Seat with Electric Adjustments, Faux Suede & Leather Seat Trim and the more powerful 275PS engine spec. The engine is a 2.0 T-GDI turbocharged engine. It powers the front-wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.
The i30 N is designed to be an everyday hot hatch suitable for commuting on weekdays, that doubles up as a high-performance racetrack machine on weekends. It was designed for the one car owner that wants a multi-tool type of car. There are five selectable drive modes to choose from - Eco, Normal, Sport, N and N Custom settings where the driver can switch the personality of the car with just a push of a button.
The N Grin (named as such as the hot hatch should give you smiles per miles if you drive it fast) control system changes the drive mode, adjusting the parameters of the engine, followed by the dampers; while activating the Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Electronic Limited Slip Differential (E-LSD), sound, steering and rev-matching. Additionally, the driver can select the rev-matching button on the steering wheel to increase the revs on the engine when shifting from a higher to a lower gear, while the car’s Launch Control helps to launch the car as quickly as possible by controlling engine torque.
The car is very Euro in terms of overall feel. The interior looks and feels European. It is even built in Europe as mentioned above. In fact, the exterior styling is so understated that it looks very generic European. Of course, if you have seen or read foreign reviews, they all say the car drives superbly.
Those who are collectors of really hot hatches should be interested in this in my opinion. The car was designed by a chap who designed many of BMW's M division cars. Hyundai put alot of their time and money into this hot hatch and while it does look very simple compared to other super hatches, it actually goes like one.
While the price hovers very close to RM300K, expect all 20 units to be taken up. There are actually collectors who are willing to pay for such a unique and rare car here in Malaysia. It could sit in a collection of hot hatches like the Golf R, Megane R.S and also the AMG A45.
So anyway, you can head over down below for the product specs after we tell you how you can go about buying this hot hatch via Lazada Chup Dulu.
Lazada's Chup Dulu enables shoppers to enjoy exclusive deals and unbeatable prices on selected items by paying a deposit via the Lazada app to reserve the items. From 2 to 11 December, shoppers can Chup their Hyundai i30 N by paying a 50% deposit on the booking fee of RM2,000 (RM1,000) via the Lazada app. Simply check-out and pay the balance of the booking fee (RM1,000) from 12 to 14 December to secure the booking. The deposit is non-refundable if the full booking fee payment is not completed.
Buyers will then be contacted by a Hyundai representative to proceed to purchase their vehicle at their preferred Hyundai showroom. The 20 shoppers who successfully complete payment of the full booking fee (RM2,000) and receive loan approval for their vehicle will be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Korea for an exclusive track day experience.
“We are offering the i30 N at a special price in conjunction with Lazada’s 12.12 Grand Year End Sale and we hope car enthusiasts will grab this opportunity to own the limited-edition unit which comes with serially numbered metal plates. It is the first time Malaysian car enthusiasts will have the opportunity to own the first of Hyundai’s famed high performance car lineup and we think it is fitting to make such an exceptional car available on a special platform,” said Mr Low Yuan Lung, Managing Director of HSDM.
“As the leading eCommerce platform in the country, Lazada Malaysia continues to be the trusted online marketplace for brands and sellers and is committed to delighting our customers by bringing them exclusive and unmatched first-to-market experiences. Consumers today have made eCommerce an essential part of their everyday lives, and therefore demand more out of our platform to serve their wants and needs. We are happy to offer our shoppers the chance to be the first in Malaysia to own the Hyundai i30 N,” said Leo Chow, Chief Executive Officer, Lazada Malaysia.
The 2019 Hyundai I30 N Performance Product Summary
The Hyundai i30 N was designed to make the driver feel absolute enjoyment while driving it. When the driver hits the throttle and shifts through the gears, the rev-matching function supports smooth gear shifting, while the over boost function increases torque (+8%) and acceleration (+6-7%). The feeling is enhanced by the car’s sound from the dual muffler exhaust featuring the variable exhaust valve system. The cockpit of the i30 N shows key performance parameters through the new instrument cluster and the 8-inch free-floating screen’s modes such as the G-Force meter for live tracking of performance.
The brakes have been developed to last with an extra cooling function through the air intakes on the front bumper. The ECS allows the driver to adjust the i30 N to best suit a race track’s requirements. The body’s high rigidity is increased by the rear stiffness bar behind the rear seats. The car features a strong clutch that is built to last, while the precise six-speed manual transmission has short travel to enhance fast shifting.
The i30 N’s maximum grip is guaranteed by the 19-inch Pirelli high-performance Hyundai N tyres. The rack-mounted motor-driven power steering is direct and offers high precision. The lowered body is rigid and in combination with the ECS, works to reduce roll and enhance cornering speed, enabling the driver to adjust the dampers from comfort-oriented daily commuting to high-performance track-driving.
The i30 N is aerodynamically designed to reduce lift to keep the body firmly on to the road when maximum traction is required. The E-LSD enhances grip and delivers maximum power on the road. For genuine enthusiasts, the ESC can be switched off completely for maximum freedom.
Class-leading Safety Features
The i30 N offers the latest active safety features such as the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) that operates in three stages using camera sensors. First, it warns the driver visually and audibly. In the second step, it controls the brakes according to the collision danger stage, and in the final stage applies maximum braking force to avoid a collision or to minimise damage if a collision is unavoidable.
With Driver Attention Alert (DAA), the i30 N features a driver protection system which monitors driving patterns to detect reckless or fatigued driving and to prevent potential accidents. The Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) senses the car’s position and alerts the driver about unsafe movements at speeds over 60 km/h. By audibly and visually warning the driver before inducing corrective steering, it guides the driver back to a safe position on the road.
The High Beam Assist (HBA) system on the other hand, detects both oncoming vehicles and vehicles in the same lane ahead at night and changes to low-beam lights as appropriate, thereby reducing blinding effects on other drivers. HBA automatically reactivates the high beams and therefore maximises the driver’s range of vision as soon as no vehicles are detected.
Exterior Design
The i30 N features a wider wheel arch with 19-inch wheels, displaying N logos. Compared to the standard five-door car, the i30 N is 8 mm lower with 19-inch wheels. The N signature can also be found on the striking red brake callipers and on the Cascading Grille at the front, boasting the model’s high-performance pedigree.
With only one colour available, which is Performance Blue, the exterior of the i30 N takes inspiration from Hyundai Motorsports WRC and TCR. At the front of the car, the i30 N exudes sportiness and purposeful appearance with headlamps that are accentuated with black bezels. The prominent Cascading Grille at the front of the car is enhanced by a crisp red insert which runs along the bottom of the front splitter, highlighting the emotional appearance and strong character of the car. At the rear, a highly distinctive triangular brake light is nestled in a new gloss black spoiler and wide dual exhaust tips that emphasise the eye catching look of the sports hatchback.
Horizontal LED daytime running lights sit on two air inlets on both sides of the car’s front bumper, which enhance brake cooling and aerodynamics. Behind the Cascading Grille, additional air curtains enhance air flow, reducing turbulence in the wheel arches and improving the engine cooling. The front splitter and rear wing spoiler have also been carefully crafted to create downforce and exceptional aerodynamic balance.
Interior Design
The interior is focused on connecting the driver with the car at every contact point. The exclusive ‘N’ steering wheel puts control of the i30 N’s driving performance features right at the driver’s fingertips. On the left side of the steering wheel, the driver may select three standard drive modes: Normal, Sport and Eco. On the right, they have the option of selecting the ‘chequered flag’ N-mode, or a custom setting visible on the navigation screen. The steering wheel and ball-type gear knob are both accentuated with unique Performance Blue colouring and incorporating the N logo.
The electronic instrument cluster is designed with enthusiastic drivers in mind. A shift timing indicator at the top of the cluster indicates when to change gears for optimal race track driving performance. The red zone of the variable LED rev counter changes according to driving performance and engine oil temperature. Both the rev counter and speedometer are distinctively designed and feature blue lighting tying them in with the N Performance feel of the cabin.
The i30 N features unique high-performance sports seats with sculpted lumbar support and extendable seat cushions to provide stability and comfort for the driver and front passenger. The seats are upholstered in a combination of faux suede and leather with the N logo stamped on the back rest.
The i30 N is entitled to a five-year or 300,000km (whichever comes first) warranty. It is available for viewing at Sime Darby Auto Hyundai Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur. For more information, interested parties can call Hyundai’s Customer Careline at 1-300-13-2000.
No comments:
Post a Comment