Hyundai i30 N Fastback Shows Epic Facelift Design

Sure, the non-N model looks good, but once you add skirts and spoilers its proportions stop working in its favor. Hyundai has the opportunity to fix this with a mid-life facelift that's just been spied for the first time.

To say that we're excited for this car is an understatement. All the hot hatch tech is there already with the exception of maybe a DCT to rival the Golf GTI and Megane RS. But we know Hyundai is working on its own performance double-clutch auto which should be ready by next year.

So what's changing under all that black camo? Well, we've seen normal i30 models without some of this wrap, and they have the same grille design as the new Tucson crossover, big with a cool 3D mesh. And you'd have to be blind to miss the super-slim LED headlights being installed.

Other revisions will include the bumpers, colors, maybe a wheel option or two. The prototype is also sporting much bigger exhaust tips. The change is mainly cosmetic, but we're just superficial enough to enjoy that kind of thing. We wouldn't exactly call it a pretty car, but definitely aggressive and techy.

More power? It's hard to tell. Hyundai didn't give any horses to the i30 N Project C, revealed just last month. But there's been some talk of a 300 horsepower N-specific engine. Do you really need that much? The segment is competitive, but there are plenty of less powerful, more expensive rivals. We're looking at you, Volkswagen.

The all-new GTI should come out towards the middle of 2020, so around the same time as this. Its power output has already been confirmed at 245 HP stock. The other big players to watch out for are the Civic Type R, the hot Renault Megane RS and Ford's over-engined Focus ST.