Introduction
Looking to spruce up your i30N’s interior and customize it? You’ve came to the right place.
In this blog post, we’ll be exploring the best interior mods to spice up your interior’s aesthetics and functionality. We’ll touch on most of the common modifications done by enthusiasts to give you some inspiration to help make your i30N even better and stylish.
Interior mods can be some of the most cost effective mods you can do to your car, and many of them you can install yourself – even if you aren’t mechanically savvy! If you haven’t modded your i30 N yet but are considering getting your feet wet, modding the interior can be a great way to start.
Interior mods generally cost a lot less than traditional performance and exterior mods, and can really enhance your driving experience. The interior is where you spend most your time after all!
Lets dive in and take a look.
Gauges
Gauges are a great way of monitoring your i30’s performance and get real time data on various engine parameters that your digital dash may not display.
One of the most common gauges which most car enthusiasts will know about is the boost gauge.
Boost gauges are a great way to monitor boost pressure, diagnose engine issues and maximize your performance. They’re usually mounted on the dashboard or in a pod off to the side, where it can be easily seen when you’re driving.
Boost gauges tend to come in two varieties: analog and digital. Analog boost gauges use a needle that moves across a dial to indicate the current boost level in PSI or Bar, while digital ones display numerical values.
If you are looking for more info than just the boost, then a multi gauge is a fantastic option.
This digital multi-gauge is a fantastic option that has touch screen controls and mounts into the air vents in your N to preserve the OEM look within the interior. This gauge gives you access to a variety of parameters in real time as you drive and also allows you to read any fault codes that your car may have. The perfect tool if you are serious about the performance of your N!
Interior Trim Wrapping
Aside from the styling benefits, wrapping interior trim elements protects them from wear and tear. They aren’t permanent modifications either so you can always remove them should you go to sell the car or decide you don’t like it (or want to wrap in a different style!).
There are a number of common areas in your car that can be wrapped. Some of these include:
- Door handles
- Dashboard elements
- Steering wheel and gear shift knob
There are different styles you could go for in a variety of colours depending on what look you are after. You could go for an Alcantara/sued wrap or a carbon fibre wrap for some added elegance.
You don’t need fancy tools or equipment to have a go at installing the wrap yourself, and the materials don’t tend to be overly expensive either so take your time and have fun with it.
Carbon Fibre Wrap
For your i30N
Ambient Light Kit
Ambient light kits can be used as decorative accents that add style and flair to your interior without being too overpowering or distracting.
You can get kits that come in a variety of colors and many will allow you to change the color on the go as you desire.
If you have a set color scheme in your interior, then this can be a great mod to really compliment those colors by adding more of the prominent color theme around your i30’s interior. You and your passengers will love this one if you do a lot of night time driving!
These kits can be installed to run lighting through a variety of places in your car including the footwell, dashboard lining and along the door cards.
Check out the kit below that allows customization of over 16 million colours that you can control from your mobile phone via an app. Guaranteed to be a color for everyone’s taste!
LED Ambient Lighting Kit
For the i30N
Bucket Seats
When it comes to optimizing the driving experience in performance cars, one modification often comes up in conversations among enthusiasts: the installation of bucket seats. Bucket seats are designed to cradle your body, providing superior lateral support during high-speed cornering. This keeps you firmly in place, preventing you from sliding around and allowing you to maintain better control of the vehicle.
While bucket seats offer excellent support during spirited driving, they can be less comfortable during long drives or daily commutes, especially if the seat padding is minimal or if the seat’s design doesn’t match your body shape.
Owners of later versions of the i30N may have the sport bucket seats in their car as standard. These are lighter, performance focused seats that offer a more sporty driving experience. Not all i30N’s will have these of course, so some of you may be wondering what other aftermarket seating options exist.
Luckily there are various bucket seat options from reputable manufactures like Recaro that you can install into your N.
For installing aftermarket seats, you will need some universal mounts to mount them on to. If you aren’t DIY or mechanically-minded, it may be worth taking it to a mechanic to have them professionally installed as some custom work may be required for perfect seat fitment.
It’s worth noting that many of the aftermarket bucket seats will not have side air bag compatibility so you may need to install a resistor for the side air bags.
Custom Steering Wheel
Some owners may find the standard steering wheel a little…meh.
For those of you who want to customize your wheel and make it suit the sporty characteristics of the car more, there are various options for you!
One of the cheaper modifications you can do to your steering wheel is to have it wrapped in a material like carbon fiber or alcantara. This can provide a nice contrast to the wheel and add elegance to it. This typically isn’t a non reversible mod either should you want to return your car to OEM if you sell.
There are also companies where you can send your steering wheel to for upgrades. Some of these companies also offer pre-customised wheels ready to buy. These are usually modified versions of the original steering wheel, often in a carbon fibre finish and with sportier characteristics like extended paddle shifters, better grip and LED lighting. These specialist companies are a great way of getting truly bespoke steering wheels that are customised to your liking.
Below are some companies that offer bespoke steering wheels for the i30N that you can order online:
Short Shifter
This one only applies to those who own manual versions of the i30N.
A short shifter kit is designed to reduce the throw of your gearstick, making it easier to get into each gear with less effort. This also reduces the time required between gear changes leading to improved acceleration times.
A short shifter kit also increases control over your car during hard shifts and sporty driving reducing the chance of any mis-shifts.
Forge Motorsport offer a short shifter kit designed specifically for the i30N that is well priced and adjustable as well. With this kit, you can have the gear stick throw reduced by 50%, or anywhere in between! This will make a very noticeable difference, making your gear changes much more satisfying and crisp.
Forge Short Shifter
For the i30N
Finishing Thoughts
The Hyundai i30N is already an impressive vehicle straight out of the factory. However, with a few tasteful interior modifications, you can truly make it your own and add more personality to it.
Interior mods don’t have to break the bank and many of them you may be able to install yourself such as ambient lighting and interior trim wraps. This can be a really fun way of working on your car without needing large amounts of technical mechanical knowledge like many other mods require for installation.
Interior mods also tend to be easily reversible and are usually less likely to void warranty compared to exterior/performance mods if that’s a concern for you.
Happy modding!
