ANCAP: 2024 Hyundai i30 Sedan dealt three stars 

The 2024 Hyundai i30 Sedan has been dished a meagre three-star safety rating by ANCAP, however the result only applies to the facelifted model introduced in October last year. 

What’s peculiar about the situation is that the i30 Sedan’s mid-life update was largely cosmetic and didn’t involve any platform, body structure or major powertrain alterations – beyond the adoption of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) in place of the previous torque converter. 

Other than the new transmission, it’s essentially the same vehicle it was before the facelift. 

What ANCAP has pounced on however is the February introduction of a hybrid powertrain, citing the growing “consumer interest” in hybrids as cause for the examination, even though the hybrid variants have only accounted for 30 per cent of all i30 Sedan sales so far this year. 

It’s unclear why the existing 2.0-litre and 1.6-litre turbo-petrol were tested alongside the hybrid, but not the high-performance N flagship, given they’re all effectively 2020 or 2021-spec vehicles. 

The pre-facelift model therefore remains untested while the facelifted version now carries a three-star safety rating against the unprecedentedly strict 2023-2025 testing protocols, which garnered a 71 per cent mark for the small sedan’s adult occupant protection, 81 per cent for child occupant protection, 62 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 56 per cent for its safety assists. 

ANCAP testers said the latter was inflicted by the “absence of an advanced autonomous emergency braking (AEB) capabilities, including AEB head-on and AEB crossing (T-bone)” and “blind-spot monitoring as standard”. 

ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg got on the front foot and said the safety body “had hoped Hyundai would have used this mid-cycle facelift opportunity to elevate the safety performance of the i30 Sedan” as the pending NVES regulations “provide vehicle manufacturers with the confidence to introduce more alternative-powered models”. 

“The Hyundai i30 is a popular choice within the small car segment, and the addition of the hybrid powertrain this year broadens consumer interest,” she said. 

“This underscores the importance of having an independent safety rating available for this model – so consumers and fleets can make informed decisions around safety and determine which model is right for them. 

“Hyundai has shown that they can deliver five-star safety, and we believe the i30 Sedan could achieve this with the right safety enhancements.” 

The brand’s local division declined to comment on the subject when contacted by carsales but previously called for a rethink of how safety ratings from the independent safety body are regarded in the wake of the Kona small SUV's unexpected four-star rating back in January.

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