Hyundai i30 - What you need to know

Kicking off the hatchback lineup is the Hyundai i30 N Line followed by the N-Line Premium, both with a bevy of sporty cosmetic enhancements and priced at $36,000 and $41,000 respectively, plus on-road costs (ORCs). Then there’s the fair dinkum hot hatch twins, the i30 N and the i30 N Premium, priced at $50,000 and $53,500 respectively, plus ORCs.

There’s plenty of choice in the sedan range with nine variants on offer including the i30 entry model, then the Elite, the Premium, the N Line and N Line Premium. There’s also a pair of hybrids, badged i30 Hybrid and Hybrid Premium, while sitting at the top of the heap is the stove-hot i30 N Premium, in manual or automatic.

All Hyundai i30s are front-wheel drive and buyers can choose from petrol, turbo-petrol and twin-turbo-petrol, as well as petrol hybrids. Transmissions include a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) and even a manual transmission. Prices range from $29,000 to $53,500 plus ORCs.

So armed with that knowledge, lets dissect the myriad Hyundai i30 standard specifications and options to find the one for you and your budget, starting with the entry-level i30 sedan with its 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and CVT.

It has the following standard features:
• 16-inch alloy wheels
• 8.0-inch infotainment touch-screen
• Manual air-conditioning
• Parking sensors front and rear
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Rear-view camera with guidelines

Hyundai charges $595 for premium paint, in the case of both the hatch and the sedan. The same seven-colour palette is offered on both body styles, with Atlas White, Engine Red, Solid Grey and Performance Blue being standard colours.

Premium colours include Intense Blue, Electronic Grey and Ultimate Red. A sunroof is also an option on Premium and N but not N Line models, for an extra $2000.

SmartSense is the name of the Hyundai i30 standard active safety package and even on the base model it includes hill start assist, traction and stability control, driver attention warning with lead vehicle departure, high beam assist, driver fatigue monitoring, forward collision avoidance with motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian detection, along with junction turning functions, blind-spot view and collision avoidance, plus a rearview monitor with guide lines and wide view function.

Also found on every model is tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keep assist, lane following assist and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go. The hatch has a top-down view with guidelines and trailer connection mode, and all come with front, side, thorax, driver knees and curtain airbags.

Stepping up the model ladder, the Elite sedan or N Line hatch snare rear cross-traffic alert, while the Premium sedan adds a 3D surround-view monitor with trailer connect mode, car wash entering mode, and parking distance warnings. The N Line Premium gets highway driving assist and the hybrid pair receive a virtual engine sound to warn pedestrians.

There are two ISOFIX and three top child seat tethers in the sedan and hatch.

In the centre dash of the i30 sedan and N Line hatch is an eight-inch infotainment touch-screen, while all other models have a larger 10.25-inch screen. All get an AM/FM radio, with the i30 missing out on a digital radio. All are compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and have Bluetooth connectivity and phone streaming.

The audio system in the i30 and Elite sedans and N Line and N hatch pairs has six speakers, with the Premium sedan and N Line Premium sedan gaining an eight-speaker premium Bose unit. A ‘quiet mode’ function is also standard in the Elite, Premium and N Line Premium sedans.

Wireless phone charging and front USB-A ports are range wide and the Elite sedan or N Line Premium hatch is where sat-nav becomes standard. Sedans have up to 70 minutes of voice memo recording capability.

Bluelink Connected Services also kicks off in the Elite sedan or N Line Premium and all N variants. It offers a host of functions like automatic collision notification, calls to emergency services, a valet mode function (that restricts certain features), weather forecast info, calendar integration with Google and iCloud, voice commands, connected routing, remote climate control, and vehicle status and notifications.

The bare-bones i30 makes do with a 4.2-inch instrument cluster with analogue gauges while the Elite and upwards, including the N Line and N models, come with a 10.25-inch TFT instrument cluster with a digital display and four display themes. The N models also feature oil temperature, torque and turbo boost displays, as well as a g-force meter and lap timer.

If you welcome the convenience of headlights that switch on at dusk you can select any model in the range, but if you want wipers that operate automatically at the first hint of rain, then you must go for the Elite as a minimum.

Manual air-conditioning is standard for i30 sedan, but the rest have dual-zone climate control with auto defog and dehumidify functions, along with vents in the rear with the sedans adding floor vents too.

Are selectable drive modes on the wish list?

The N Line hatchbacks come with three drive modes – Normal, Eco and Sport – and have paddle shifts on the multi-function steering wheel. Hybrids have Eco, Sport and Smart, while the other sedan variants have Normal, Eco, Sport and Smart modes.

Step up to the N models and you have a smorgasbord of choice. Firstly, there’s the electronically controlled adaptive suspension with Normal, Sport and Sport+ modes, and there’s also five drive modes to select from: Eco, Normal, Sport, N and N custom. The eight-speed DCT transmission has N Grin Shift, N Power Shift, N Track Sense and creep start modes, along with launch control. The active variable exhaust and rev-matching function both have three modes: Normal, Sport and Sport+. Paddle shifts are found on the DCT-fitted N Line, N Line Premium and N models.

Do you want heated front seats?

Then you’ll need to fork out for the Premium or N Line Premium hatch or sedan for this feature. Ventilated front seats are also standard in the Premium and N Line Premium sedans, along with a heated steering wheel and auto comfort control that automatically activates the driver’s preset heating and cooling preferences.

Would you like leather upholstery?

Then bypass the i30 sedan and make a beeline for the Elite and above, or either of the hatchbacks and their suede-and-leather seat combo. And while the i30 makes do with cloth trim all models in both body styles, all have a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift knob.

N Line models have cloth trim on their sports seats that boast cushion extenders but for the full race seat experience, you must step up to the N models with their body-hugging, deeply bolstered Alcantara and leather upholstered bucket seats, complete with cushion extenders, blue stitching and new style inserts.

Are powered seats a deal maker?

In the hatch range you must go for the N Line Premium and its 12-way powered driver seat, or the Premium as a minimum in the sedan range and its 10-way powered driver seat.

The sedan has additional comfort features like driver seat position change alert, powered lumbar support, two memory settings and easy access for the driver seat.

Fork out for an Elite, Premium or N Line Premium sedan and enjoy a personalised user profile with three custom settings.

Do you want the convenience of hands-free boot opening?

The Elite has this feature, but any i30 model has auto-folding and heated power door mirrors, with exit lights standard from the Elite and up.

What about a sunroof?

As you might expect, this luxury feature is exclusive to the Premium, N Line Premium and
N Premium models but it’ll cost you an extra $2000, while privacy glass comes standard on all hatchback grades.

It’s easy to spot the N Line models with their dark chrome grille inserts, N Line front and rear bumpers and front lower and rear roof spoilers and mesh grille. They also sport gloss-black door mirrors, dual exhausts, and a rear diffuser on the hatches, while inside you’ll find red stitching on the seats and steering wheel, sports seats, and a black headlining.

The wheels differentiate each model with 19-inch matte grey forged alloys adorning the N models, 18-inch alloys on the N Line models, and 17-inch alloys on Elite and Premium models, while the i30 sedan makes do with 16-inch alloys as does the Elite Hybrid.

LED headlamps, day running lights, door mirror indicators and tail-lights are standard across the range. The more powerful dual-projector LEDs are found on Premium models and above, while the Elite sedan and upwards has 64 interior ambient hues.

Inside, the i30 N models have a sports steering wheel and gear knob, alloy sports pedals and black cloth headlining, and blue stitching on the steering wheel, gear shift boot, and seats.

Outside the N models get dual exhaust tips, an exclusive front bumper incorporating a mesh insert grille, a rear bumper with a rear diffuser, a gloss-black rear spoiler, N-embossed side skirts, bespoke headlights, gloss-black door mirrors, and a front spoiler.

Let’s start with the N Line hatches. A 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 117kW and 253Nm powers the N Line and N Line Premium. Power is delivered to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch auto.

Turning to the sedans, three powerplants are offered. In the entry-level i30 and Elite, you have a choice of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 110kW/180Nm combined with a CVT or a 1.6-litre four-cylinder hybrid mated to a permanent magnet synchronous motor for a combined 104kW/265Nm. The hybrids come with a six-speed dual-clutch auto.

The only engine and transmission offered in the Premium sedan is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine delivering 110kW/180Nm mated to a CVT transmission.

The sedan versions of the N Line and N Line Premium share their drivelines with their hatchback counterparts.

However, if you’re after genuine performance, head straight to the N-model hatches and sedans with their turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, which puts out a sizeable 206kW and 392Nm. All N models come standard with an electronically controlled mechanical limited-slip differential and can be ordered with a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed DCT.

Now it’s the time to see if the Hyundai i30 you’ve picked out will fit where you want to park it. We’ll take a squizz at the hatch to start with.

Both the N Line, N Line Premium and N models take up the same space, at 4340mm long and 1795mm wide. But the N Line's roof sits at 1453mm while the N models are just 1445mm high. They have a common 2650mm wheelbase with the N Lines having 140mm of ground clearance, whereas the N models sit lower at 132mm.

Cargo space is 395 litres with the seats up and 1301 litres with the second-row seats folded.

Kerb weight varies from 1312kg to 1439kg, depending on the model, with gross vehicle mass tipping the scales at 1870kg.

Slipping over to the sedan, it’s longer at 4710mm, a tad wider coming in at 1825mm, but shorter at 1420mm. The wheelbase is also longer, stopping the tape measure at 2720mm, but the minimum ground clearance is the same as the N Line hatch, at 140mm. The boot holds up to 474 litres.

Kerb weight varies from 1260kg to 1405kg while the gross vehicle mass ranges from 1750kg to 1830kg.

Hyundai has built a formidable reputation for its value-for-money offerings and for good reason, but I’d skip the i30 entry models and head a little further up the ladder. Both the Elite and Premium sedan models strike a nice balance of price and features, and in the hatchback I’d go for the i30 N Line Premium.

However, there’s no match for a hot hatch and opening the wallet further brings the sweet i30 N Premium hatch into play. It’s an excellent car for punting down a deserted back road but it’s just as good at mixing it in city traffic. It stops and turns sublimely, is feature packed, is attractively priced and is very comfy behind the wheel. It’s the one that’ll get my hard-earned.

Hatch
N Line, 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, 7-speed DCT – $36,000
N Line Premium, 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, 7-speed DCT – $41,000
i30 N, 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder, 6-speed manual – $50,000
i30 N, 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder, 8-speed DCT – $50,000
i30 N Premium, 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, 6-speed manual – $53,500
i30 N Premium, 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, 8-speed DCT – $53,500
* Prices exclude on-road costs

Sedan
i30, 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, CVT – $29,000
Elite, 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, CVT – $33,500
Premium, 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, CVT – $38,500
i30 Hybrid, 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, 6-speed DCT – $33,000
i30 Hybrid Elite, 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, 6-speed DCT – $37,500
N Line, 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, 7-speed DCT – $36,000
N Line Premium, 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, 7-speed DCT – $41,500
i30 N Premium, 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, 6-speed manual – $52,000
i30 N Premium, 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, 8-speed DCT – $52,000
* Prices exclude on-road costs

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