For a moment, it looked like the classic hot hatch was headed for extinction. With Ford shelving the Focus ST and Honda letting the Civic Type R bow out in Europe, the segment suddenly felt like an endangered species. But Hyundai—yes, Hyundai, the brand that shook the establishment with the original i30 N—is gearing up for a comeback. And according to a source speaking to Autocar, the next i30 N won’t be electric. It’ll burn fuel.

This is the kind of plot twist you don’t get every day.

A Return to Roots—With a Twist

When the first i30 N launched in 2017, it was Hyundai’s opening salvo against Europe’s performance royalty. Chassis stiffening, an electronic limited-slip diff, and a 2.0-liter turbo punching out up to 276 horsepower made it more than a Golf GTI rival—it was a legitimate giant killer.

But in 2024, Hyundai pulled the plug on both the i30 N and the smaller i20 N as part of its public pivot toward high-performance EVs. The N brand’s current lineup—the Ioniq 5 N and upcoming Ioniq 6 N—focuses on 600-plus-horsepower battery brawlers.

And yet, behind the scenes, something was brewing.

“We Are Not Limiting Ourselves to EVs”

N division boss Joon Park recently told Autocar that the performance arm was never meant to go EV-only, despite what fans might assume.

“There is a perception that Hyundai N is only focusing on the EV world, which is not true… We are not limiting ourselves to EVs.”

That statement now reads like a quiet warning of what’s coming next.

Sources say Hyundai has already begun work on a new combustion-powered i30 N—likely with hybrid assistance. That gives Hyundai some flexibility when navigating Europe’s tightening emissions rules while still delivering the punch N cars are famous for.

So What Will Power It?

Details are still sealed tight, but the clues are intriguing. Hyundai has been testing a wild Veloster-based prototype fitted with a new internal combustion engine described by engineers as “high revving” and “high performance.” It’s currently mounted midship in the mule—think Toyota’s approach with its mid-engined GR prototype—but Hyundai notes the engine can be packaged in other layouts.

Could this be the heart of the next i30 N? It’s too early to say, but the intention is clear.

Hyundai says it wants to “develop an engine that meets market performance requirements and mass-produce it without problems.” In other words, not a niche toy—something with real volume behind it.

More conservative predictions suggest an uprated hybrid version of the i30’s existing 1.5-liter electrified powertrain. But the Veloster mule hints that Hyundai might be dreaming much bigger.

Timing the Comeback

Spy shots have recently caught Hyundai preparing a third facelift for the third-generation i30, expected sometime next year. That makes the timeline for an i30 N revival fairly straightforward: expect the performance variant to land by late 2026 or early 2027.

A Hyundai spokesperson, responding to Autocar, said:

“Hyundai is committed to introducing seven new N models by 2030, exploring a broad range of powertrains such as internal combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles.”

Seven new N models. A broad powertrain mix. A new combustion engine in testing. And now, the strong likelihood of a petrol-powered hot hatch returning to a market that desperately needs one.

The Hot Hatch Isn’t Dead—It’s Just Getting a Reboot

If Hyundai brings the i30 N back with the same attitude it had in 2017—loud pops, sharp handling, track credibility, and an underdog swagger—it won’t just fill the void left by the Focus ST and Civic Type R.

It’ll redefine it.

Source: Autocar