What's all this about?

The Hyundai i30 N: possibly the best hot hatch on sale right now. Bold, eh? But we stand by it. Because it's awesome... except for one thing. The way it looks.

Don't you like it?

Oh, we do. Crikey, there are enough hot hatchbacks out there, of all shapes and sizes, to satisfy all aesthetic tastes, and it's not as if the i30 N is the only one that underplays its dynamic potential with (relatively) sedate styling. However, if you do happen to be of the opinion that the Korean pocket-rocket looks a bit, well... ordinary, then help is at hand. It's called N Option.

N Option? So you could have an i30 N N Option?

Indeed. But ignore that - this range of styling updates, for both the exterior and interior of the i30 N, was previewed at the Paris Motor Show and it's an utterly tremendous move by the Korean company. The tough-as-nails show car is supposed to preview 'a vision of possible future N accessories', but Hyundai then, for the avoidance of any doubt, goes on to say that N Option will launch as a range in the near future.

So what have we got on offer with N Option?

A total of 25 personalisation options for the Hyundai. The obvious ones outside are: that colossal rear wing, fashioned from carbon fibre and wearing the N emblem; the glorious 20-inch cast lightweight wheels, which wear semi-slick high-performance tyres; that ludicrous but brilliant bonnet, complete with a couple of ginormous air vents and - once again - made from carbon fibre; and quad exhaust tips. Albert Biermann, you naughty boy, you! Your former employers at BMW M will spot this, if they haven't already clocked the oil lights in the i30 N's rev counter that extinguish as the fluids get warm...

Ha! Anything else?

Yep, check out the red highlight around the front grille - a red pinstripe in a hot hatch grille, why hasn't anyone thought of this before...? Oh, hang on, wait a second... ahem. Anyway, there's a splitter, side skirts, a rear diffuser, an interior drenched in carbon fibre and Alcantara (most notably, on the steering wheel and those magnificent red-striped sports bucket seats) and little touches like sports pedals and a sportier-looking gearshift. Among more. Never mind all that, though, because we're now going to have a look at Hyundai UK's configurator, to see if we can work out how much an i30 N Performance Pack in the signature Performance Blue with the full gamut of N Option goodies will set us back...

Matt Robinson - 2 Oct 2018