Hyundai has been talking about offering the i30 N with an optional dual-clutch gearbox for more than year as an alternative to the standard six-speed manual transmission pictured above. In fact, the promise of a DCT was made even before the hot hatch’s debut, but even so we will still have to patiently wait until the end of the decade for the quicker transmission. In an interview with our colleagues at CarAdvice, the company’s communications boss for Australia, Bill Thomas, announced the plan is to introduce the dual-clutch ‘box late 2019.
He went on to admit that by not having a DCT available right away, Hyundai currently has to face a “sales limitations” as the optional transmission would have broadened the i30 N’s appeal among hot hatch fans. While purists will always go for a manual, the truth of the matter is, more and more people are switching to autos. This is the reason why an increasing number of performance cars are nowadays sold exclusively with an automatic since very few would buy these cars with a manual, prompting companies to focus development solely on automatic transmission to the detriment of manuals.
Getting back to the i30 N, Hyundai has also been dropping hints about the prospects of an all-wheel-drive layout to transform its first fully fledged N model into a worthy adversary for the Volkswagen Golf R, Ford Focus RS, and the Audi S3 Sportback. An all-paw version could also come along with a power boost over the 271-hp i30 N Performance if we were to rely on a statement made by N boss Albert Biermann back in July 2017. In an interview with Top Gear magazine, the man in charge at N said: “Without a high amount of power there is no need to go to all-wheel drive.”
Source : Motor1.com
