Hyundai i30 review and buyer's guide
If you’re shopping for a small hatch or sedan, the Hyundai i30 has become the benchmark for value, performance and quality. Small families with a modest budget, or merely individuals who don’t need a bloated SUV, i30 offers bang for your buck.
The Hyundai i30 is a small hatch or sedan chock-full of the essential features you need and those you want for modern driving, such as commuting, city traffic and suburban running around.
The range has been through several substantial updates over the years, while holding its place as one of the best-selling vehicles in Australia.
It’s a safe potential first car for the kids, a performance masterstroke for the enthusiasts, or you can have a mid-range urban-life carpark runabout vehicle.
If you’re If you’re shopping around for a small, affordable hatch or sedan, the i30 is among the best - up there with Kia Cerato, Subaru Impreza, the Mazda 3 or the Toyota Corolla.
The i30 has a foot in both sides of the Venn diagram where one is the performance hot hatch territory once dominated by the Honda Civic Type R and which has been more recently infaturated with the Volkswagen Golf GTi. The i30 N-Line and N Performance variants have truly fractured the reputations of both, where the Golf was always seen as the engineering-haloed hot hatch, and the Type R was the affordable performance car for true enthusiasts. Neither is the case anymore.
If you do want the cornering Jedi known as the i30 N Performance, click here >>
The range has seen the i30 hatch updated with the N-Line performance versions, while also upgrading the regular pedestrian variants for the non-performance focussed among you. Additionally, the brand amalgamated the Elantra into the range, calling it the i30 Sedan.
The rest of the range is pretty impressive too, with that second foot firmly planted in the ‘value’ camp. This means it competes (some might say ‘cannibalises’) with Kia Cerato for the best value option, and then there’s the ubiquitous Toyota Corolla that holds steady atop the podium for reputational mass market fleet-buyer appeal.
If that wasn’t already enough competition, the i30 also has to fend off the Mazda 3 in terms of prestige. Without doubt the small hatch or sedan with the nicest cabin to occupy for four hours a day, five days a week, sitting in traffic, wondering what you’re doing with your life - it’s the Mazda 3. If you need a car that can double as a pseudo therapist’s leather couch, to ease your troubled mind, the i30 struggles against the Mazda 3 which takes a leaf out of the European carmakers’ book on design.
There’s a great deal the Hyundai i30 can do for you, so let’s figure out which one suits you, and see how it compares with the rest of the pack.
FEATURES & PRICING
The i30 range is not as simple as it once was, although it’s still relatively easy. You just need to start with choosing sedan or hatch. The primary advantage is a boot space that’s separated and partitioned away from prying eyes, or the hatch with its marginally shorter profile and parcel shelf.
You’ve got the entry-level accountant-friendly i30 base model, simply called ‘i30’. It’s the equivalent of starting with a blank piece of paper. There’s ‘Active’ and ‘Elite’ before a fork in the road, where you can elect to go for the luxury-sport model, the N-Line Premium, or you could go the simplified-sporty route instead, with the N-Line.
Active model shown.
i30 base model or Active - $26,300 - $30,300 driveaway (approx.)
A lot of very useful standard equipment like:
16-inch alloys (no more hubcaps)
rearview camera
auto emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping
auto high beam, std halogen h/lights
CarPlay/AndroidAuto + 6-speaker stereo.
Well suited to average singles, couples and young families who want basic transportation with no frills.
Powertrain: 2.0-litre direct injection petrol four-cylinder, six-speed manual or conventional auto transmissions, 2WD only.
Elite
i30 Elite - $35,000 driveaway (approx.)
This step up in equipment level is only in features and trims, not powertrain. It’s still the 2.0L petrol in auto only.
Additional gear includes: the 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen again with CarPlay/AndroidAuto, premium Infinity 7-speaker stereo, smartkey with push-button start, wireless phone charging, satnav with traffic updates, and blindspot detection in the safety suite, plus safe exit warning, and driver attention warning.
i30 N-Line $34,800 | N-Line Premium $39,800
The N-Line models have a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine, and a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
This car really delivers on the 'affordable performance' front with 150kW of peak power. Power delivery blows many competitors out of the water, and there's no need for expensive premium unleaded, either. From 1500-4500 RPM the engine is making 59kW to 139kW, which is impressive, especially for the price.
Extensive local suspension tuning also means the ride and handling more than keeps up with the powertrain and the terrain. And the multi-link rear suspension always feels planted.
Transmission is done via the seven-speed dual-clutch which has proven robust, slick and ideally suited to this vehicle. It’s eager to drive you forward, and it’s quite good as predicting the next gear you’re going to need, especially when you change your mind or traffic changes suddenly.
But you need to be mechanically sensitive to not treat it like an epicyclic torque converter automatic, so when you reach a red light, stay stopped and wait. Don’t inch forward, and avoid creeping along at 2km/h in slow traffic. This will reduce excessive wear, internally. Just don’t mistake this is as some engineering design deficiency - it’s not deficient - it just requires basic driver respect.
The N-Line Premium is seven-speed dual-clutch transmission or you can still have a six-speed manual if you want to do it yourself and can’t handle the self-restraint required of a dry dual-clutch.
Don’t panic about the DCT, it’s really only Ford, Volkswagen and Nissan who botched their R&D. Hyundai’s DCT has for many years been behind this 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine, in particular, and the deleted diesel as well, and it’s proven quite reliable in service so there's no cause for concern whatsoever.
Entry-level i30 overview
Many base model vehicles, historically, offer stripped-out plastic-riddled interiors that only accountants could love because they’re buying them in bulk for a rental car company or a government department, or some kind of large organisation.
That means the average Aussie family car buyer tends to shop higher up in the model range if you want basic transportation, but you want more than the bare bones. The good thing about an i30 these days is there’s a reasonable level of equipment.
But the i30 Active (at $29,990 drive-away) absolutely brakes the mould. The true ‘poverty pack’ is just called plainly, ‘i30’. So imaginative. Now, it’s $25K, but it doesn’t get leather appointed seats, one-touch power windows (you have to hold the button up or down), and you get beer coaster 16-inch alloy wheels.
On the plus side, Hyundai i30 poverty pack does still give you a rearview camera, the smaller 8-inch touchscreen, AndroidAuto/CarPlay, and auto emergency braking, four rear parking sensors, radar cruise, lane-keeping, auto high beam and driver’s attention warning. Not a bad first car for $25K.
Standard inclusions with i30 are impressive: a big fat touchscreen as standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, tyre pressure monitoring (still an optional extra offered by ‘premium’ European brands), five-star safety rating with seven airbags (more on this in the safety section of this review, below).
There’s automatic headlights, rearview camera, full-size spare (rare for small cars), and you can option the “SmartSense” safety pack which adds blind-spot warning, driver attention warning, forward collision avoidance (city/urban/interurban/pedestrian) and lane keeping.
Active is nothing less than astonishing, adding LED daytime running lamps and side indicators, rear parking sensors, 16-inch alloys with a full-sized spare, power-folding side mirrors, DAB+ radio, GPS satnav, a centre rear-seat armrest with cupholders and leather bits.
We’ve all seen poverty before and that’s not it.
If you're in the market for affordable family transport you really need to pay close attention to the features on offer from the likes of Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Volkswagen Golf (and here's the important bit) at the same price point.
Hyundai i30 Active has an impressive list of standard features including:
8-inch satnav touchscreen
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Tyre pressure monitoring
Five-star safety (seven airbags)
Auto headlamps
Rear parking sensors & reverse camera
16-inch alloys (full-sized spare)
DAB+ digital radio
Cruise control
i30 SEDAN OVERVIEW
Renamed from ‘Elantra’, the i30 Sedan starts at a slightly higher $29K entry price for the ‘i30 Active’, and it’s pretty decent value and feels slightly more upmarket than its pricetag may allude to.
This accountant’s special gets you the 8-inch touchscreen, CarPlay/AndroidAuto, 6 speakers, rearview camera, rear parking sensors and leather-trimmed steering wheel.
That of course means cloth seats and plenty of blanking spots in the centre instrument tunnel for features you don’t get in the Elite, for example. But that’s to be expected of a vehicle whose top model grade goes all the way up to $46,000 for the ‘N-Line Premium’.
Sedan gets the same 2.0-litre petrol engine in Active and Elite despite a $5000 jump to the latter second model grade. Fortunately, for that 5K you get the big 10-inch touchscreen, Bose premium fat beats stereo system, a smartkey and push-button start, and you get a smart blindspot monitoring added to the safety tech.
‘Blindspot monitoring assistance’ brakes and nudges the car back into your lane if you start merging into someone the vehicle detects in your ‘blind spot’. Pro Tip: Turn your mirrors outward and eliminate blind spots. It’s true.
Sedan Elite gets the standard 6-speed regular epicyclic auto transmission, too. So no sharp-shifting dual-clutch transmission for you unless you opt for the N-Line. Happily, and quite counterintuitively, this could save you a grand or two because N-Line sedan gives you a bunch of sporty trims like stitching, logos on the steering wheel and gearknob, and LED taillamps etc. But you lose the Bose stereo. Bummer.
Overall, the sedan is a very nicely executed small-medium family vehicle capable of ample legroom for the tall, a big boot for the enthusiastic hoarders among you, and there’s all the usually space and attachment points for two ISOFIX child anchorages on the outboard seats with corresponding top tethers. Same as hatch.
It rides a little bit harsher than the hatch, owing to the lack of bespoke Australian tuning, but it’s far from being unable to live with. It’s going to be a very dependable and comfortable mid-size move.
And just think of the money you’ll save over an SUV which is heavier, more expensive and harder to park. However, if you have mobility issues, granted, an SUV like Kia Sportage will allow entry/exit much easier than a lower-slung sedan/hatch.
Of course, i30 sedan is front-wheel drive only, so no dodgy camping backroads for you. If you do need an AWD sedan/hatch, consider the Subaru Impreza. Other compact vehicle alternatives could include the Kia Stonic ‘SUV’ the Mazda CX-3 which is nice, the Hyundai Kona or Kia Seltos are also very good and offer that AWD advantage and an N-Line or GT-Line performance option.
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MAIN COMPETITORS
Mazda 3 Astina - hatch or sedan
The fresh-looking Mazda3 does throw some shade over the i30’s sharper, more aggressive angular design - so choosing between them on looks will be purely aesthetical preference.
But the N-Line is still firmly the better performance car. The N-Line Premium doesn’t humiliate the G25 Astina, however, you certainly save some coin opting for the Mazda.
The N-Line powertrain in the 1.6 GDI Turbo, is superior in absolute terms. It makes 11 kilowatts more and offers a quick-shifting dual-clutch transmission designed for spirited driving. However, you can have the i30 in manual if you’re truly keen to DIY.
But what’s really going here is, because of the i30’s turbocharger, the delivery of peak torque which comes on in the N-Line at 1500 rpm and it keeps coming on until 4500. So you get your 265 Nm of torque all the way between those extremes.
In the Mazda GT and G25 Astina, what you're getting is a little bit less torque but it’s not coming on-song until 4000 rpm and that just makes this car, the N-Line, incredibly potent at low and middle revs. The i30 might be slightly heavier, but makes up for it with outright performance.
This 1.6-litre turbo petrol powertrain absolutely eclipses the delivery from the G25 at all revs from 1500 rpm all the way up to 6000.
Hyundai i30 N-Line Premium
$42,000 drive-away
1.6-litre turbo petrol
150kW @ 6000 rpm
265 Nm @ 1500-4500 rpm
7-speed dual-clutch
Standard unleaded
Luggage: 395 L (rear seats up)
Fuel usage: 7.1 L/100km (combined, DCT)
Kerb weight: 1436kg (1503kg sedan)
Fuel type: 91 RON unleaded
Towing: 1300kg braked
Key features: Heated/cooled front seats, panoramic sunroof
Mazda3 G25 Astina
$42,000 drive-away
2.5-litre atmo petrol
139kW @ 6000 rpm
252 Nm @ 4000 rpm
6-spd manual or 6-spd auto
Standard unleaded
Luggage: 295L (rear seats up)
Fuel usage: 6.6L/100km (combined, auto)
Kerb weight: 1380kg (1388kg sedan)
Fuel type: 91 RON unleaded
Towing: 1200kg braked
Key features: Cylinder Deactivation & ignition stop-start, heated steering wheel
If you intend to do mostly commuter traffic and suburban running about, both cars are going to satisfy. The Mazda 3 is no slouch, but leans toward luxury over outright grunt.
Kia Cerato - hatch or sedan
Cerato GT isn’t quite a hot hatch but damn near as good as one, because power comes from the same 1.6-litre turbo petro 4-cylinder as the i30 N-Line. It makes the same punchy 150kW although doesn’t quite feel as eager as the i30 N-Line. But that’s okay, because keep in mind that about 10 years ago, outright hot hatches were struggling to make that kind of power - reliably.
The others model grades of Cerato use a pretty basic but durable 2.0-litre petrol 4-cylinder generating 112kW, which is less than the 120kW in i30 hatch. But do you really need the extra power? Maybe.
Cerato is all about value - just like the i30 - but favouring features and comfort over the more outright performance-driven state of affairs with the i30. The hatches are basically the same platform underneath, but with different bodies and interiors (because Kia is part of the Hyundai Motor Group, in case you weren’t aware). You have to figure out which you prefer.
Here are the hatch Cerato GT’s stats to compare (because it’s the best value in the range). But keep in mind weight, engine and power change with the lighter lower-tier Cerato model grades:
Boot size: 428 litre (back seats up), (sedan: 502L )
Ground clearance: 135mm
Wheelbase: 2.7m
Transmission: Dual-clutch transmission, 7-speed
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo | Fuel: 91 RON petrol (Tank: 50 litres)
Power: 150kW @ 6000 revs | Weight: 1432kg | Power-weight ratio: 107 kW/t
Economy: claimed combined fuel 6.8L per 100km
Subaru Impreza - hatch only
This is the only small hatchback you can have with all-wheel drive, which is great for anybody who visits or lives in regional areas with dirt roads or mountainous areas with snow or ‘black ice’ on corners after frosty nights. Metro-city consumers with steep and potentially slippery driveways, or who regularly drive in hilly areas and take off from awkwardly positioned traffic lights or intersections - you will also benefit from all-wheel drive.
Even just taking off from the lights in the pouring rain, and cornering on wet roads, it’s a significantly safer undertaking with AWD compared with a front-wheel drive. Subaru has developed a very smooth CVT that saves fuel (even if it does drone on a little bit), and the Boxer engine (pistons that move horizontally, not vertically) offers low centre of gravity, which is why it sits nice and flat in corners.
Some quick stats to compare:
Boot size: 291 litre (back seats up), 883L (back seats down)
Ground clearance: 130mm
Wheelbase: 2.67m
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission, 8-speed
Engine: 2-litre Boxer | Fuel: 91 RON petrol (Tank: 50 litres)
Power: 115kW @ 6000 revs | Weight: 1472kg | Power-weight ratio: 80.1 kW/t
Economy: claimed combined fuel 7.5L per 100km
Impreza doesn’t have the performance of a Cerato GT or i30 N-Line - not even close. But that’s not the point of that vehicle in the same way the point of the Toyota Corolla is not to be as capable as the AWD Impreza or as exciting to drive as the i30 N-Line.
TOYOTA COROLLA - hatch or sedan
A Corolla hatch or sedan is the one you buy if you can’t be bothered overthinking which one to buy - and that’s not a criticism of you. It’s perfectly normal to not give a crap about cars; you’re allowed to treat them purely as a tool for a job. But surely you want the right tool, yes?
Offered in front-wheel drive only, Corolla goes and steers okay, even if a bit dull and the cabin is bit meek, but again - that’s allowed.
Corolla is a ‘good-enough’ notionally ‘small’ car and has more than proven its reliability over the years. Paint peeling, not so much, but that’s for you to decide. Toyota’s multi-point engine (tuned for fuel economy, not performance) and CVT transmission aren’t particularly exciting to drive, and that’s okay because you don’t have to buy an interesting car.
Boot size: 333 litres (back seats up)/ 470L (sedan)
Ground clearance: 130mm
Wheelbase: 2.64m
Transmission: Epicyclic auto 6-speed
Engine: 1.8L hybrid 4-cyl OR 2.0L 4-cyl | Fuel: 91 RON (Tank: 43L (hybrid), 50 litres (combustion-only))
Power: 103kW OR 126kW | Weight: 1430kg (hybrid), 1410kg (combustion)
Power-weight ratio: 75 kW/t (ZR hybrid hatch), 72 kW/t (ZR hybrid hatch)
Economy: claimed combined fuel 3.9L (hybrid), 5.9L (combustion) per 100km
The hybrid has sold to a wide consumer base and while it struggles to save you money on fuel long-term (higher overall retail cost), it does reduce emissions during take-off by using the kinetic energy captured during braking and coasting that would’ve otherwise been wasted.
i30 vs Kona
Do you really need an SUV? Probably not and here’s why. Despite small SUV’s being more popular in the sales race, a small car is still better value.
Having kids should not automatically force you to buy a heavier, thirstier, more costly SUV to own and maintain than a convention car. This is especially true if you do actually need a new car and ongoing costs are a concern for you.
When you add size, you add weight, consume more fuel and the preconception that bigger equals more storage is not always true. In fact, the numbers don’t lie: if practicality is the game, the i30 has a full house.
KONA Premium
$46,500 drive-away (approx.)
1.6L turbo petrol
6-spd manual / 7-spd DCT
Luggage: 395 L (rear seats up) / 1301 L (rear seats down)
Fuel usage: 7.1L/100km (combined, DCT)
Kerb weight: 1436kg
Fuel type: 91 RON unleaded
Towing: 1300kg braked
Given that you’re getting the same engine, same transmission and, notionally doing exactly the same task with a Kona as you would be with an i30, the fact you’re consuming more fuel (because it weighs more: powered by the same engine) but the luggage capacity is only 30 litres more than the hatch - why do you want higher ongoing costs to run it?
If you went for the sedan you’d actually get more luggage space than a Kona and you’d pay $5000 less to still have the N-Line Premium with all the ‘bells ‘n’ whistles’, as they say.
i30 N-Line Premium
$41,900 drive-away (approx.)
1.6L turbo petrol
150kW @ 6000rpm
7-spd DCT (AWD) (6spd manual saves you $2000)
Luggage: 361 L (rear seats up) / 1143 L (rear seats down)
Fuel usage: 6.7L/100km (combined, DCT)
Kerb weight: 1507kg
Fuel type: 91 RON unleaded (50L tank)
Towing: 1250kg braked
18-inch alloys
GPS, wireless charging, wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay
LED headlights, taillights, daytime running lights, foglamps
Adaptive cruise control, sunroof, heated power-folding door mirrors
Luggage capacity: 395 litres
i30 VS The Germans
What you might notice here is that for the sake of having a Mercedes, you’re adding about $20,000 onto the price of an N-Line, but you get 25 per cent less power, and the boot is smaller, the fuel tank is smaller, it consumes more expensive fuel and the premium features aren’t even included. You have to pay more again for stuff that’s already available on the Hyundai, more or less.
The A200 might be lighter, but it’s only a margin of 4 per cent and the performance from the N-Line’s 1.6 turbo destroys the Merc in power-to-weight. Fuel economy’s the same too, but you don’t get foglamps like on the N-Line.
Exactly what do you get for the extra $20K?
Mercedes-Benz A200
Add $2000 for AMG sport package? Or just buy an i30 N-Line.
$62,000 + on-roads (approx.)
1.3-litre turbo petrol
120kW @ 5500 rpm
270Nm @ 1250-4000 rpm
7-speed dual-clutch
0-100km/h: 8.2 seconds
Kerb weight: 1444kg (approx.)
Fuel tank: 43 litres
Combined economy: 6.6L per 100km
Premium 95 unleaded
Basic cruise control, sunroof
GPS, wireless charging, wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay
18-inch alloys (no spare: runflat tyres)
LED headlights, taillights, daytime running lights
Luggage capacity: 370 litres
OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
Plus package $4400: Premium stereo, front cross-traffic alert & active blindspot assist, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, head-up display
AMG wheel pack: 19-inch alloys + tyre repair kit
Black premium leather: $1900
Audi A3 35 TSI
$50,600 (hatch) - $53,000 (sedan) + on-road costs (approx.)
1.5-litre 4cyl turbo petrol | 2L turbo-petrol 4cyl
110kW @ 5000 rpm | 140kW @ 6000RPM,
7-speed dual-clutch
0-100km/h: 9.9 seconds
Kerb weight: 1600kg + (approx.)
Premium 95 unleaded
Basic cruise control
GPS
18-inch alloys (no spare: repair kit)
Bi-xenon headlamps
OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
360-degree camera $750
Comfort pack $2000: heated seats, power folding door mirrors, electric front seats
Panoramic sunroof: $2000
Auto hands-free bootlid: $650
The same applies here with the Audi equivalent. You can’t comparatively shop an i30 N-Line Premium - the top-of-the-range - against the Audi A3 because the latter’s price doesn’t start until you’re already between $8,000 or $11,500 in the red (depending on body type).
Audi doesn’t even give you an actual spare tyre of any description - the notionally prestige car buyer is left with a bottle of goo to drive home on.
Hyundai i30 N-Line Premium (sedan)
$41,500 drive-away
1.6-litre turbo petrol
150kW @ 6000 rpm
7-speed dual-clutch
0-100km/h: 7.5 seconds (approx)
Kerb weight: 1385kg
Standard 91 unleaded
Panoramic sunroof
Electric seats (heated/cooled)
Adaptive cruise control
GPS, heat insulated windscreen, proximity key
Apple CarPlay + Android Auto, premium 8-speaker stereo (with amplifier)
18-inch alloys (space-saver spare)
LED headlights, taillights, foglamps
Even if you did opt for the notionally superior and premium Audi with its alleged engineering pedigree (based on rumour and hype rather than actual evidence), the humble Hyundai smokes it thanks to 10 additional kilowatts and 10kg less weight. We know this because the power-to-weight ratio on the N-Line Premium is 113 kW per tonne, but only 76 on the Audi.
Again, exactly what are you paying for here? Because it’s not features (the premium ones on the Hyundai are extra on the Audi), nor performance because clearly the A3 is murdered by the N-Line.
It’s hardly styling, either - although this is a subjective topic - because Audi has been doing that same front-end grille thing for the last 15 years. At least the i30 sedan’s looks match the way it drives.
DRIVING
Here in Australia, Hyundai spent quite a lot of time and money calibrating suspension settings uniquely for our crap roads and they do a great job, to this day, in i30. That was about 8 years ago.
They’ve got a team of wizard engineers who went through more than 200 different calibration permutations of the dampers, (springs, bushes, etc), for this car. More than 200 permutations. Can you imagine the complexity of just keeping track of the feedback on all of those different settings and arriving at, ultimately, the best one? It’s so much data. Anyway, they’ve done a great job.
What is essentially the case here is, you’ve got three distinctly different characters.
The base model Active is quite relaxed to drive. It’s just does what you tell it to. It’s your typical family car, it does a good job in that context. Doesn’t do anything particularly poorly.
When you step up into the i30 N-Line range, you get a more advanced rear suspension set up and that car has a really lively sort of character. The ride is not excessively harsh but it’s certainly not soft either. This is a hot hatch. It’s not warm, it’s not lukewarm, it’s not tepid… it’s hot. You can get from A to B very quickly if you press on in the N-Line.
Then on the comfort side of things with the 2.0-litre engine, if you're looking at the Elite, that’s fairly relaxed but a little bit more taut, I think, than the base model Active set-up. So you're kind of progressing through those different characters and you can actually pick and choose the one that’s right for you and there’s a substantial difference between them.
Across the board, i30 is very comfortable. And there are countless hours over the years in which all flavours of Hyundai’s bulletproof little i30 have proven reliable. They extremely rarely go wrong, and in that blue moon instance, Hyundai has an excellent reputation for great customer support if something does fail prematurely.
Not only has each model grade been very popular in the sales figures, but even the performance driving enthusiasts have developed a cult sub-brand for the ‘N’ cars like N-Line, the N Fastback and of course, the original N Performance (the one which killed the Golf GTI).
No N buyers have ever needed a chiropractor. The other thing, of course, is the ergonomic integration, which remains very good. The seats feel like they’ve been designed bespoke to your body without being too big or small, they’ve found some much nicer materials to wrap the base model steering wheel in, and everything in an N-Line especially, feels tight and good quality, nothing rattles or squeaks.
The central touchscreen evolution has carried on through the various other Hyundai SUVs and does so in i30, thankfully, because it is extremely clear and easy to use. Although the ‘Home’ icon remains on the wrong side.
You can split screen it to get sat nav on one side and AV Information on the others. You’ve got good phone integration with the Apple and Android integration systems. So that’s all really good news.
SAFETY
The Hyundai i30 hasn’t been tested by ANCAP since 2017 - which means it is officially unrated by ANCAP as of December 2024. But we might expect to see a new model by then.
Back then, six long years ago, i30 got a decent 5-star rating and you can check the full i30 ANCAP technical report here >>. And you can learn about the details of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award for Hyundai Elantra (i30 sedan) here >>
Aside from the ‘marginal’ score for the moderate overlap (frontal offset) crash test, Elantra gets an even more impressive score than the old hatch rating from ANCAP that is six years stale.
Here’s what the Elantra looked like crashing first, then we’ll looks at the highlights:
Keeping in mind this is a four year old vehicle being put through must more stringent testing protocols than the ANCAP i30 hatch test from donkey’s years ago, the IIHS reckons Elantra nails adult occupant protection here.
Rear passenger dummy injury values indicate a low risk of injury to the head or neck and chest
and the
rear passenger dummy's head remained a safe distance from the front seatback.
However, it wasn’t perfect in how the seatbelt changed position by sliding up onto the abdomen during the crash - although, keep in context that this is fairly common in these crash tests at 64km/h. The IIHS report says that during the crash:
the shoulder belt moved too far upward toward the dummy’s neck, compromising the effectiveness of the rear restraint system
This is not a guarantee of death or serious injury, but it is not a certainty of walking away either. many vehicles do not get perfect scores in the rear occupant protection of the back seats, including Toyota Camry and Kia Cerato, for example.
For the most part, Elantra scores ‘good’ and ‘acceptable’ results for most of the important crash tests. Many of which have been conducted using very recent protocols (which are also the hardest to pass).
This analysis also applies to the i30 sedan in Australia, but while less can be said of the hatch due to its platform’s age, it actually did a pretty decent job in the original frontal offset crash test at 64km/h. It earned 14 out of 16 points in that specific test which is today conducted at just 50km/h. More speed means more kinetic energy and greater inertial loads on the occupants.
Despite being such a notionally ‘old’ vehicle, the i30’s crash prevention systems also held up pretty well in the pedestrian protection tests at night, as conducted by the IIHS.
In the ‘Parallel adult — night, 25 mph’ test, i30’s auto emergency braking pulled the vehicle up and avoided a collision from 40km/h, whereby the dummy pedestrian is walking parallel to the vehicle. This is a particularly tricky test for these systems that have to accurately just spatial distance in low light conditions, relying heavily on the LiDar to accurately measure the distance to the object.
At 60km/h, the i30 managed to wipe off 43km/h and hit the pedestrian - at night using only low beams - at just 16km/h or about the average human’s jogging pace. That’s survivable for most people, however painful it would be.
ENGINES
One of the other things you might really like about the i30 range is there are no unknown quantities. The powertrains, we’ve seen them all before. In one form or another, all Hyundai’s engines in i30 are reliable, grunty, cheap to service and good enough on the fuel economy front.
There’s no nasty little surprises in the petrol range, nor in the 1.6-litre turbo engine which has been going strong in the N cars since they first arrived back in 2016 - that’s eight years of engines and the platform.
Regular 2.0L petrol engine in base i30, Active and Elite is good enough for most driving.
The dual-clutch transmission (DCT) is not something you need to worry about either. It’s been around for a long time and apparently it is quite robust in service as well - even in the stop-start traffic environments in which it’s not quite as ideal as the more conventional CVT or epicyclic auto transmissions.
Comparative fuel economy and emissions data at the Federal Government's Green Vehicle Guide >>
There’s plenty of petrol options though, you get 2.0-litre GDI engine in the Active or the 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine in N-Line and N-Line Premium. That’s on hatch and sedan.
If you have got a young driver in your life and the state that you live in, such as NSW for example, has power-to-weight pre-requisites for young drivers with P1 and P2 licences, thankfully, with the N-Line and N-Line Premium, the 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine is well within the parameters of that 130kW per tonne limit for P1 and P2 drivers.
This means if you buy the N-Line or the N-Line Premium, it’s not going to be a problem for teaching a young person to drive or letting them borrow your car. (Although, not sure I’d lend my brand new i30 N-Line or N-Line Premium to any probationary driver. Mainly because we know what used to happen to our parents’ car when we borrowed them...)
INTERIOR
If you buy an i30 Active, Elite or Premium, you will get a full-sized spare wheel and tyre with the hatch. That’s not something we’ve come to expect from the vast majority of hatches in Australia, which usually tend to have space-saver tyres across the range. Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Impreza, for example, all space-savers.
However, if you go down the sports track and you buy an N-Line or N-Line Premium, those cars will come with a space-saver spare.
If you live in the bush or if you just drive on freeways regularly, that might be seen as a bit of a disadvantage and I certainly am not a fan of the space-saver spare tyre. The only evidence in mitigation I can give you there is that the construction of the floor above the spare wheel enclosure at the rear, is more than compatible with a full-sized spare wheel and, in fact, the floor can even be slotted in at two different levels.
So you could, hypothetically, use that as a sticking point for negotiation with your local Hyundai dealer.
You could say: ‘Mate, I know a full-size spare goes in there and I know the floor can be adjusted easily to compensate for that, so I will slap my cash down on your counter right now as long as you ante up with a full-size spare tyre.’
Sound like a plan?
The sedan adds another level of protection for your belongings with a solid boot to keep prying eyes out of your stuff.
It’s a good size, too. It’s exactly a metre wide at its narrowest point and there’s 1.06m between the wheelarches which is great for big bags, double prams - and the aperture is the same, one full metre at the bootlip. Just watch the round hinges don’t close on your stuff inside.
There’s also a full-size spare under the floor.
TRANSMISSION
Many new Hyundai i30 buyers are going to be purchasing a car with a dual clutch transmission (DCT) and many of those will be owning a DCT for the first time. It’s easy to assume that you're buying another automatic because, you reach down, you take it out of ‘park’, you put it in ‘drive’. It feels like an automatic and it smells like an automatic, but you better not step in it.
By ‘step in it’, that means if you drive it like an automatic, that would be a mistake. Sometimes a very expensive one if you do it every single day for the next several years.
It’s a mistake to inch forward under load in traffic because, unlike an automatic which has a torque converter, a dual clutch transmission relies on a centrifugal clutch mechanism, of sorts, in between the engine and the transmission. That allows disengagement when you're stopped at the lights, so the engine doesn’t stall. Always good.
The biggest mistake you can make with a DCT, is to inch forward under load at very low speed. So if you're reversing routinely up a very steep complex driveway, if you’ve got the whole family in the back and a bunch of luggage in the boot (for example) and you're trying to do that, or even if you're in traffic all the time and you're used to an automatic which will inch forward all day long up hill, don’t do that in the DCT.
The clutch will not be receptive to that mode of use and the repair bill for having it replaced is quite high so, you’ve got to understand, to some extent, what’s 'down there' under the hood and adjust your driving style accordingly. Just sit still at the lights and wait for the traffic to move forward, keep a decent gap and just be patient.
There’s no problem, intrinsically, with this dual clutch transmission but you’ll want to be driving it like a dual clutch (respectfully) and not like a standard automatic.
Conclusion
Remember that dual-clutch transmissions are not as refined at low-speed manoeuvring as conventional auto transmissions. They are, however. Better at spirited, engaging driving. They’re designed to handle stop-start traffic - just be mindful of not inching forward under load. Don’t do that.
The i30 is such a well-rounded vehicle which gets so much right, in all the areas which matter to most consumers - especially consumers who think they need an SUV.
Save yourself 10 or 20 grand and get a hatch or sedan of i30. And if you’re a bit of a performance freak, the N-Line strikes a sweet balance between daily commuter machine and weekend driving nutjob satisfier. It can do both with remarkable confidence.
But if you’re not interested in rev limits and crisp gear changes, then stick with an Elite which is stunning value for money.
Hopefully this report helps you decide whether or not the new i30 is the right new car for you.
Make sure you check out Hyundai's i30 resources >> for regular updates and offers too.
More reports
If you’re shopping for a small hatch or sedan, the Hyundai i30 has become the benchmark for value, performance and quality. Small families with a modest budget, or merely individuals who don’t need a bloated SUV, i30 offers bang for your buck.