By Michal Kieca
Engine: 1.8 Litre 16-valve Petrol. Power: 110kW @ 6500rpm | Torque: 178Nm @ 4700rpm
Transmission: Six-speed Manual
Fuel Consumption listed: 6.9 l/100km | Tested: 9.2 l/100km
Price (as tested): $24,590
Overall Rating: ★★★
Plusses: Roomy, well-made interior, refined noise suppression, decently appointed trim levels, good value for money.
Minuses: Sloppy, vague steering, mediocre handling, average engine, unsophisticated ESC system, Hyundai’s wilting value equation.
OVERVIEW
It sure is a very pretty car inside and out, but the i30 is in all honesty best admired sitting still, because on the road it gets quite ugly. Sure the car is well made and will have people flocking to the showrooms, but dynamically this car leaves quite a lot to be desired. It isn’t as polished as some of its better rivals, nor is it as desirable, but it certainly is a very capable car.
From the redesigned body and body to the re-engineered drivetrain and suspension, new really does mean new. With the already giant leaps in interior quality and feel, the drive looks promising…VALUE AND FEATURES: ★★★★
The i30 has always been a very convincing proposition to potential buyers, with above-average standard features and the all-elusive 5-year warranty. The latest i30 is no different, offering generous equipment across the entire range, with my mid-range ‘Elite’ model coming with a host of goodies such as push button start, a 7 inch touchscreen display, dual zone climate control and automatic electric folding side mirrors. This is certainly a car loaded with fruit. It’s quite well priced at $24,590 and Hyundai dealers always give generous discounts if you up for some haggling. Hyundai now charges $1400 more than before to get an entry level i30, in fact the car is actually $1000 dearer than the Corolla meaning that fewer people will be able to afford it than before.
ON THE ROAD: ★★★
I’m sorry to report that this is where the i30’s convincing showroom appeal starts to fade away, not only for enthusiast drivers but also for punters looking for the ideal medium sized hatchback. I’m sorry to report that the first letdown, once you’ve left the showroom, is the i30’s vexing rear vision, a trait that is much worse than before, you can thank that rising shoulder line.
The all-new 1.8 litre four-pot petrol engine is actually not that bad, reveling in revs to really race along effortlessly, yet it’s still endowed with enough low-down torque for lazy, around town driving. It really is happiest working hard, feeling almost like a Honda engine in the way that it quickly sings and spins. The slick six-speed manual has a nice and chunky feel and shifts with well-oiled precision with the overall feel being reminiscent of many VW Group products. The i30 slurped 9.2 litres on average over the test route, not a great result considering its more efficient rivals. Dynamically, the i30 is a mixed bag. With the test car wearing chubby, 55-aspect 16-inch alloys, the car delivered an absorbent and pleasant primary ride. The suspension on the cars struggles to filter out the smaller imperfections in the road at speed, lacking the polish that is present in the super serene VW Golf. The car simply never settles down on the road. Whilst I’m sure that there is a smorgasbord of cost-cutting benefits from adopting a torsion-beam in the rear, I’m convinced that the suspension’s firmness will annoy everyone with a pelvis, not just motoring enthusiasts.
Now we get on to the steering system, complete with a pointless switch called ‘Flex-Steer’ that varies its weight from numbingly light to just about okay. The system does react eagerly to inputs, for relatively flat, accurate and competent handling capabilities. The car has decent balance in the corners, and driving it hard reveals a chassis set up for scrubby understeer. What is really missing though, is any sense of feeling coming from the front wheels; so punting the i30 hard seems as pointless as the adjustable steering settings are.
Admittedly, only keen drivers will car or even take notice, but everyone will be surprised by the brakes. Although they’re very fine on bitumen, being sharp and responsive, the car’s gravel stopping capabilities are very poor with the car pulling up much later than expected. The stability control is very crude and obtrusive, intervening late and hard. Hyundai required clearly a bit more tuning on our roads.
THE INTERIOR: ★★★★
The interior is a massive step forward over the old car and is truly a nice lace to be. In my opinion, the i30 now ranks second only to the Golf for cabin quality whilst leaving all of its other rivals quite far behind. The feel of the new i30’s soft touch plastics is sublime; they’re consistently seen on the dashboard, the door trims not only in the front, but also in the back.
Yet the cleverness isn’t in the precise build quality, high-quality soft-feel surfaces, user-friendly ergonomics, and sheer practicality but rather how warm and inviting the interior’s net result is. The interior will easily accommodate 4 people in comfort, those in the rear are well looked after and the driving position is easily tailored to suit anyone. The boot is one of the larger ones in the segment with a total of 378 litres of usable space on offer.
SAFETY: ★★★★★
The i30 comes full of passive and active safety features. ABS, brake-force distribution and brake assist with ESP and TCS are standard. The car has 7 airbags, including that all-important driver’s knee airbag. It achieved a 5 star EuroNCAP rating.
VERDICT:
The new i30 has certainly gained the attention of new car buyers worldwide, its well-made, good value and a reasonable all rounder. Unfortunately, despite its striking showroom presence and appeal, this latest i30’s often-inconsistent drivability dulled the car’s initial shine. Hyundai still has some way to go to make the i30 top of its class.
All images/media © Hyundai Press Office