Hyundai i30 2007 Review

What we liked
>> Looks
>> Fit and finish
>> Good, cheap diesel option

Not so much
>> Some tyre noise from base model's rubber
>> Blue-lit instrumentation
>> iPod gimmickry

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 4.0/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.0/5.0

OVERVIEW
The terms 'German design' and 'European styling' have been used to promote new cars before. But not from Hyundai.

The Korean maker's reputation is one built on affordable but usually offbeat-styled bread-and-butter cars. The vast number of Hyundai Excels still on the road is testament to the success of the recipe.

Times haven't been quite as rosy lately as currency fluctuations, cheaper offshore manufacturing bases and super competitive pricing from the Japanese marques have eroded the Koreans' price advantage. But Hyundai is fighting back. Thanks in a large part to a strategy it kicked off the better part of a decade ago, Hyundai now finds itself in the hard-earned position of being able to call in assistance from significant investments in Europe to develop more 'mainstream' models. And not at any cost to its reputation for good value.

Enter i30. More than a new model, the German-designed and European-style five-door hatch is the start of a new family of cars for Hyundai. The new hatch will not replace the existing Elantra sedan, despite what you might have read elsewhere. Rather the i30 is the first of a parallel line of development for the brand.

Hyundai's local execs wouldn't be drawn on exact figures for the cost of development of the i30, but buried in the company's $US7b spend on R&D annually, you can bet a good portion has been allocated to making the i30 the benchmark for models to come.

Attention was paid to the development of a new small car first because Hyundai wants in on the competitive C-segment market in Europe. Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMAC) is also keen for a much bigger share of the 200K-plus small cars sold each year locally.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Hyundai has moved from a price to product-led offensive with i30. The company wants to drop the millstone of price-sensitive marketing and shift buyers' perception with its new generation of cars. Whether or not this is a signal Hyundai is about to up its rate, the i30's pricing was still kept to a $19K price point and standard specification is typically generous -- even at base level.

The i30 introduces new specification badging, with the sports-oriented SR model for the 2.0-litre as the new range-topper.

Three spec levels are available for the petrol engine i30, starting with $18,990 SX manual which includes 15-inch wheels, tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel and Hyundai's new media (MP3) player centre with USB-compatible CD/FM/AM audio system. An auto-equipped version is $2000 more.

The media player component is located in the centre console, incorporating a USB port and auxiliary jacks for portable audio devices to play through the car's sound system. Hyundai even includes an i30 labelled USB stick with purchase.

Next-up the $23,490 SLX i30s come with 16-inch alloys, front fog lights, climate control and cruise control, while the $26,490 SR adds 17-inch alloys and 225/45 performance tyres, body kit, leather-trimmed seat bolsters and upgraded sound system. Again, auto transmission is a $2000 option.

Hyundai is justifiably making quite some noise about its first diesel small car -- the i30 CRDi. The cheapest turbodiesel passenger car on the Australian market, the CRDi kicks off at $21,490 in SX specification. A CRDi SLX is also offered at $25,990.

Other, allegedly European, standards across the i30 range include cooled glove-box, door deadlocks, heated side mirrors and folding ignition key.

SLX and SR i30s feature a centre armrest with cupholders for rear passengers and also get steering wheel-mounted audio controls. The rear seat backrest is split 60:40 for all models.

For more details on the safety equipment included in the i30's trim levels see SAFETY below.

MECHANICAL
Hyundai Australia is initially offering the i30 with a choice of two of the six engines available overseas: a 2.0-litre 16-valve four-cylinder petrol engine with continuous variable valve timing, rated at 105kW/186Nm; and 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine using common rail direct-injection, rated at 85kW/255Nm.

Markets including the UK are also offered a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine -- which HMAC says will be made available in Australia during 2008. There's also a 1.4-litre turbodiesel, and 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol four-cylinder engines.

The i30's petrol engine is an upgraded version of the company's Beta 2.0-litre unit. Fuel consumption is 7.2lt/100km with manual and 7.6lt/100km for automatic versions. The 1.6-litre turbodiesel's fuel consumption is a hybrid-rivalling 4.7lt/100km. Hyundai claims the CRDi's CO2 emissions are just 125g/km.

The 2.0-litre petrol engine i30 is offered with either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. The i30 CRDi is initially offered with a five-speed manual only. Hyundai says it will make the four-speed auto available for the turbodiesel model early next year.

The i30 uses conventional coil-spring, MacPherson strut suspension up front, but multilink 'torsion blade' rear suspension like Ford Focus, and better than Toyota's semi-independent set-up for Corolla. Hyundai says the i30's suspension and steering have been optimised for local conditions including thicker sway bars, uprated shock absorbers and revised mapping of the ECU for the car's electric-assisted power steering system.

All i30 models get four-wheel disc brakes with ABS.

PACKAGING
The i30 does not replace Elantra; rather it will be sold alongside as Hyundai's hatchback option in the small car class.

HMCA Sales and Marketing boss Kevin McCann told the Carsales Network that while the majority of manufacturers use the same name for sedan and hatchback models, Hyundai agreed to the Australian arm making the distinction between the Euro-inspired i30 and long-standing Elantra. Any other models developed by Hyundai's continental cohorts and headed our way will also use the 'i' prefix. The company wants 'i' in this case to denote innovation, inspiration and intelligence.

The i30 is styled in Hyundai's Russelsheim design studio in Germany. By 2009 the i30 will be built in Hyundai's Nošovice plant in the Czech Republic but in the meantime it's coming from South Korea. It is closely related to Kia's C_eed which was also designed in Europe and is currently built exclusively at the sister brand's plant in Slovenia.

Designers aimed for a European flavour but what that means -- aside from the BMW 1 Series-style rear and top-spec wheels resembling Volvo C30's -- is a more upmarket look outside and a better feel for interior materials, along with good standard equipment levels.

Hyundai says NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) analysis was a crucial aspect of i30's development to ensure the ideal choice of absorption materials and to strengthen and reinforce the sub-frame and body panels. "Strategic" padding was added to seal and isolate wind and vibration.

Size-wise i30 is up with the biggest and best in class. At 4245mm long, 1765mm wide and 1480mm high it's close to Toyota Corolla (4220, 1760, 1515) and Ford Focus (4341, 1840, 1443) but has a longer wheelbase than the Focus: 2650mm compared to 2640mm.

Hyundai spruiks best-among-class for space and comfort. Drivers get tilt and reach adjustable steering, which is a pleasant surprise, and height adjustable seating via a stepped lever.

The i30's cabin is spacious with good legroom for front and even rear passengers. Shoulder room up front is especially generous, or seems so for a small car, and seating all 'round is wide and supportive.

SAFETY
All i30 models come with dual front airbags, anti-whiplash front headrests and ABS as standard. The SLX model adds front side and curtain airbags and the i30 SR gets stability control program and traction control as standard.

Hyundai offers its 'Protectz Packs' to make up differences in safety equipment between models. The packs are priced at $1790 for the SX and $990 for i30 SLX.

In the face of Mitsubishi's recent move to make stability control standard across its Lancer small car, HMCA has defended its 'available as an option' strategy. According to McCann purchasers can opt for a safety pack upgrade and still achieve a price point below Lancer.

The company says it made body structure improvements to enhance front occupant leg protection and pedestrian impact safety. Developments included incorporating a 'ring structure' around the C-pillar for added strength to the rear.

The i30 scored four stars for Euro NCAP safety testing incorporating two for pedestrian safety. This is one star below the almost identical Kia C_eed. Hyundai says this is an issue it is addressing with the testing authority (more here).

COMPETITORS
The i30 is designed to take on the likes of Toyota Corolla, Mitsubishi Lancer and Mazda3 but with its turbodiesel advantage, it's the Mazda and small European oilers such as Ford Focus and VW Golf that the i30 is really after. On price the i30 CRDi makes a strong argument -- it's even cheaper than VW's diesel model Polo light car.

Some of the turbodiesel-equipped small car contenders are compared here

Hyundai's premium for the oiler option is the lowest in the segment. The aforementioned 2.0-litre turbodiesel is on its way to help Hyundai take it to the top-most rivals but in the meantime the 1.6-litre offers commendable fuel efficiency, bettering the equivalent Peugeot 307's 4.9lt/100km. The i30's turbodiesel engine is also more powerful than the 307's 80kW/240Nm.

On the petrol front, Lancer and Corolla are closest on price and fit. The Corolla comes in hatchback, too, while new Lancer boasts stability control as standard-fit across the range. As noted above, the i30 still compares favourably on price even when ordered with Hyundai's full safety option pack.

The CRDi is quick off the line and any difference in noise level or quality is barely discernible in-cabin… You'll quickly forget any compromise made for driving a diesel.

The five-speed manual's gearing is also well suited to keep it on song (between 1900-2750rpm) and given the strong torque delivery of the engine and Australia's low open road speed limits (compared to mainland Europe) you'd be hard-pressed to prove the case it should be a six-speeder.

The i30's electrically assisted steering is nicely weighty but offers little fluctuation in feel throughout reaches. The (short) drive route incorporated suburban streets, highway and some winding rural roads; none of which pushed the i30's handling too hard. All through it felt nimble and the steering is quick enough to suit its natural urban terrain.

All models including the slightly sportier SR have a compliant ride, but not too soft so as to dull i30's decent handling and chassis. Its rear suspension set-up is more sophisticated than most in class, and feels as much on the road enabling tidy rear control.

Ride is aided by the i30's comparably long wheelbase and thanks no doubt in part to the local market suspension tweaks, body roll is equally well controlled.

The four-wheel disc brakes are good with a strong feel underfoot. City cars shouldn't have a soft pedal, especially in traffic where a prompt halt is better than seconds taken up by give at the pedal, and i30 pulls up quickly and evenly.

The i30's low-set dash promotes excellent vision forward, complemented by a flat beltline that enables good view to the sides and rearwards. The i30 carries Hyundai's hard-to-read blue-lit instrumentation, however. On the upside, the cabin revealed no squeaks or rattles and the indicator stalk is placed on the right of the steering column for RHD-oriented Australians.

Interior surfaces of course vary between models; most noticeably for the steering wheel which varies from a thin, plasticky cover for the upper-spec models to simple but rough rubber for the base i30 -- neither of which are unliveable. The cloth trim is attractive at all levels but the leather for the SLX's seat bolsters looks manufactured.

Overall material quality is easily as good as class rivals, however, and the i30's cabin design doesn't suffer the same modern-day contrivances as some others. Except for that media player which takes up valuable room in the centre console.

In many ways the i30 represents a coming of age for Hyundai as a global brand. The styling is fresh and the overall execution has moved from 'Korean Capable' to 'International Mainstream'.

The SR model, especially, cuts quite a reasonable dash and will attract open-minded buyers to the brand for the first time. Meantime, the base i30 deserves a good look if you are in the market for an affordable and stylish, practical set of wheels. But it's the CRDi that's the real step forward -- we don't believe we're overstating the case when we say it's the car that could finally change the way mainstream Aussie car buyers view turbodiesel and Hyundai.

To comment on this article click