Hyundai has given the i30 a make-over: the nose has been refreshed, the drive technology reviewed and the electronics revised.
Hyundai has given the i30 an interim update. The refreshed edition can be recognized by a modified nose where the headlight units with V-shaped daytime running lights are the most eye-catching. Furthermore, the engine range has been revised, it has the multimedia system that we have recently seen with the new Hyundai i20 and the equipment levels have been reviewed. We no longer find diesel engines in the i30 price list. The i30 is now only offered with petrol power sources. You can choose between a 120 hp one-liter three-cylinder and a 160 hp 1.5-liter four-cylinder. Both feature 48-volt mild hybrid technology and are optionally available with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DCT automatic transmission.
Vibrations and vibrations
In practice, the 160 hp Hyundai engine works well with the automatic transmission. It is a pleasant combination with which you quickly drive too fast unnoticed. This is because the engine does its job in peace and seems to be on its slippers; traction seems to be immediately available. The maximum torque of 253 Nm is already reached at 1,500 rpm and can be maintained up to 3,500 rpm if desired.
More and more often we see that manufacturers are developing two rear axles for their compact middle class. The simple and cheaper torsion beam is generally used in combination with lighter motorisations and the more complex and therefore more expensive independent multilink suspension is used to cope with greater performance. Our i30 has the latest construction. Hyundai is with the tuning more on the more comfortable than on the dynamic side, the Michelin Pilot Sport tires do not detract from that. Incidentally, those tires provide a good dose of grip, the car does not seem to want to leave its track easily. Not that the car invites you to look for the limit, the steering is too much in line with the chassis for that, which is light and distant. There is not much feeling in it.
Glass ceiling
The interior space has not changed with the interim update of the i30, that was okay and it still is. In the front of the Hyundai you sit relatively high, but the support is – partly thanks to seat extenders – fine. Moreover, you have enough space in the front. In the back of the Hyundai have plenty of legroom. When headroom in the back is important, you do well with the Hyundai to order the car without a glass roof. It can make the difference between just or just not coming into contact with the headlining. And what station wagons are all about: luggage space. The Hyundai can take 602 liters, which is a good value.
The instrumentation consists of a digital display for the speed display, flanked by physical meters for the speed, the fuel supply and the cooling water temperature. It leaves little to be desired in terms of clarity. The multimedia screens on the i30 are on top of the dashboard, well visible. This means you don’t have to take your eyes off the traffic for too long to view it. The renewed screen of the Hyundai is large and the operation is pleasant. And the system no longer has physical keys for the main menus on the left and right of the screen, but now there are touch-sensitive surfaces under the screen for the same functions, so that you can go directly to the desired place in the menus. It is very nice that the Korean still has a separate panel with physical buttons for operating the air conditioning. You don’t have to roam endlessly through menus to adjust the temperature.
In class
Hyundai tries with all kinds of electronic systems to make your kilometers slide very comfortably. Active lane assistance and adaptive cruise control are in fact essential these days. The Hyundai gets them as standard. The Korean also keeps an eye on whether you are still in class and you get high beam assistance without extra charge, as well as automatic cornering lights and an emergency braking system that recognizes cyclists and pedestrians. With the exception of leather upholstery, a glass roof and other wheels, the i30 has no options; there are only two trim levels in conjunction with the 1.5 T-GDI engine. The Wagons are in this form, as i30 N-Line, dressed up. The designation is a direct reference to the seriously potent versions and that means that this car is equipped with sporty accents such as exhausts with a double end piece, lots of red stitching in the interior. Furthermore, we encounter a large N in various places in the Hyundai, so that you do not forget which version you are on the road with. With automatic transmission and glass roof, like the red car in this test, the i30 has a price tag of € 36,795.