The all-new Hyundai i30 does just enough to keep pace with a pool of talented family hatchback rivals that includes the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen’s venerable Golf. It’s not the most exciting compact family car on the market, but it’s well built, refined and economical, and comes with a strong haul of standard equipment.
The entry-level 1.0-litre engine is our favourite, offering a truly grown-up driving experience despite its seemingly modest power output. A Renault Megane is more stylish and a SEAT Leon more fun to drive, but the i30 should find its way onto your shortlist if you’re in the market for a rational alternative to the Vauxhall Astra.
The new Hyundai i30 has been designed, developed and tested in Europe, specifically for European buyers. While that clearly affects the way the car handles on broken and uneven UK roads, it also has a bearing on how owners interact with the simple and well laid-out interior.
Entry-level cars get a small dashboard-mounted screen, while SE Nav models and above get an eight-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth, DAB, sat-nav and wireless phone charging. The car feels solidly put together, though some scratchy plastics do let down what is an otherwise considered interior design.
On the outside, this new i30 represents the brand’s new design language with a fresh cascading grille and bold LED headlights. It’s not as arresting as a Renault Megane, or even as striking as the ageing SEAT Leon, but it’s easily a match for nondescript rivals like the Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus. Neat LED tail-lights give the car a distinctive signature at night.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
There are plenty of tech options available on Hyundai’s latest i30, including all the latest connectivity boons. Lots of safety kit is included as standard, while things like Rear Cross Traffic Alert is available as an option.
Entry-level cars are pretty sparsely equipped, but work your way up the trims to SE Nav and you’ll benefit from a crisp eight-inch touchscreen. It’ll feel familiar to existing Hyundai or Kia owners, but the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make connecting your phone simple and straightforward. Wireless phone charging comes on all cars fitted with that big screen, too.
The Hyundai i30 is a capable and well-rounded car, and one that easily competes with the best in class when it comes to long-distance refinement. The SEAT Leon and Vauxhall Astra are more fun, though the entry-level i30 feels sprightly and surprisingly good to drive thanks to the lightweight three-cylinder turbo engine.
Under the skin there’s a new highly rigid chassis that Hyundai claims offers a compliant ride and more involving handling. This i30 is certainly better to drive than its predecessor, but while there’s plenty of grip, the light and slightly vague steering doesn’t fill you with all that much confidence. A Mazda 3 offers bags more feedback and will prove a better companion to those who prioritise handling and driver dynamics.
The suspension has a firm edge around town, but it softens off nicely at higher speeds. In fact, there’s little else in this class than can compete with the i30 when it comes to motorway refinement. It’s incredibly quiet no matter which engine you choose, making longer journeys a pleasure. The well-bolstered front seats offer decent support, too.
The entry-level 1.0-litre engine comes exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox, though the higher-power 1.4 turbo and 1.6-litre diesel offer the option of a seven-speed DCT automatic. It costs £1,000 across the range, barely affects fuel economy and shifts smoothly under gentle acceleration. Push harder and you’ll wish you opted for the standard-fit manual, though.
There’s loads of safety kit on the new i30, most of which just works away in the background. Autonomous Emergency Braking and Front Collision Warning are both included alongside Lane Keeping Assist and Driver Attention Alert.
Engines
The Hyundai i30 range currently comprises three engine options – and it’s the entry-level 1.0-litre turbo that offers the best blend of performance and running costs.
Despite taking a slightly lethargic 11.1 seconds to hit 62mph, the lightweight 1.0-litre turbo motor makes the i30 feel far sprightlier than the figures suggest. With 118bhp there’s enough performance on tap for quick overtakes, while keeping up with traffic on faster roads and motorways is no trouble at all. Keep it in the right gear and it’ll breeze up steeper inclines, too. It’s even incredibly refined, with none of the usual three-cylinder harshness under hard acceleration. It also makes light work of motorway driving.
Next up is the more powerful 1.4 T-GDi. Also turbocharged, the bigger capacity unit doesn’t offer as many benefits as it might appear to on paper. Hyundai claims a much quicker 0-62mph sprint of 8.9 seconds, but in reality the difference doesn’t feel all that great. It’s even more refined at high speed, though, feeling less stressed at the top end.
Company car buyers not interested in the two petrol engines should look at the tax-busting 1.6-litre CRDi diesel. It’s a familiar engine and feels well suited to the i30, with enough power to hustle the hatch along at a decent rate without ever feeling strained or overworked. Like the two petrol engines, it settles down nicely at speed, offering impressive long-distance refinement. Unfortunately, the higher-power 136bhp version on sale in Europe isn’t available in the UK.
No matter which model you go for, the Hyundai i30 should be a safe and dependable family car. The brand took a blow in our annual Driver Power survey in 2016, though, finishing 30th out of 32 manufacturers in our overall rundown. That was a nine-place drop on 2015, with owners raising particular concerns about the ride and handling of their cars. The maker finished 12th for practicality, though.
It’s a massive fall from grace, as the outgoing i30 finished top in our overall rankings only six years ago. By 2016 it’d fallen to 114th, though the newer i10 managed a respectable 38th-place finish.
There is loads of safety kit on board the new i30, with all cars getting Autonomous Emergency Braking, Front Collision Warning and Lane Keeping Assist. High Beam Assist and Driver Attention Alert are also included. Rear Cross Traffic Alert, which scans the rear of the car for hazards while reversing is available as an option.
There’s no Euro NCAP rating for the new i30 yet, but given its impressive kit tally, we expect a solid four or five-star award.
Warranty
Like all Hyundai products, the new i30 gets the brand’s five-year unlimited mileage warranty. Depending on how often you use your car, this may prove more useful than sister company Kia’s seven-year guarantee, which is limited to 100,000 miles.
Whichever way you look at it, the Hyundai warranty beats Volkswagen’s three-year, 60,000-mile offering, as well as Vauxhall’s identical set-up. Of course, like its rivals, wear and tear items such as tyres and clutches are excluded, and will need factoring in when tallying your lifetime costs.
Servicing
Hyundai Sense offers owners fixed-price servicing over two, three or five years. You can pay for it monthly, and all the work is carried out using genuine parts and by trained technicians.
The two-year plan costs £249 for petrol models and £349 for diesels, while a three-year plan costing £100 more. Few owners will keep their cars for five years, but if you intend to hold onto your i30, the five-year plan costs £649 for petrol cars or £749 for the diesel. You can add MoTs into the three or five-year plans for an extra fee.
Depending which you go for, the i30 will need servicing once a year or every 10,000 miles, whichever comes sooner.
The Hyundai i30 is currently only available as a five-door hatchback. Unlike its predecessor there’s no three-door planned, though a Fastback coupe will join the range towards the end of 2017.
A Tourer estate will bolster the line-up soon, offering improved practicality and a much bigger load bay – though those often carrying bulky items should try before they buy, as the standard hatch gets a large square opening with a practical, flat hatchback.
Storage inside the cabin is good, with a decent bin between the front seats and suitably-sized door pockets good enough for a bottle of water. There’s also a handy storage area ahead of the gear lever for placing your phone and wallet out of harm’s way.
Size
At 4.34m long and nearly 1.8m wide, the Hyundai i30 is slightly shorter and slightly narrower than a Vauxhall Astra. That makes it easy to drive, though manoeuvring in tight spaces is a little tricky due to the smaller rear window. The steering is light though, so you don’t have to work too hard when navigating small city streets.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
Despite its square tailgate and high roofline, the Hyundai i30 isn’t the most capacious family car on sale. Space in the back is fine for most adults, but those over six-foot will find their heads rubbing on the roof. Knee room is also adequate, but if passenger space is a priority then a Skoda Octavia will better fit the bill.
This considered, space up front is fine with lots of movement in the seating position and a steering wheel with reach and rake adjustment standard on all models. Everything is logically located – especially on those fitted with the larger touchscreen.
Boot
With a 395-litre boot, the Hyundai i30’s load bay is on a par with most of its rivals when it comes to practicality. The space is 15 litres bigger than a Volkswagen Golf’s, and 25 litres bigger than in a Vauxhall Astra. However, a Skoda Octavia trumps the i30 with a colossal 590-litre opening, and despite the sloping hatch, is far more versatile than the Hyundai.
The i30’s seats fold in one very simple motion to reveal a 1,301-litre maximum capacity. That’s 91 litres bigger than the Astra’s but 279 litres down on the Octavia. Those wanting even more room should wait for the new Hyundai i30 Tourer estate, which should offer even greater carrying capacity. The i30 Fastback coupe due late in 2017 is expected to prioritise style over and above functionality.
All new Hyundai i30 models return reasonable fuel economy, though if rock-bottom running costs are a priority, then opt for the fleet-friendly diesel. The 1.6-litre CRDi diesel engine will return 74.3mpgon the combined cycle when paired to the standard six-speed manual gearbox, emitting 99g/km of CO2. The DCT auto is slightly less frugal, managing a still impressive 68.9mpg and 109g/km.
Next best is the 1.0-litre turbo petrol. It’s our pick of the range, feeling sprightly and agile, while also returning a decent 56.5mpg. It’ll emit 115g/km of CO2 and escapes the three per cent Benefit in Kind diesel surcharge if you’re a company car driver.
The 1.4-litre turbo petrol is the least economical, emitting 124g/km of CO2 while returning 52.3mpg. The DCT auto doesn’t affect these numbers all that much, though, returning 51.4mpg and 125g/km of CO2.
All cars come with Hyundai’s stop-start technology, which shuts off the engine in traffic. Unfortunately, there’s no super-frugal eco model like Volkswagen has managed with the Golf BlueMotion.
Insurance groups
Insurance groups for the new Hyundai i30 haven’t been released yet, but premiums are likely to mirror models from rival manufacturers. The extensive list of safety kit should keep prices low, while relatively modest engine outputs will ensure younger drivers can afford to run an i30 without too much trouble.
Depreciation
Accurate Hyundai i30 residual values aren’t yet available. The old car didn’t fare particularly well, though added security features, extra standard equipment and a more efficient range of engines should ensure the new i30 retains more of its value after three years or 36,000 miles.
That said, we’d avoid the entry-level models if you’re concerned by depreciation. You’re likely to recoup at least part of the extra cost of SE Nav or even Premium cars when the time does eventually come to sell.