Spending the day in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney shooting the brilliant Hyundai i30 N for The Redline.
The i30 N is Hyundai’s answer to the ever-popular Volkswagen Golf GTI and is, in my humble opinion as a former half-baked motoring journalist, better.
I actually want to buy this car.
It looks brilliant, goes like lightning, handles with all the agility you want for a hot hatch. And the kicker? It starts at $40,000.

Sadly, this one wasn’t Hyundai’s hero “Performance Blue” colour .(sidebar: my first car – a mid-80s Toyota Corolla that used to be my grandmother’s – had exactly the same colour paint. It did not have performance). Because car companies are a bit dull, it’s white.
It’s a nice white, but still white.

The inside is clean, nicely set out, although it doesn’t perhaps feel as premium as some buyers might want. But it gets the job done. For smartphone people (which is really all of us these days) there’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you don’t have to deal with the built-in system. That’s also a welcome addition.
Check out more in the gallery below, and don’t forget to give The Redline a look. Every click helps.
The i30 N is aimed squarely at the likes of Volkswagen’s ever-popular Golf GTI. (Image: Matthew Hatton/The Redline) The 4-cylinder turbocharged engine is perfect for the i30 N. (Image: Matthew Hatton/The Redline) Who doesn’t like red brake callipers? (Image: Matthew Hatton/The Redline) This button lift the i30 N to a whole new level. (Image: Matthew Hatton/The Redline)