Hyundai I30 N V Renault Megane RS V Volkswagen Golf GTI Comparison
Each group took their respective manufacturer鈥檚 humble three-door hatchback and beefed up it with go-faster components - creating a whole new breed of affordable performance car for enthusiasts. It鈥檚 the Volkswagen Golf GTI, however, rather than the Renault 5 Alpine (or 5 Gordini, as it was known in the UK) that took credit for popularising the hot-hatch concept, and only the GTI has become a global household name. Yet while few would recall the fast-5 (especially in Australia where it wasn鈥檛 sold), the French brand, via its Renault Sport division, has established itself over the past couple of decades as arguably the hot-hatch master. The new, 2018 Renault Megane RS and the latest, MY19 Volkswagen Golf GTI, then, are both brimming with heritage. The Hyundai i30 N? Well, er, not so much. But we may well be looking at the start of something new with the N sub-brand. History certainly didn鈥檛 mean anything earlier this year when the i30 N shocked the GTI with a victory in our head-to-head test.
Volkswagen isn鈥檛 a brand to take things lying down, though, and just months later we have a heavily updated, MY19 GTI that adopts some key kit from the former, limited-run GTI Performance. While the GTI is DSG-only now (owing to the new WLTP fuel cycle causing some chaos among European manufacturers), those MY19 changes make for a worthwhile rematch. The latest Megane RS interrupts the two鈥檚 company to form a crowd-pleasing trio. Its predecessor was the segment鈥檚 dynamic benchmark, though here we鈥檝e opted for the Megane RS EDC rather than a manual variant with the more focused Cup suspension as a more natural, all-rounder rival to the GTI. 50K (hence no Honda Civic Type R) that will please more of the people more of the time - the car that can combine quick performance and entertaining dynamics with everyday practicality, driveability and liveability. 40,000 (at least officially, as you may well still find some three-door GTI Originals hanging around dealerships). 4000 more than before.
2500 cheaper than the Performance Edition 1 while grabbing most of its features and adding two doors. Still a fair bit cheaper, and yet that pack gives the Korean several features the others can鈥檛 match: wireless smartphone charging, electrically adjustable front seats, and heating functions for both the front seats and steering wheel. The Hyundai is also alone with digital radio, though while all models have autonomous emergency braking and some form of lane-keeping tech, the i30 N misses some useful driver aids offered elsewhere. Adaptive cruise control is now standard on the GTI, and the Golf continues to feature blind spot detection and semi-automatic (self-steering) parking. 47,490 for the EDC (dual-clutch auto) version we鈥檙e testing. 2000 above the GTI DSG, though the Renault (like the Hyundai) adds bigger (19-inch) wheels - and bespoke bodywork if anyone places value in that. The subjective verdict from our trio of testers was unanimous: the Renault is the most visually striking hot-hatch here. What difference does 20 years of turbocharging make?
Well, 70kW and 1.7 seconds in the case of the Golf GTI. It鈥檚 20 years since the GTI first moved to forced induction, with the 110kW 1.8-litre Mark 4 of 1998 that went from 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds. With MY19 bringing more power for the latest update of the seventh-generation GTI, there鈥檚 now 180kW and a 0-100 sprint cut from 6.4 to 6.2 seconds. The GTI is the only member of our trio that doesn鈥檛 break the 200kW barrier. Hyundai鈥檚 i30 N produces 202kW from its 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder, while Renault Sport extracts even more (205kW) from a smaller turbo four of 1.8 litres. The Megane RS also extracts more speed - matching the old RS275 Trophy to post a quoted 5.8-second run to three figures - while the non-auto i30 N photo-finishes with the GTI at 6.2 seconds. Whichever way you go here, though, you鈥檙e spoiled for everyday driveability thanks to the inherent flexibility of tubby turbo torque. Sort of in the middle of those figures lies the GTI鈥檚 370Nm, available between 1600 and 4300, with the RS鈥檚 390Nm taking BIG (best in group) honours.
