Today I have a test drove new i30N with sport seats pack and DCT. Hats off, it a better car by a large margin.
1. BRAKES!!! This is what surprised me the most. Not only there are bigger and stronger (I haven't tested as car had just 700km and I wont trash even a demo car) but there is no more slack when pressing a brake pedal. The felt much much more responsive and stronger during normal driving.
2. N-Sport seats - The look better, they have illuminated logo and you know what? They are more comfortable than electric seats. I was afraid that my fat ass won't fit in them and first feel was worrying. I felt that lower sides are clamping my ass too much. Then I drove it and when I left the car I remember that my ass wasn't hurting. Ofc it was a 20 minute drive but still, no discomfort. I have found out that although it seems that the sitting is smaller but I there is much more foam in it. I could barely feel the seat structure under the foam. When I got back to my car I immediately felt the difference. Although I fit in them, the seat structure is more pronounced, which is why I feeldiscomfort after a long drive. The only problem is that sides are bigger so there is less space when getting in and out. Nothing major though.
I forgot that can lower them so I don't how low they go.
3. THE ONE AND ONLY DCT!!! - again hats off. This gearbox is as good as it can be. Thanks to wet clutches in starts from a stand still very gently, like a normal automatic, but its lightining fast in manual mode. I drove different cars and this is the best gearbox that I have driven. I was playing with it and constantly changing gears and they were really as fast as they should be.
Note that there is no typical VW WLTP bullshit with any lagin the drive train. Car goes like it should. In normal traffic gearbox is keeping the proper gear so you always feel torque. It is much more snappy in normal driving to the point that at high speed when gearbox cannot do much magic, it feel slower xD
On a test drive I drove through my favourite bend at full throttle. It was much easier to just keep the steering wheel in a proper position at the limit and just change up with one finger. Oh and paddles are midium size. Bigger than bmw's and audis but not that big as in ferrari where half the wheels is surround by paddles. They are good enough for a hot hatch.
4. Wheels in real life look much better than in the photos. I disliked them at first but found them very good looking. They have gun metal color with some mettalic effect.
This year I will be changing my job and because I'm almost a senior developer I will be able and definately will order a replacement for my only year old i30n.
IMHO Facelift is just a perfect version of i30N and its up top with all of the best hot hatches in the market.