All-new Hyundai i30 sedan priced at a premium

The all-new Hyundai i30 sedan has launched in Australia, marking a switch in nameplate from the previous Elantra as the small four-door model enters a new generation.

Unveiled in the US in March, Hyundai’s seventh-generation compact sedan is built on Hyundai/Kia’s K3 platform and has a longer wheelbase, wider stance and lower roofline than the outgoing Elantra that’s been on sale in Australia since 2016.

An altogether different, American-bred vehicle compared to the Euro-focused Hyundai i30 hatch – which has just received an overhaul – the new sedan has been brought into the i30 stable by Hyundai Australia to boost sales and potentially even win bragging rights over the Toyota Corolla as the nation’s biggest-selling small car.

Like the hatch, the sedan goes up in price and also gets some new model names.

The previous seven-model Hyundai Elantra line-up kicked off with the $21,690 (plus on-road costs) Go base model and stretched all the way to the $34,580 Sport Premium flagship via the Active and Sport grades.

The six-model Hyundai i30 sedan line-up now starts with the $24,790 Active, progresses through the Elite and sporty N Line grades and finishes with the $37,290 N Line Premium. Full pricing is at the bottom of this story.

The sedan starting price is $1370 more expensive than the cheapest i30 hatch and the flagship is $1070 higher in price.

Hyundai has confirmed Active and Elite variants go on sale this week, while the N Line and N Line Premium will go on sale “late 2020”.

The i30 sedan line-up includes the same choice of 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engines in the two lower grades, albeit boosted from 112kW/192Nm to 120kW/203Nm, and an unchanged 150kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder in the N Line and N Line Premium.

The Active gets the choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic for $2000 more. The N Line comes with either the manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch auto, also worth an extra $2000.

The Elite and N Line Premium come only with the six-speed auto and seven-speed DCT respectively.

Hyundai is claiming a 7.0L/100km fuel consumption rate for the i30 sedan 2.0 auto, compared to 7.5L/100km for its predecessor. The car-maker says improved aerodynamics contribute to this.

Hyundai is pushing safety upgrades for the i30 sedan, which includes camera and sensor-based autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection and a junction turning function.

However, as carsales has reported separately, the i30 sedan is a rare mainstream small car going on sale without a rating from the independent crash testing authority ANCAP.

Other key safety features include six airbags, driver assistance warning, lane keep assist, lane follow assist and adaptive cruise control (auto only).

Further up the model walk, blind spot collision avoidance, rear cross traffic alert avoidance and parking collision avoidance are added.

Because it does not have a centre airbag Hyundai’s official line is it would probably achieve four rather than the maximum five ANCAP stars.

Active grade standard specification includes a leather-appointed interior, 8.0-inch infotainment screen, a rear camera and rear parking sensors, 17-inch alloys, wireless (Qi standard) smartphone charging and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connection.

The Elite adds dual-zone climate control, 10.2-inch satellite navigation system, Bose eight-speaker premium sound, DAB+ digital radio and remote start capability on the key fob.

N Line adds LED headlights and tail-lights and dual-zone climate control, swaps from torsion beam to multilink independent rear suspension and rolls on 18-inch alloys and sports styling elements. It misses out on the Bose premium sound system and remote start.

The Line Premium alone adds a sunroof, front parking sensors, 10-way power adjustable, heated and ventilated front seats with position memory and a heated steering wheel.

The all-new i30 sedan measures 4650mm long, up 30mm on the previous model and stretching much further from end to end than the hatch (4340mm).

It rests on a longer wheelbase – 2720mm compared to the previous 2700mm and the hatch’s 2650mm – and boasts improved front and rear legroom (at 1074/954mm) and luggage space (474L) over its predecessor and its five-door stablemate.

All i30 sedans receive Australian suspension tuning, as has become normal for Hyundai.

Hyundai claims noise, vibration and harshness performance is improved via redesigned doors, enhanced door-glass sealing, optimised sound absorbing and insulating materials, and increased suspension component rigidity.

The i30 sedan comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and 15,000km/12-month service intervals.

Service plan costs for the first five services are $1359 for the 2.0-litre and $1525 for the 1.6-litre turbo.

i30 Active:
17-inch alloy wheels
Auto dusk-sensing headlights
Rear parking sensors
LED daytime running lights
Full-size spare wheel
Apple CarPlay
Android Auto
Electronic parking brake
Leather-appointed interior
8.0-inch touch-screen radio system
4.2-inch colour LCD Supervision cluster
Rear seat air vents
Forward collision avoidance assist
Driver attention warning
Lane keeping assist
Lane following assist
Adaptive cruise control (auto only)
Reversing camera

i30 Elite (above Active):
Blind spot collision avoidance
Rear cross traffic collision avoidance
Parking collision avoidance
10.25-inch satellite navigation system
10.25-inch digital Supervision cluster
Bose premium audio
DAB+ digital radio
Dual-zone climate control
Rain-sensing wipers
Power-folding exterior mirrors
Smart key and push-button start
Remote start via smart key

i30 N Line (above Elite):
Multilink IRS
Temporary spare tyre
N-Line styling interior and exterior
LED headlights and tail-lights

i30 N Line Premium (above all other models):
Parking collision avoidance – rear
Front parking sensors
Sunroof
Solar control glass
Heated and ventilated front seats
10-way power driver’s seat
Electro-chromatic interior mirror
Sun visor extensions

How much does the 2021 Hyundai i30 sedan cost?
Active – $24,790
Active auto – $26,790
Elite auto – $30,790
N Line – $30,290
N Line auto – $32,290
N Line Premium auto – $37,290 auto
* Prices exclude on-road costs