Hyundai i30 2012 Review

Hyundai i30 Elite and Premium

Not so much:
>> Petrol engine power delivery is peaky
>> Auto reluctant to kick down
>> Steering and handling sub-par against some rivals

Fortunately, for Hyundai, there's no sign that the new (GD generation) i30 won't be welcomed by the market as its FD series predecessor was. The i30 was the first small car from Hyundai to introduce suspension and steering tailored to suit the Australian market. For its time it was attractive enough and was the pioneer in the small car segment to offer diesel power at an affordable price.

Averaging around 29,000 units sold for the full years of 2011 and 2010, the i30 has been one of the core models — in fact the largest-selling model — in the Hyundai range. To illustrate how much the i30 has brought to the Korean brand's current success, the last year the Elantra was sold in Australia in both hatch and sedan form, 2006, the total sales for that model fell below 8000 units.

So the i30 has not only bolstered Hyundai's sales in this country by a considerable margin, it has helped turn around perceptions of the brand. Can lightning strike twice with the new model though?

Frankly, it's hard to see why not. The new car builds on the superseded model's strengths, but adds equipment, reduces fuel consumption and wraps up improved NVH and ride comfort in the suave good looks that Hyundai calls 'Fluidic Sculpture'.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

So Hyundai can pretty much justify the price increase across the range, and the company's Senior Manager for PR and Events, Ben Hershman says that the added content also justifies the positioning of the i30 slightly above the Elantra sedan.

The basic pricing for the i30 rises from the figure of $20,990 for the i30 Active to $24,590 for the i30 Elite. Both levels of trim run the same 1.8-litre petrol four-cylinder with the standard six-speed manual transmission. Topping the range is the i30 Premium, which is priced at $29,990, but includes the automatic transmission as standard. There is no manual box available in the Premium range. As an extra-cost option, the automatic adds $2000 to the price of all variants (other than the i30 Premium, of course) and the alternative engine, the upgraded 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel adds $2600 to the price.

So i30 Active with petrol/auto combo is priced at $22,990. Ordering the car with diesel and manual will set the buyer back $23,590 (or $25,590 for the auto). Moving up to the i30 Elite, with the auto option box ticked will cost $26,590; for diesel the price rises again to $27,190 with manual or $29,190 for the auto variant. Only two variants of the i30 Premium are available, both with automatic transmission as standard. The petrol model slides in just below $30K — at $29,990 — but the diesel is up there in medium-car territory at $32,590. Metallic paint, as an option, will cost the buyer a further $495 on top of everything else.

Standard equipment for the i30 Active includes seven airbags (with a driver's kneebag in that count), the Flex-Steer system, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, stability control, traction control, 16-inch (steel) wheels, Bluetooth with audio streaming, cruise control, one-touch lane-change indicators, tilt/reach-adjustable steering column, electric windows (auto-down for driver's window), and electric mirrors. Additionally, the i30 Active comes with auxiliary power outlet, central locking, front fog lights, five-inch touchscreen, four-speaker CD audio, chilled glovebox and steering wheel audio controls.

Moving up to the i30 Elite the specification changes to 16-inch alloy wheels and a seven-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, as standard. Other items of equipment above the i30 Active level include auto-on/off headlights, rain-sensing wipers, auto demist function, upgraded decorative trim inside and out, dual-zone climate control, auto-up/down for all four electric windows, extendable sunvisor, tilt-adjustable front headrests and push-button engine starting with proximity key.

$3400 more (auto for auto) will put the buyer in the seat of an i30 Premium, which delivers 17-inch alloys, an electronic parking brake, electrochromatic mirror, heated front seats, xenon headlights, leather/leatherette upholstery combination, full-length panoramic sunroof, electric driver's seat adjustment with lumbar support, rear vents in the centre console, storage box in luggage compartment and flat-folding rear seats.

MECHANICAL

Hyundai's U2 diesel engine has been upgraded for the GD-series i30. Boasting 94kW and 260Nm, the upgraded U2 engine is 10.6 per cent more powerful than the diesel in the previous model i30. Running through the automatic transmission the revised diesel uses 3.4 per cent less fuel (5.6L/100km) than the previous model, with the manual's fuel use rated as low as 4.5L/100km.

Both transmissions are six-speed units now, with the manual naturally the default offering, except in the case of the i30 Premium. The flagship i30 is only available with the automatic box, which was developed in-house by Hyundai. To combat NVH, Hyundai engineers have introduced fluid-filled engine mounts and hollow driveshafts.

Underpinned by MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam behind, the new i30 has been tuned for Australian operating conditions. And all local suspension tuning for the i30 has been undertaken in Australia from start to finish. Sachs dampers have been specified front and rear, with engineers from the German company visiting Australia for the project.

Steering is an electrically-assisted rack-and-pinion setup, featuring a new, three-mode system of varying the level of assistance felt through the wheel. Hyundai market this system as 'Flex-Steer'. A switch on the lower right spoke of the steering wheel toggles through the three settings: Comfort, Normal and Sport.

PACKAGING

The manufacturer has benchmarked the i30 against the Volkswagen Golf and the Peugeot 308 and claims most of the i30's key interior dimensions improve on those of the European pair. In the rear, the i30 boasts 40mm more leg room and 33mm more shoulder room than the Golf. According to the manufacturer, boot space is also increased — by 11 per cent, from 340 to 378 litres.

Hyundai's European technical centre in Russelsheim, Germany, was the lead on the i30 design project. The team that styled the i30 developed a specific version of the company's 'fluidic sculpture' theme for the new model and incorporated a hexagonal grille as a bold flourish at the front. It's a look we find attractive and providing plenty of character, without taking that to excess.

SAFETY

Hyundai has selected Ultra High Tensile Strength Steel (UHTSS) for critical points of the car's structure, which combine with engineering advances to lend the i30 a stiffer platform for improved crash safety. It was this, primarily, that secured the i30's safety rating, but supported by airbags for front passenger and driver, side-impact for front-seat occupants, side curtain head protection and driver's knee.  In addition, the i30 boasts active safety features the likes of ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, stability control and traction control.

COMPETITORS

All those cars are the new i30's principal marketplace rivals, as well as the segment-topping Mazda3. Where the Australian small-car segment has been traditionally a two-tiered segment, in our view, cars like the i30 are blurring the boundary between premium and not-so-premium models. Quite simply, the i30's combination of standard equipment, spaciousness, styling, and fit and finish place it squarely in the top tier, but against the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf — and even perhaps the Mazda3 — the Hyundai's driving dynamics place it on the cusp of that tier.

ON THE ROAD

Imperceptible at idle, the petrol engine delivers power for launch on a hair-trigger basis. Until the driver has acclimatised to the throttle, he or she will likely over-rev the engine while releasing the clutch. It's something of an illusion in fact, conveying a sense of liveliness that's actually a little at odds with reality. Around town the petrol engine was very composed and free of any jarring NVH at higher revs — which was a good thing, because that's where the engine wanted to be operating when the driver demanded more performance. Out in the country the petrol four struggled with load until it was revving at 3500rpm or higher. There's little torque below that speed, as was discovered in an uphill overtaking lane. For most buyers, an automatic transmission would be the preferred choice, because it would kick down three gears, and as soon as the driver demanded — or hopefully it would.

We sampled the automatic transmission with the diesel engine on the return journey and found that it occasionally held higher gears longer, and sometimes that would translate to some low-rev diesel vibration through the driveline. That said, however, the growly diesel is far and away the better option for country drivers. It's more economical and more enjoyable to drive, although the petrol engine is no slouch when it comes time to eke out every last drop of range from a fuel tank. On country roads both vehicles were hovering around the 6.5L/100km mark, according to the trip computer. As the diesel only displaces 1.6 litres, it didn't have quite the effortless torque of a 2.0-litre engine, but it's hard to conceive that typical i30 drivers will be disappointed by its performance. From recollection, the diesel in the Ford Focus was quieter and more refined than the Hyundai's, but it's a matter of degree rather than something substantive.

The manual i30 offered pleasing shift quality and slipped into gear with ease. Quite precise and tactile, it didn't baulk or miscue; there was no engine flare between changes and the manual box required next to no familiarity to use from the word go.

Despite the technology thrown at the electrically-assisted system in the new i30, feedback through the wheel was one point where the new car has not gained ground over its predecessor. There was some feel through the new car's tiller, but the Flex-Steer facility simply loads up more weight in 'Sport' mode or eases it off in 'Comfort' mode. A lot of i30 buyers, if anything, will welcome the Flex-Steer system for the higher level of assistance in Comfort mode.

While the i30's cornering was generally tidy, it didn't seem as sharp as some of its rivals, such as Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus. It was slower to tip into corners, but held the road well enough in our experience. Based on its ride/handling balance, Hyundai's engineers have leaned more towards ride comfort, which was laudable for a small car on typical country road surfaces — and is probably right for the i30's target buyers.

At open road speeds, the tyres were noisy in both cars and there was a slight rustle of wind. But only the diesel's driveline could be heard at a steady cruising pace.

Inside the i30, the centre fascia design is reminiscent of the same fixture in the Ford Fiesta. Overall, the interior is stylish and functional. As a bonus, the fit and finish appeared to be right up to snuff for a small car ranging in price from very low $20K up to over $30,000. Instruments and switchgear were well located and practical to use, with a well damped quality about the indicator and wiper stalks. Icons on the seven-inch touch screen were large and easily operated by those of us blessed with larger fingers. The satellite navigation system in the i30 Premium was intuitive to operate.

The seats were fairly well designed for adult occupants, offering enough comfort and support, other than those occasions when the car was being driven harder, in which case there was a slight lack of under-thigh support. True to Hyundai's promise, there's plenty of headroom in the rear of the i30, although the Premium variant's full-length sunroof may leave taller occupants ducking their heads to stay clear of the headlining — but these would be occupants measuring over 180cm. In contrast, there was no reason to complain about the knee room in the rear, even for taller occupants. There was also enough room under the front seats to wriggle toes and stretch out a little.

Head to motoring.com.au for more Hyundai i30 photos

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