The Hyundai i30 is a pretty spiffy family hatchback and you’ll be very happy at the price that it comes at too.
The Car
It’s a competitive model but with impressive running costs even at the entry level diesel engine – it gets 78 mpg. The diesel engine is however slated to be quite punchy with up to 126 bhp.
The i30 comes with a lot of technology in the standard model, including Bluetooth connectivity, LED daytime running lights, steering wheel with multi-function, door mirrors that are electrically adjustable and heated as well as one- touch indicators. That includes a lot of safety features too – 6 air bags, electronic stability control, anti-lock braking, hill-start assist, ISOFIX child seat mounts and automatic door locks as well as front-seat airbag deactivation if you are using a rear-facing child seat too – so it’s no wonder that the model comes away with a full score in the 5-star ANCAP rating system.
The Drive
We were very happy with our drive in the i30. We found that the suspension of the car is pretty decent for a family hatchback and that means that it rides over bumps in the road pretty well, you barely feel the hiccups as you go over them unless you take them at a lower speed. Turns are taken quite easily too, but there is a significant lean in comparison to other models that we’ve tried. Still, the i30 is grippy and hugs the road just enough to get you through the bends. The car offers a FlexSteer system to help you manage steering by allowing you to assign different weightag's, but we found that it didn’t make too much of a different unfortunately.
But where it falls short, the overall feel of being in the cabin will make up for it. Ignoring the mess at the centre console, the main controls are well-placed to help facilitate your drive and can help you to feel more comfortable as you make your way through town.
The Interior
You can tell that besides the good quality of the materials used, that this vehicle is mean to give off a little more upmarket feel. The buttons on the dashboard are easy to get to and well-spaced out and we find that the allocation of storage space is pretty intuitive to make reaching for the gear stick and other controls easy and comfortable.
The seats are well spaced as well as comfortable and supportive. There is plenty of room for the passengers, both in the front and in the back, even for the one sitting directly behind the centre console – there is a good amount of head and knee room for all, which is rare. At the same time, there is a pretty decent amount of boot space. Smaller than other cars in this class, but enough to do buy at 378 litres. With the rear seats folded down, this expands up to 1316 litres and really nothing to complain about.
Overall
We give the i30 props for the equipment package it comes with considering the relatively inexpensive initial cash outlay on the vehicle itself. Choose which engine carefully because the petrol engine isn’t the most cost-efficient.
Original : Reviewing the Hyundai i30
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