Hyundai i30 SLX CRDi 2009 Review

Hyundai i30 CRDi SLX auto

Road Test

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $28,390
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): metallic paint $320
Crash rating: five stars
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 6.0 (auto)
CO2 emissions (g/km): 159
Also consider: VW Golf TDi; Ford Focus TDCi; Holden Astra CDTi

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: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 3.0/5.0

Coming back to Hyundai's small hatch after the 2007 launch proved just how good this car really is. We still like its appearance, still think the fit and finish is top-notch and as tested here, still suggest the diesel option is the pick of the range that Hyundai markets as a "mid-size" car.

It's not a midsize car by any stretch, but it is spacious for a small hatch. Front passengers have plenty of leg and shoulder room, and my six-foot-four husband commented that the i30's headroom was ample.

He also appreciated the space in the driver's footwell and the i30's 'proper', full-sized foot pedals, having grown tired of comparable small cars with levers too slender and too closely-spaced for his Rossis. Indeed, the i30 was one of the few small cars this household's tried that could accommodate both of us -- significant considering the hatch's demographic is most likely women.

Rear passengers are equally well-treated in the legroom stakes and the seating is well-placed with a 'stadium' feel as backseaters are perched a little higher, availing extra comfort, and leg and foot room. Hyundai really has space efficiency down-pat: the Getz light car is another of its models that makes the most of segment dimensions.

During a week of mostly traffic driving we couldn't better 7.4L/100km, which resembles the 2.0-litre petrol model's requirements for a combined cycle. That said we have little doubt the CRDi would've delivered better figures had we not been confined to merely ‘duty’ driving.

And even if your daily route usually consists of inefficient traffic runs, the diesel i30's the best pick. The engine is a gutsy unit and unlike some small diesels the i30’s 1.6 is relatively eager and lag free. It’s into its stride by 1750rpm and surprisingly muscular from around 2000rpm onwards. It's only as noisy as, say, VW's latest oiler offerings for the Golf.

A five-speed auto might better consumption results. At 100km/h the four-speed mated diesel mill spins at around 1800-2000rpm. Latest word on the 2.0-litre turbodiesel sold elsewhere is that Hyundai Australia will not introduce the option.

Steering is one of the i30's standout features, feeling immediately solid and offering good feedback and response. It's up there with Euro segment contenders and certainly betters the Japanese entrants, with perhaps the exception of the (comparable) Lancer.

The i30 also pulls up well with even, quiet braking. Four-wheel discs come standard on all models.

Initially the i30 scored four stars for safety however, according to ENCAP and ANCAP, the 2008-onwards models earn five stars thanks to upgraded front passenger knee impact zone and side impact protection. The result is the least we should expect, even in this runabout segment. Like Mitsubishi with the five-star Lancer (from launch!), the i30 is rated on par with the small Euros. This is in contrast to some more expensive segment rivals like the new Honda Civic hatch which only earned four stars in the latest round of testing.

The car tested is the SLX -- the top-of-the-range i30. Thus the standard-fit list includes (audio) reverse guidance, climate control and 16-inch alloys, but even the lesser SX model -- starting at $21,890 and still Australia's cheapest diesel option -- comes with cooled glovebox.

Hyundai has chosen quality materials for the dash, which has a soft, spongy feel rather than hard and flat like most of the others in the price bracket. The cabin is well insulated from noise and sight lines are good. The little rear side windows work to assist rear vision -- breaking up the bulk of the C-pillars.

The government's Green Vehicle Guide (GVG) rates the auto-equipped i30 CRDi with three and a half stars. The manual model scored the same but figures are significantly better in the CO2 stakes (125g/km) and consumption (4.7L/100km) for the five-speeder.

It should be noted that the GVG doesn't do diesel-engined vehicles any favours because it deems the emissions from diesel higher and more noxious to public health than petrol.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi