Up to about two years ago the Toyota Corolla and Hyundai i30 were better known as the plodding draught horses of their respective stables, slowly but surely, reliably and sensibly completing each journey.
More recently there's been some spice added to this duo.
Blame the World Rally Championships.
It was there that, after more than 50 years of reliable service, a very different Corolla appeared in full mud-racing kit with the Japanese giant’s Corolla GR.
Likewise the Hyundai which, under its “N” performance brand has also made its mark in the rallying scene with its i30 (a hatchback, not the sedan tested here).
And of course, winning on Sunday means selling on Monday ... at least that’s how it used to work for the big V8s of Bathurst.
Having previously tested the Corolla GR, this time it is the i30's turn, in sedan form.
It hasn't been a quiet experience. The Corolla’s evil, sonorous three-cylinder engine lurks beneath a muscular, wildly ventilated bonnet. The Hyundai relies on a bigger engine (four cylinders and two litres) but delivered the same kind of pared back, hard-edged driving experience.
Three cylinders? It’s not so uncommon in this ever more earth-conscious society. Most would be stunned to see, and hear, this venomous little machine - which shares most of its running gear, including the engine, matching strides with the bigger capacity engined Hyundai.
The Corolla’s three cylinders, plus turbo charger, punch out 205kW making wondrous sounds from the barking triple exhausts. But they do so with an engine that’s 25 per cent smaller, and lighter, than the two-litre challengers.
The logic is plain: carve off one of the four cylinders, while maintaining the performance by all manner of jiggery/pokery, and reducing a massive quarter from the engine weight. That’s a phenomenal recipe.
The i30N sedan, like the Corolla, is a massively tweaked-up version of its normally docile self, thanks to all kinds of evil geniuses who’ve helped to enhance the car’s performance - thus the “N” badge (signifying the company’s performance division in Namyang).
Despite being 25 per cent bigger than the Toyota, its two-litre turbo powerplant makes 206kW and a thumping 392Nm.
Very different theories, but the same outcome: two very engaging little ex-family runabouts that stun virtually everyone with pace away from the lights.
The i30N is a bit less radical, but with its sleek lines, plush interior and long, low and lithe silhouette it makes an impressive alternative to the little Toyota.
The Corolla is an absolute weapon and one of the most memorable drives of the past year or two.
Its stablemate, the Yaris GR4 uses the same technology but in a smaller, lighter machine.
But the big-brother Corolla would do fine with its rather up-market interior and slightly dialled-back design and aero package.
Then there's the Hyundai i30N which has recently arrived Down Under following a pretty impressive facelift and tech upgrade.This sedan effectively becomes the flagship of the N fleet.
A little disappointingly, the test car came with an old fashioned six-speed manual transmission, rather than the eight-speed dual-clutch auto that’s available for the same price. It may be lazy, but it’s also the preferred technology these days and cuts half a second to its 0-100km/h sprint.
Although the manual version does get a throttle “blip” on downshift, making the self-shifter a little easier to live with.
The i30 also gets the cleverly-named “Grin Shift” which boosts the engine slightly to 213kW for 20 seconds - primarily to overtake competitors in track days and the like.
That doesn’t make the i30 quite as rapid as the Corolla, which does the standing 100km/h in about 4.5 seconds, compared to the Hyundai’s engine performance of 100km/h in 5.3 which is hardly shabby.
Mechanically this tweaked four-potter is almost identical with the superseded i30 model.
Among the features of this facelifted model are gorgeous 19-inch forged alloys, part of the “Parametric Dynamics” motto which builds on Hyundai’s “Sensuous Sportiness” design language. It looks longer, lower and wider than the previous model, with an innovative paint style further enhancing its good looks.
The i30N sedan costs $52,000 plus on-road costs - a pretty attractive package which, by the way, undercuts the Corolla GR by a cool 10 grand. But the Toyota is certainly the most feisty of the pair, as well as the most well appointed.
HYUNDAI I30N SEDAN
* HOW BIG? Only marginally larger than its i30 hatchback sibling but it looks substantially bigger thanks to its elongated body and short overhangs.
* HOW FAST? It will reach the speed limit in a brisk 5.3 seconds which, even in this company, makes it a sharp little device. The six-speed manual, tested here, is about 0.5 seconds slower.
* HOW THIRSTY? At 8.5L/100km it’s not the most fuel-efficient, but the performance more than justifies that.
* HOW MUCH? $52,000 plus on road costs (which is about $1800 more than the model it replaces).
