It is about the time the exhaust kicks in that you suddenly realise this isn’t your average Hyundai.

It’s not so much the deep bass that accompanies every nudge of the accelerator (though that’s quite something, too), but the sharp cracks and bangs that erupt every time you back off the throttle, filling the cabin with these rapid-fire explosions so loud it’s like someone’s throwing cherry bombs into the backseat.

Of all the surprises on offer today, that exhaust is the one that really shocks. It’s all so aggressive. And so angry. And more than a little bit obnoxious. In short, it’s absolutely bloody fantastic.

The standard N will ride on 18-inch alloys, while the Performance Pack car swaps them out for 19-inch rims.

The Korean’s turbocharged halo car is filled with genuine performance kit and designed to take the fight to hot-hatch heroes.Is there more to the i30 N than an exhaust that could trigger earthquake warning systems?

It's the kind of sound that belongs on a snarling muscle car, or some tricked-up track weapon. But definitely not on Hyundai's top-selling small car, the i30 hatch - a car that could only be more safe and sensible if its voice command system was programmed to sound like your mum. 

But then, this isn't just any i30. This is the brand’s first N-stamped performance model; the Korean’s turbocharged halo car that’s filled with genuine performance kit and designed to take the fight to hot-hatch heroes like the Golf GTI and Focus ST.

So has Hyundai at last arrived on the hot hatch scene? And is there more to the i30 N than an exhaust that could trigger earthquake warning systems?

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