Just how well has the Hyundai i30 N hot hatch been selling in South Africa over the past 12 months? Let’s take a look at the figures and compare them with Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI sales…

What has long been the strongest-selling C-segment hot hatch in South Africa? That’s right, the Volkswagen Golf GTI. So, has the Hyundai i30 N managed to make an impact on the market or is Wolfsburg’s finest still the go-to hot hatch among local buyers?

Well, we sorted through the past 12 months of figures in an attempt to find an answer. We should, of course, point out VW has been fairly vocal about its supply struggles for some time (even the Golf 8 R has yet to officially hit the local market). Similarly, we wouldn’t be surprised if Hyundai Automotive SA has been battling to secure sufficient stock of its contender.

Hyundai’s refreshed i30 touched down in April 2022.

Search for a used Hyundai i30 N here

Regardless, it’s an interesting exercise tallying up the figures and seeing where each hot hatch stands after the past 12 months. For the record, Hyundai’s local distributor switched to a refreshed version of the i30 N in April 2022, ditching the pre-facelift version’s 6-speed manual gearbox in favour of an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (and thus pitching it directly at the Golf GTI). The run-out of the manual version and the switchover to the new model explains its two months of zero sales at the start of the reporting period.

Anyway, let’s get to the figures. Over the past 12 months, Hyundai has registered 97 units of the i30 N in South Africa. The South Korean hot hatch’s strongest month was April 2022 (when the DCT version touched down), as 24 examples were sold. Bar October 2022, that was the only occasion in the reporting period when the Hyundai managed to outsell the VW.

The Golf GTI, meanwhile, finished this 12-month period on a total of 616 units, peaking in March 2022 with 87 registrations. The German model’s weakest month came in October 2022, when its 3 units weren’t enough to beat the i30 N’s showing (5 units). Interestingly, 51 units of the 616 total represented sales to the government.

VW launched the Golf 8 GTI in SA in August 2021.

Search for a used VW Golf GTI here

As a reminder, the i30 N’s turbocharged 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder engine delivers 206 kW and 392 Nm to the front axle via the aforementioned transmission, facilitating a claimed 0-100 kph time of 5.4. Topping out at 250 kph, Hyundai’s hot hatch is currently priced at R779900.

The Golf 8 GTI’s turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-pot makes 180 kW and 370 Nm, peak outputs that are directed to the front wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch cog-swapper. VW claims its hot hatch will hit 100 kph in 6.4 seconds before settling at a maximum speed of 250 kph. The Golf GTI starts at R744200, though a Jacara Edition is available for R727500.

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