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Hyundai has confirmed that the i30 N hot hatch will get a new dual-clutch automatic variant with more power next year.
Speaking to the media at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show overnight, Albert Biermann, the head of research & development at Hyundai, said: “It’s coming next year. Australia may be early 2021, but we are working on an eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission that goes in that car.”
Globally, the new automatic gearbox will be exclusively available on the more focused i30 N Performance, which is currently the only i30 N model on sale here in Australia. When launched, the new 8-speed DCT i30 N Performance will be offered alongside the current 6-speed manual model, so purists can relax.
Mr Biermann also said the 8-speed DCT will transform the performance of the i30 N to a whole new level thanks to quicker shift times and a power hike.
“When the 8-speed wet double-clutch comes, we will crank more power out of it,” he said. “When we add the double-clutch transmission that will have a strong impact on the i30 N, because it is not a normal automatic transmission, this is something really special.”
Currently, the 2.0-litre turbocharged, direct-injected in-line 4-cylinder petrol engine powering the 6-speed manual i30 N Performance produces 202kW @ 6,000rpm and 353Nm @ 1,450-4,700rpm. As mentioned, those figures will increase in the DCT variant but we don’t expect it to be significant. Hyundai would not be drawn on revealing the official output yet so we will have wait until next year for the numbers.
READ MORE: Hyundai i30 N Performance Hatch review
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