Hyundai i30 N-Line Premium 2025 Review 

Just months ago Hyundai offered a wide range of i30 small hatchbacks, starting as low as $24,000. It was a real modern Aussie motoring bargain.

Now there are just two models thanks to a shift in production sourcing from Korea to the Czech Republic in Europe.

So the price goes up, not only because the i30 is now powered by a more complex mild hybrid turbo-petrol engine, but also because of import tariffs and higher transport costs.

The line-up starts with the $36,000 N Line and progresses to the $41,000 N Line Premium. Both prices are plus on-road costs. Every one of seven colour choices bar Arctic White adds $595.

That now places the i30 – which in this generation has been on sale in Australia since 2017 – up against small car royalty like the Volkswagen Golf.

The awesome i30 N hot hatch is only $9000 up the pricing road. Just saying. Or if you can cop a four-door, the i30 sedan starts at $29,000.

In addition to the 48V-boosted 117kW/253Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, the N Line’s powertrain includes a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. The old model’s manual gearbox option has been dropped.

Power actually dips significantly from 150kW to 117kW compared to the previous 1.6-litre turbocharged N Line, while torque also lowers from 265Nm to 253Nm.

But claimed fuel consumption improves from 7.1L/100km to 5.6L/100km.

Hyundai’s tried to give the N Line a more upmarket feel. Our test car came with a really lustrous optional paint and intricate 18-inch alloys wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber. There is also a revised grille, side skirts, rear bumper and flat badging. It still looks like an i30, but a polished one.

The Premium alone comes with a panoramic sunroof, which happily includes a retractable fabric inner cover (many don’t).

Inside, Premium exclusives include Bluelink connected car convenience and safety services including SOS emergency call and remote door unlock (to name two of many handy features), a larger 10.25-inch (previously 8-inch) touchscreen, satellite-navigation, driver’s seat power adjustment, front seat and steering wheel heating and over-the-air software updates.

The Premium also picks up some extra driver assist features including a smart cruise control system that monitors distance to the car in front and lane centring.

Key shared comfort and technology equipment includes leather and suede trim, new N Line front seats, dual-zone climate control, cabled Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, USB-A and USB-C chargers, AM/FM and digital radio, a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel and a six-speaker audio system – down from a seven-speaker Infinity system in the old N Line Premium.

The new N Line comes with a safety equipment upgrade, although as mentioned some of the gains are restricted to the Premium.

But both versions now get blind-spot warning, rear-cross traffic warning, intelligent speed limit assist, multi-collision brake and rear occupant alert to go with all-important autonomous emergency braking that detects pedestrians, powered two-wheelers and motorcycles.

There are seven airbags, dual rear-seat ISOFIX and three top tethers. There is only a reversing rather than a 360-degree camera view and no ANCAP rating because the five stars awarded in 2017 is so old it’s been delisted this year.

The i30 N Line kicks owners in the hip pocket with short 10,000km service intervals, although this is usual for Hyundai Group turbocharged engines. If you don’t drive far then the 12-month service interval is more in line with industry practice.

The i30 also comes with a five-year warranty, capped price servicing that comes up at $1095 over three years, $1460 over four years and $1795 over five years (January 2025 figures).

Lifetime roadside assistance is also available, but only if you service with Hyundai.

Best things about the 2025 Hyundai i30 N Line Premium? Hmm, let’s see … ok, um, yep.

Look, it’s not so much the new i30 N Line isn’t good, it’s just that it doesn’t really hit any true high points.

The new powertrain does a better job than its power and torque figures suggest. Its electrified low-end boost helps fill in any acceleration gaps in the transition from the old engine, aided by slightly shorter gear ratios in the DCT.

It still gets up and gets going; there’s even the faintest traces of an enjoyable exhaust note and a skerrick of torque steer back through the steering wheel under acceleration.

It’s at its most responsive with the sport mode selected – there’s also eco and normal – and shifting manually via paddles or lever. N Line is meant to be a bit a sporty and that’s what this car is.

Relax a bit and the engine has enough pulling power in the midrange to be a pliable cruiser.

Efficiency is pretty good without being outstanding. With the electrified ability to smoothly stop-start and coast engine-off at low speeds, the i30 delivered a 7.3L/100km average on-test on the cheapest 91 RON fuel.

The Toyota Corolla Hybrid isn’t going to feel threatened with those sorts of numbers.

The i30 N Line Premium is also a decent handler, with plenty of help being provided by those grippy Michelin tyres. It’s nippy in town and quite good fun on the open road.

The N Line shows its age in the cabin, but it’s not all bad (we’ll deal with that part later). It’s been dressed up with some soft touch trims and piano black – the go-to for faux luxury.

The new front seats are supportive and come with under-thigh extensions. The driver gets height adjustment off the front and back of the cushion (the correct way) and lumbar adjust. The steering wheel can be adjusted for both height and reach.

The infotainment set-up isn’t the latest digital dashboard, instead it’s two separate screens that are legible and simple and supported by … physical buttons.

Yes, hooray for old age! The i30 still has controls for air-conditioning and audio that don’t require you to stab at screens and into sub-menus.

Even the cabled smartphone connection has its upside because Hyundai’s wireless connection has proved a bit hit and miss in the past. No drama with this set-up.

The cabin also does well in storage terms and the boot is sizable for the small car segment at 395 litres, expanding to 1301 litres with the rear seats split-folded. You can just fit a large mountain bike in there with the front wheel removed.

Let’s continue in the cabin of the 2025 Hyundai 30 N Line. It’s not the most spacious place, especially for taller people in the rear seat where the new N-spec front seats and the sunroof leech into space.

At least there are features here to look after rear-seat passengers, including adjustable air-con vents, two USB ports, dual map pockets and door bins and two cup holders contained in a fold-down armrest.

While we’ve praised the size of the boot, it loses its spare tyre to make way for the mild hybrid’s battery. Really, this car should have at least a space-saver spare tyre.

The ride quality of the N Line Premium is a little on the terse side. That could be a result of both tyre choice and a bit of suspension tune.

And while those Michelin tyres offer reassuring grip, they contribute some noise in the cabin, especially on coarse-chip surfaces.

Speaking of noises, the speed alert monitor proved such an annoying bing-bonger it had to be cancelled.

The 2025 Hyundai i30 N Line Premium feels like its masquerading as something it’s not. And it’s all because of the price being asked.

It’s too high! While it’s holding up very well, it is impossible to ignore the i30’s age even with a powertrain and equipment update.

It’s a nice mainstream small car that would make a lot more sense under $40,000 on the road.

2025 Hyundai i30 N-Line Premium at a glance:
Price: $41,000 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 117kW/253Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Fuel: 5.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 126g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Rating lapsed (ANCAP 2017)

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