Hyundai chooses to give the i30 a facelift in its third year of life. The i30 is not only changed on the surface, the technology is also experiencing a modernization step.
The current i30 was introduced to the world in 2016 and appeared on the Dutch market a year later. You can’t even name the model by age. Nevertheless, the i30 facelift is experiencing its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show, but not before the model reveals all its secrets online.
The most striking changes have taken place at the front of the i30. The Korean receives a new, wider grille with a different interpretation and Hyundai mounts new headlights on either side of the new grille. The lighting units can optionally be equipped with LED technology. The LED daytime running lights move from the bumper to the headlights and get a striking V-shape at its new location. On the back of the i30 Hatchback we find a new rear bumper and here too the lighting is changed. Just like in the viewers, we find the V-shaped interpretation in the rear lights. Smaller news: Hyundai makes new alloy wheels and three new paint colors available: Dark Night, Silky Bronze and Sunset Red.
Hyundai also makes changes to the interior. For example, the ventilation grilles have a different shape and the 8-inch infotainment screen of the pre-facelift version is replaced by a larger 10.25-inch copy. Behind the wheel, Hyundai assembles a completely new 7-inch digital set of instruments.
engines
When modernizing the i30, Hyundai is not just limited to cosmetic changes. So the engine palette is pretty on the shovel. For example, the i30 is introduced to a brand new turbo-free 1.5, a gasoline engine that delivers 110 hp and 144 Nm and that is linked to a manual six-speed gearbox. Prefer a seven-speed automatic transmission with double clutch? Opt for the already known blown 1.0 T-GDI with 120 hp and 172 Nm, although this 1.0 can also be supplied with a manual six-speed gearbox. The 1.5 T-GDI and 1.0 T-GDI are remarkably close to each other in terms of power.
The 1.0 T-GDI also has a surprise in store. This machine is also available with 48v mild hybrid technology. As with the i20, this mild-hybrid version is available with the brand’s new iMT (Intelligent Manual Transmission) manual gearbox, a gearbox that completely disengages as soon as the driver releases the accelerator pedal. The 1.0 T-GDI with mild hybrid support is also available with the well-known seven-speed automatic. The most powerful gasoline version is a new 150 hp and 253 Nm powerful 1.5 T-GDI, a blown machine that replaces the 140 hp 1.4 T-GDI. This most powerful petrol version up to the return of the N versions also features mild hybrid technology and is available with the iMT manual gearbox and the seven-speed automatic transmission.
Just like before, you can diesel again with a 1.6 CRDi, a four-cylinder engine that is now 115 hp instead of 110 hp. The block can be linked to a manual six-speed gearbox but can also be supplied with the seven-speed automatic. Bigger news relates to the arrival of a 136 hp version of the 1.6 CRDi, a machine that in that form is also equipped with mild-hybrid technology and therefore also available with the iMT manual (280 Nm) and with automatic transmission (320 Nm).
Security systems
Hyundai is expanding the contents of the SmartSense package of safety systems with Lane Following Assist, Rear Collision Avoidance Assist, Leading Vehicle Departure Alert and Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist. Lane Following Assist keeps the i30 in the middle of the lane and Rear Collision Avoidance Assist applies the brake as soon as something or someone is detected when reversing. Leading Vehicle Departure Alert warns the driver if the vehicle in front drives off and there is no response for too long and Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist not only detects cars in the blind spot, but can now also brake on the engine.
N-Line
Good news for fans of the mainly sporty-looking goodies that Hyundai is giving the N-Line version: from now on, the i30 Wagon is also available in that version. The N-Line flavors look a bit wilder than before and include a more aggressively designed front with, among other things, a modified front bumper with a larger lower grille. The N-Line versions also stand out from the better versions at the rear, thanks to their rear bumper with ‘diffuser’.
Extensive technical specifications follow along with the starting prices and information about a Dutch market introduction at a later time.