It was easiest to start this test by going to the folder "tests -> sportiness -> hot compacts -> Golf GTI -> insert generic opening" Yes, the one that will tell again about the side project at Volkswagen that in 1976 became the Golf GTI. How from then on, even if she wasn't the best, she became an icon. But I want to take you away from Wolfsburg Germany, to Seoul Korea. It's still 1976, but there, Hyundai, a name that was barely known outside of Korea as a car manufacturer, begins marketing its first ever stand-alone car - the Pony. It was designed by one Giorgetto Giugaro - yes, the designer of the first Golf. And if that's not the start of a good story, I don't know what is. Many, many years later, on the slopes of the Gilboa, two hot, white compact cars stand for a duel, one with a VW logo on the front and GTI letters on the back, the other with the letter H on the front and N on the butt.
Who will reach the top of the mountain first, and who will generate the most smiles along the way?
Design: Both cars follow the "Hot Compact Design Guide" religiously. Take a five-door hatchback, black out the glare, inflate the chassis, add aerodynamic aids and spice up the look with embellishments like red calipers, but hey - don't overdo it, it's not the i20N of bratty youngsters, someone's going to bring the kids home in this car the book. The attitude here, in these two cars is much more restrained than that of the Cupra Leon VZ, Renault Megane Sport and certainly not the Honda Civic Type R.
Cabin: The driver's quarters of these two cars immediately reveal the age differences between the two. A rich digital dashboard displays in the Golf versus analog indicators and a trip computer on a small screen in the i30N. One-level display layout of the dashboard and multimedia screen in Volkswagen compared to a floating screen in Hyundai. And it continues to the gaps in the quality of the materials, in the general visibility of the cabin that Hyundai simply gives the feeling of an aging vehicle.
The advantages of the i30N are in the area of operation and use, a button for each function, simple operation, physical buttons for the climate control and the volume of the audio in Hyundai instead of the touch surfaces that are the worst in the industry in the Golf. That the stitching in the colors of the golf seats will not confuse you, they are less grippy and deep than those of Hyundai, but this reverses when you move back. The space is similar, but the living conditions for the occupants of the Volkswagen are much improved, with air conditioning outlets, separate temperature control, power outlets and even small pockets on the top of the seats - none of this appears in the i30N. It's just the monstrous seats of the Golf that block the field of vision of those who are there that detract from her points.
Trunk: the two trunks are similar in volume, 381 in the Hyundai 371 in the Golf. Still, the victory goes to Germany in points, mainly due to the square and slightly more comfortable loading opening, a trunk floor that can be adjusted to two heights and, in the case of the i30N, the reinforcement beam across the cabin that interferes with producing a flat floor when the seats are folded. Equipment: When comparing equipment in the game "What do I have and don't you?"
The two maintain equality at least initially; Both have Apple and Android compatibility, wireless charging, parking sensors, control of the gears from the steering wheel, and more. Hence there are differences. We have already touched on the climate control split into three areas in the Golf, the i30N has a panoramic roof, the Golf with leather upholstery, the Hyundai combines leather and fabric, both have heated seats, and the Golf also has ventilation. We have already touched on the digital dashboard in the Golf, in the Hyundai the multimedia screen is larger (10.25 inches instead of 8 in the Golf). From here there are already those who begin to outline the differences in the DNA of the two cars - a Harman Kardon musical audio system in the Golf, an equally musical exhaust system in the Hyundai, a mechanical limited slip differential in the Golf, electronic in the Hyundai, an easy entry system that takes the driver's seat back in the Golf - Adaptive suspension and dampers on the i30N.
Performance: Both cars have identical foundations in the drivetrains. 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engines (the EA888 in the Volkswagen and the Theta II T in the Hyundai for the code fans), front-wheel drive and in between a double-clutch gearbox, in the Volkswagen with 7 gears in the Hyundai with 8.
The powers and the nature of the engines draw the character lines of the two. 280 horses in the Hyundai compared to 245 in the Volkswagen which responds with a higher torque - 37.7 kg which is available earlier than the i30N which has 36 kg at 2,100 rpm.
And for those of us who are already a salad of all rpm - these differences are tangible. This is most evident when exiting tight corners, where the Golf's higher torque at lower rpm pulls it out with more determination, so that despite the horse disadvantage, the Golf's engine is rounder and smoother while the i30N's grunts and sulks and constantly asserts its presence.
In this sense, golf is really the lady who has already seen and done everything that the young people are excited about now. In testing their accelerations, as long as they are in normal sport mode, the GTI pulls strongly forward, ahead of the i30N to 100 km/h and a little beyond. This changes when you step on the launch control that the Hyundai has and the German does not.
So the light-footed Korean flies like a bite A snake in the back. Fuel consumption: Throughout the test, the Golf was more economical by a significant margin. At the end of the administrative chapter, followed by the fast drive, both cars stood panting at a gas station, emitting crackling exhausts, and unbelievably managing to heat the air of the Beit Shan Valley by a few degrees with boiling brakes and drinking gasoline At the station - the Hyundai gave 5.9 km of smiles per liter, the Golf with 7.4 km of fun per liter.
Comfort and behavior: Relative to two combat cars, neither presents demands for human sacrifice in the form of L 1-5 lumbar spinal vertebrae.
The Golf somehow manages to get a little higher in the ranking, a combination of more "round" damping at the end of the stroke, that is, more absorption of the disturbance than a stroke that goes in. With all due respect to passenger compartments, rear seats, cargo compartments and other matters - the place where these two are tested starts on the winding road. Because if you are looking for pleasant cars, fast in a straight line and equipped - these two have excellent electric alternatives. If we understand that whoever compares my 0-100 km/h times here is in the wrong circle and that's really not the story here, we can continue.
And if until now they were arguing about how many points here and how many points there, the difference between these two cars in the section of the winding road is like heaven and earth. The golf cracks the twists in a considered, measured, moderate way.
The gears downshift just in time, the steering wheel is precisely weighted, its turn entry reassuring, the differential locked in precise second gear to provide a determined pull out with all the power. The obedience with which she fulfills instructions is the result of many years of polishing and understanding exactly, but exactly who her client is and what he is looking for. You can do it with her and be happy, reach a turn with a swing and transfer weight from left to right while turning and braking and if you add enough speed she will go sideways. There are cars better than it at doing that, none better at being a Golf GTI.
Then you switch to the Hyundai i30N and all the smooth and precise fun of the GTI is replaced by madness. Put her on N GRIN mode, blast her forward on the launch control, let her kick every gear in over and over again, like the transmission is a door and she's the most poisoned camper on the LOTR course. Hit her brakes one moment too late and let the adaptive dampers stiffen, bring the tail to the physically intoxicating levitation, like that tickle you have just before you cram a crazy Apache out. And everything here is fast, and loud, and happy, and sharp and explodes forward with some religious determination of devotion to the task of enjoying driving. It's one of those cars that knows how to be disciplined or violent, depending on who Behind the wheel.
Once you get past her pose that she doesn't give up easily, she can be juggled in and out of the grip circle. And no matter how many times we switched between the two, the Golf continued to be docile, relaxed and fast without making a fuss and the i30N the complete opposite, a handful of fire ports that found It made its way to your underwear, and by your side a complete drool.
Both the Golf GTI and the i30N live in challenging times for them. Electric cars that offer superior performance for less money and ridiculous maintenance costs have diluted their pool of potential customers. Stuck like a bone in the intake manifold for the environmentalists and around the corner are waiting electric hot compact cars like the MG Xpower and other products from Copper that will challenge them. As for this test, the decision is simple and difficult. It's a simple decision because if you're looking for the best car for a driver - the first place here is the i30N. And it's difficult because the big price difference between the two, the suitability of the Golf as an everyday car and the qualities in its regular use, it's not easy.
These are two cars that are at completely different points of their role in the world and will suit two types of customers that are in a different place in the world. The Golf GTI just wants to seal the glorious chapter it has written for Volkswagen and the automotive industry in the wider aspect. She got what she got, did what she did, now she's basking in the glory and every now and then she steals some prank.
Hyundai entered this party less than a decade ago, fueled bproducty 98 octane and looking for blunders and mess. It will be perfect for those who are looking for the brash, unconventional spirit, the one that will raise eyebrows at the price and drop jaws at the ability. And because only one car can leave with the title, we award the victory in this test to the Hyundai i30N. But make no mistake, I will respectfully send most of the customers in the segment to buy a Golf GTI as a daily vehicle, it is they who will have to convince me otherwise. And both together? Well, animals on gas fumes - literally of this event.