2018 Hyundai i30 N (Client: The Redline)

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.

White hatchback driving down a country road, away from the camera, rear of car showing brake lights on. — The engine emits all manner of exciting pops and crackles. (Image: Matthew Hatton/The Redline)

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.

Wide angle shot of a cars dashboard. Media screen in the middle, steering wheel on the right. — Some might complain about the amount of plastic in the cabin, but it doesn’t matter. (Image: Matthew Hatton/The Redline)

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.