ADELAIDE RALLY PREVIEW: Three Days, Six Stages and One Great Hot Hatch
The Adelaide Rally has always been a celebration of pure driving, showcasing the kind of roads that define South Australia and the electric atmosphere only a tarmac rally can deliver. Three days, dozens of stages and some of the most spectacular stretches of bitumen anywhere in the world. This year, Hillside Auto is taking you inside the rally with a full preview of six key stages. The car we’ve chosen to attack them with? The Hyundai i30 N, provided by the team at Peter Page Hyundai.
However, I wasn’t alone for the journey. Alongside me was Hillside’s newly-recruited test pilot, professional race driver, part-time comedian and full-time chaos merchant behind the wheel. Together, we set out to experience the rally route exactly as competitors will this weekend.
Day one:
Beaumont – The One-Kilometre Wake-Up Call
Only minutes from Adelaide’s CBD, Beaumont serves as the shortest and most deceptive stage of the rally. Barely a kilometre in length, it strings together smooth curves, tight switchbacks and a blind hairpin that arrives with almost no warning.
From the moment the stage begins, the i30 N shows exactly why the N division exists. Sharp turn-in, solid brakes and an electronic limited-slip differential that drags the car out of hairpins with impressive enthusiasm. For such a short run, Beaumont wastes no time reminding drivers: if you’re not awake, you will be punished.
Cherryville plus – nineteen Kilometres of Concentration
Cherryville is where the rally truly starts to bare its teeth.
The road rises, tightens and drops away with relentless complexity. Marble Hill demands balance, Corkscrew demands bravery, and Gorge Road—well, every South Australian knows why it’s considered sacred among drivers.
The i30 N refuses to be rattled. The two-litre turbo engine pulls harder than its size suggests and the chassis behaves with the confidence of a much more expensive car. Turn after turn, crest after crest, the little Hyundai feels unshakeable.
Corkscrew, as always, becomes the stage’s defining moment. Hairpin after hairpin, no straights, no break in rhythm. It’s a test of concentration and mechanical grip. In many turbo hatches you’d expect lag, hesitation, or torque steer chaos. Instead, the i30 N bites and goes, calm and eager.
Then, like a reward for surviving the ordeal, the road spills out onto the smooth sweepers of Gorge Road. Under rally conditions—no traffic, clear run—it becomes heaven. Long corners load the suspension, the scenery opens up beside the reservoir, and suddenly you remember why this event is so loved.
Day Two:
Chain of Ponds - Flowing Roads And The Mad Mile
Day two begins with a run across Chain of Ponds. Normally cluttered with commuters and weekend wanderers, rally day empties the road, giving competitors the rare chance to enjoy it at full pace.
The first hard braking zone has long been a crowd favourite, with competitors often dancing the rear end around the corner like a handbrake-happy WRC entry. This year will be no different. With the rally’s rising competitiveness and world-class entrants in the new Rally Pro category, the spectacle is set to be bigger than ever.
From there, the stage funnels onto Tippett Road, better known to motorcyclists as the Mad Mile. Elevation changes, blind crests and little room for error make it one of the most thrilling segments of the entire rally. Even at road-legal speeds, it’s an eye-opening experience.
kNotts Range – A Rally Stage Straight From a Video Game
Knotts Range blends Pounds Road, Hunters Road and Lobethal Road into a rugged, twisting and visually stunning stretch of tarmac. Ruts, rubble and narrow tree-lined sections make it feel more like a European hillclimb.
The Hyundai’s rally DNA shines here. Its chassis absorbs the broken surface, the diff digs in through slow corners and the turbo wakes up sharply above 3,500rpm. For a car built from the heritage of Hyundai’s WRC success, this is its natural habitat.
There’s a strange moment that hits many younger drivers on this stage—one Luke expressed perfectly. It feels like Forza Horizon brought to life: the rolling hills, the festival atmosphere of the rally, the sense that anything could appear around the next bend. It’s real, and it’s spectacular.
Day Three:
mt lofty - morning sprint to the summit
Day three starts the way every seasoned Adelaide driver knows - Greenhill Road, in full attack mode. The opening corners are aggressive and unpredictable, tossing the car around like a warm-up designed by a sadist. But once past that chaotic first section, the road begins to flow.
From there, competitors climb onto Mount Lofty Summit Road, one of the most notorious stretches in the state. Sheer drops, minimal guardrails, towering gums and constant camber define this stage. In tour groups, it becomes a convoy of noise and colour; in competition, it becomes a razor-thin margin for error.
It’s a proper wake-up call, and one of the most beautiful pieces of tarmac in the state.
Sturt Valley – The Final Sprint
Everything ends at Sturt Valley.
A tight, technical opening run gives way to wide, smooth tarmac that begs for a flat-out attack into Stirling. Even behind traffic during our preview, the charm of the stage is undeniable: rolling greens, open straights, sweeping corners and a finish that feels ceremonial as you enter the town.
By this point, the i30 N has endured three days of nonstop driving, countless hairpins, steep descents, bumpy surfaces and tight technical runs—without a single complaint. It’s been the perfect partner.
A Rally Like No Other
After three days and six stages, one thing is clear: the Adelaide Rally is unlike anything else. It’s a festival, a motorsport spectacle and a celebration of South Australian roads all rolled into one. With more than 470 entries this year and Hyundai’s growing presence through the N Tour, the event is continuing to evolve into one of the world’s premier tarmac rallies.
And if you’re quick, Peter Page Hyundai can get you on the start line for 2026.
Closed roads, perfect tarmac, breathtaking scenery and a hot hatch that just wants to play—there’s no better way to experience the Adelaide Hills.
On behalf of Hillside Auto and Peter Page Hyundai:
See you at the 2025 Adelaide Rally.
