Hyundai has turned up the heat in the hot hatch segment with its first dedicated performance car.

The South Korean car maker has revealed official details of its highly-anticipated i30 N, confirming the front-drive pocket rocket will be soldin Europe as two distinct models both of which generate more power than the Volkswagen Golf GTI it is benchmarked against.

Due to arrive in Australian showrooms in November, Hyundai Australia has yet to determine whether it will offer the standard i30 N alongside the upgraded Performance Pack variant that will set the tone for the brand's first attempt at a vehicle designed primarily for driving enthusiasts.

It has also not revealed where it will be positioned among its competitors in terms of price, but Hyundai has indicated it is aiming to at least match the basic Golf GTI's $41,490 (plus on-roads) sticker for the fully-loaded i30 N Performance Pack with the standard model coming in at around $37,500 if it decides to offer both.

As the first images showcase, the hot hatch wears a host of unique design elements to give it a more muscular appearance than the cooking-version i30 hatch models, including a more aggressive front bumper with large air intakes crowned by LED driving lights on each side and a front splitter with a signature red highlight that protrudes from the lower edge to improve downforce at speeds. The outer edges of the bumper have been hollowed to create 'air fences' that direct air into the wheel arches to reduce turbulence and improve brake cooling.

The rear-end also features a new bumper with a race-style diffuser with a twin-exhaust system and a unique rear wing mounted on top of the hatch with a triangular stop light.

Both models are powered by a 2.0-litre turbo charged four-cylinder engine that drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, which will be the only gearbox offered initially but it is known that Hyundai is working on a seven-speed dual-clutch unit.

In the standard version it pumps out 184kW at 6000rpm and 353Nm of torque between 1450-4000rpm and powers through a conventional front differential with the ability to sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.4 seconds. 

The Performance Pack increases the duration of maximum boost pressure to extend its maximum torque figure to 4700rpm, which improves its power to 202kW. It has an electro-mechanical limited slip diff and a shorter final drive ratio which contribute to lowering its 0-100km/h time to 6.1 seconds.

Apart from those extras, the Performance Pack also picks up a bi-modal exhaust system as well as more supportive front seats, higher-grade interior trim with leather and suede throughout the cabin and a larger 8.0-inch colour touch screen multi media system with Bluetooth, digital radio, sat nav, smartphone mirroring and specific N performance pages that allows the driver to customise the settings for individual parameters of the car as well as monitor the engine's outputs while on the fly.

Those behind the wheel can quickly toggle through multiple driving modes - Eco, Normal and Sport - using the paddle under the left-hand steering wheel spoke or instant access to the track-focused N mode on the other side. Drivers can also tailor the engine's responsiveness, the amount of clamping on the differential, the stiffness of the suspension, the weight of the steering, the amount of intervention from the electronic stability control and the degree of assistance offered from the rev-matching system within the transmission. Being a true driver's car, the ESC can be fully de-activated as can the rev-matching function with its own button on the steering wheel.

Both variants feature a totally unique MacPherson front strut and multi-link rear suspension set-up with adaptive dampers and an exclusive electric power steering system with the motor mounted directly to the rack for more precise feedback through the wheel. However, the standard car has 18-inch alloys wrapped in Michelin rubber where the Performance Pack has larger 19-inch alloys fitted with Pirelli P-Zero tyres developed exclusively for the i30 N.

The i30 N hatch will be the first in a range of high-performance products developed by a team led by former BMW M boss, Albert Biermann, with the sub-brand expected to develop go-fast versions of the upcoming Kona small SUV, the swoopier i30 Fastback and the next-generation Veloster coupe.

"With the high-performance N models we will enhance our brand's appeal with emotional products that cater to the needs of people who love to have a smile on their face when they drive their car on a winding road and listen to the sound of the engine," he said.

"That's why we measure high-performance in BPM, heart beats per minute instead of only RPM."

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