Hyundai i30 N DCT wins 2022 Drive Car of the Year Best Hot Hatch

The Hyundai i30 N delivers next-level performance on and off the track, yet is liveable in the daily grind.

The Hyundai i30 N DCT is the 2022 Drive Car of the Year Best Hot Hatch.

The latest update brought significant changes that came with a facelift – new steering and suspension, more power, sticky Pirelli tyres and, crucially, a new fast-acting eight-speed twin-clutch auto that transforms the car’s breadth of ability compared to earlier manual-only versions.

But until Drive Car of the Year, we hadn’t driven it in anger on a test track against its nearest rivals, or any other hot hatch contenders.

As a result, this was one of the most hotly contested categories in the 2022 Drive Car of the Year. But in the end, seven out of eight judges voted in favour of the Hyundai i30 N.

It delivers next-level performance on and off the track, and yet is liveable in the daily grind.

In many regards, the Hyundai i30 N sits neatly between stripped-out hardcore hot hatches and the plushness and refinement of the European rivals – and this formula ticked all the right boxes for most judges.

The Hyundai i30 N has true racetrack capability when you need it, but is not a chore to live with day-to-day.

The exhaust note is the best of the trio tested – and delighted the senses whether on a race circuit or driving through a freeway tunnel.

Helpfully it has a loud mode – as well as a mode that won’t wake the neighbours – all at the press of a button.

While the original Hyundai i30 N was close to the mark for many, the updated version has gone to finishing school, giving it a breadth of capability that’s as much at home commuting as it is cutting racetrack laps in the hands of weekend warriors.

The aforementioned changes to the steering, suspension, power, lightweight wheels, sticky tyres – and the epic eight-speed twin-clutch auto that can really take the punishment – combined with a mechanical limited-slip differential and countless driving modes, have elevated the Hyundai i30 N to a new level.

It is a worthy winner.

Read about the Best Hot Hatch category

Read about all the other 2022 Drive Car of the Year categories and winners