One of the greatest moments of life is when a positive experience is thrown into your face in the most unexpected way. You can’t help yourself but grin and be all giddy like a kid again. From tasting food to watching a film. When it’s good, you’ll find yourself mulling over your thoughts for the remainder of the day.

That’s where I am at with one particular car. It’s a practical and likeable little thing. The car in question is none other than the Hyundai i30 N. If you have read a lot of pieces from UCO you’ll know how much we love hot hatchbacks. Allow me to throw all the clichés at you, we love a car that can seat a few people with a full boot and still manage to deliver an entertaining show at a reasonable price.

Sure when it landed in South Africa a few years ago, it was a little difficult to justify it being a little pricier than its main rival, the Volkswagen Golf GTI. Currently in terms of base pricing the Golf Mk 8 is cheaper. However by the time you have added a few options, it starts to eclipse the i30. That presents the i30 as better value as it comes with more features as standard.

So what is there to like? I’m certain by now you’d know about the raucous sound it makes and the front diff that works well to make sure you exit corners without much drama. There’s more to this interesting car. First thing that shocked me was the wet 8-speed double clutch gearbox. It’s brilliant. In comfort it shuffles through the ratios without much effort and it creeps smoothly. Then when you put it into N mode, it’s outrageously quick to respond. It’s pretty consistent and doesn’t hesitate to deliver a downshift. I also really like the actuation of the paddles.

There were a few surprises, for instance the ride comfort. I was shocked to discover how composed the car rides. While it’s firm, it actually handled undulations of the road in a very sophisticated manner. Another pleasant surprise was the engine. The 2.0 litre four-cylinder T-GDi produces 206 kW (276 hp) and 392 Nm of torque. It’s pretty punchy and in the right gear, there is hardly any turbo lag. I like the fact that it doesn’t drop the power in a big lump, it’s more progressive. The induction noise is enjoyable and from the inside, the sound is very reminiscent of the 1.4 litre twincharged Polo GTI. Which is a huge plus in my book.

I could wax on about how much I love the i30 N, sure I found the rear visibility to not be the greatest, and perhaps the steering offers too much resistance without much tactility, however the flaws add charm to this great hot hatchback.

As much as the i30 N is a Golf GTI rival, there’s so much about it that reminds me of my old Polo GTI. The chassis hardly has any flex and the car shrinks around you. Which means it’s more enjoyable to drive. Just like trying out an unfamiliar dish or perhaps watching a film in a foreign language, I found it easy to get on with and I found it delightful.

If you want a hot hatchback in 2022, forget about street cred, forget about brand prestige. Get yourself the one with a loveable personality that forces you to focus on the pleasant experience of driving. Get yourself the Hyundai i30 N. It’s really great.

To get yourself started, visit Hyundai. Good people selling good cars!