What's the news?
It has long been known that putting certain letters after a car's name means stiffer suspension and more speed. The past and present are littered with examples - GTI, RS, M, Type-R, etc. The letter to denote a hot Hyundai is 'N' and the company has announced that a new model will soon be joining its N range alongside the excellent i30 N and Veloster N (the latter sadly absent from the European market).
Five-door coupes are rare enough in this area of the market, so a sporty version of the i30 Fastback will be more niche still. By way of reminder, the N refers to two things - Namyang, a place in Korea where Hyundai has a prototype centre, but also, you guessed it, Nürburgring where the Fastback is currently being tested. It's not just getting thrown around the track and released into the wild though - testing is ongoing on the demanding Eifel Mountain roads near the 'Ring, as well as at locations around Europe in order to iron out all the kinks prior to the car's official unveiling later this year.
Anything else?
There's obviously no word yet on pricing or specifications, but we expect that the Fastback's setup will be something along the lines of the regular i30 N, which is no bad thing. That's probably going to mean the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder T-GDI petrol engine putting out 275hp, as well as all the differential, suspension and aerodynamic trickery for going around corners at a fair old clip. If it really is as exciting as the regular i30 N, Hyundai is bound to have another winner on its hands.