Could an AWD Hyundai i30 N And Eventual Golf R Rival Be in The Works?

Hyundai is apparently working an on a more powerful Hyundai i30 N with all-wheel drive.

We’re not too familiar with the Hyundai i30 here in North America. We know it at as the Hyundai Elantra GT and overall we’re quite fond of it. A recent report out of Australia makes us like the Elantra GT even more as it appears Hyundai is working on an AWD-enabled, more powerful i30 N that would take on the Volkswagen Golf R in theory.

Hyundai is pushing its N-Line models in a big way. In recent weeks and months we’ve heard of a possible Hyundai Tucson N-Line and a Hyundai Kona N. The Hyundai Veloster N has arrived on the market and we love every part of it. But these models aren’t as sporty as a Volkswagen Golf R or Subaru WRX STi.

The report of an AWD Hyundai i30 N comes from Australian publication CarsGuide. Apparently the model was planned from the very beginning of the i30 N project. No word on what type of all-wheel drive system would be used, but CarsGuide spoke with Geoff Fear, a consultant who worked with Hyundai Australia, who said the Hyundai Kona’s all-wheel drive setup would be compatible.

The current Hyundai i30 N is a front-wheel drive vehicle more closely related to the Volkswagen GTI. Adding all-wheel drive and upping the power would align it with the Golf R and would certainly up the credibility of the Hyundai N-Line.