A lower price, better fuel economy and a five-star Green Vehicle Guide rating are the major claims made by Hyundai for its new, 1.6-litre entry-level version of the extremely popular i30 hatch.
The new engine is available in the base SX model only, and drops $1000 off the 2.0-litre version to bring the pre-delivery price, for the manual version, below $20,000. The Manufacturer's List Price is tagged at $19,390 for the five-speed manual and $21,390 for the four-speed auto. This gives the i30 a small advantage over the rest of the small car field, where entry-level pricing generally begins comfortably above $20,000.
The new 1.6-litre sits below the existing 105kW/186Nm 2.0-litre petrol engine with outputs of 89kW/153Nm and economy claims of 6.5L/100km and 6.9L/100km for manual and auto versions respectively. This compares with 7.2L/100km and 7.6L/100km respectively for the 2.0-litre petrol version.
Hyundai claims the 1.6-litre is "the most fuel efficient naturally aspirated engine in its segment."
As well, the 1.6-litre drops the CO2 emissions to 155g/km and 166g/km for manual and auto versions (the 2.0-litre emits 170g/km and 182g/km). This contributes to the engine's five-star Green Vehicle Guide rating -- for the manual version. The 1.6-litre auto version earns only 4.5 stars, ironically the same as the 2.0-litre petrol auto.
Buyers will appreciate the piece of mind that comes with the i30's five-star ANCAP safety rating, which carries over for the new variant. The i30 1.6-litre SX comes with six airbags, stability control, anti-lock brakes, air-conditioning, power windows and mirrors, and a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.
Hyundai i30 range -- manufacturer's list prices (MLP)
i30 SX 1.6-litre petrol five-speed manual $19,390
i30 SX 1.6-litre petrol four-speed automatic $21,390
i30 SX 2.0-litre petrol five-speed manual $20,390
i30 SX 2.0-litre petrol four-speed automatic $22,390
i30 SX 1.6-litre CRDi turbodiesel five-speed manual $22,890
i30 SX 1.6-litre CRDi turbodiesel four-speed automatic $24,890
i30 SLX 2.0-litre petrol five-speed manual $23,890
i30 SLX 2.0-litre petrol four-speed automatic $25,890
i30 SLX 1.6-litre CRDi turbodiesel five-speed manual $26,390
i30 SLX 1.6-litre CRDi turbodiesel four-speed automatic $28,390
i30 SR 2.0-litre petrol five-speed manual $26,540
i30 SR 2.0-litre petrol four-speed automatic $28,540
i30cw wagon SX 2.0-litre petrol five-speed manual $21,890
i30cw wagon SX 2.0-litre petrol four-speed automatic $23,890
i30cw wagon SX 1.6-litre CRDi turbodiesel five-speed manual $24,390
i30cw wagon SX 1.6-litre CRDi turbodiesel four-speed automatic $26,390
i30cw wagon SLX 2.0-litre petrol four-speed automatic $27,390
i30cw wagon SLX 1.6-litre CRDi turbodiesel four-speed automatic $29,890
i30cw wagon Sportswagon 2.0-litre petrol four-speed automatic $28,990
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