Hyundai i30 Review

The Hyundai i30 isn’t a car that’s going to make a statement about your success in life. It won’t attract admirable glances on your driveway like a Volkswagen Golf, nor will it impress on the school run in the same way as a crossover SUV like a Nissan Qashqai.

But as a car for getting from A to B, it ticks all the boxes. It’s comfortable, represents good value for money, and doesn’t feel as cheap and nasty as you might expect for a budget Korean offering. With frugal engines, low servicing costs and an extensive warranty, the Hyundai i30 is ultimately a very sensible choice.

We reckon the middle trim levels represent the best combination of affordability and relative plushness. Avoid the cheapest S model, but the SE and SE Nav models are well-equipped and cheap to buy. N Line models are a bit sportier while Premium trims are classier, but if that’s what you’re after you should probably look at more conventional alternatives.

In terms of engines, don’t bother with the diesel unless you cover mega miles. The 1.0-litre petrol will be powerful enough for a lot of drivers, but the 1.4’s a more refined choice if you plan to use the i30 but motorway journeys. No Hyundai i30 will be expensive to run.

Don’t buy a Hyundai i30 without considering the closely-related Kia Ceed. It’s actually better-equipped for the money and comes with a longer warranty (albeit limited to 100,000 miles). 

The Vauxhall Astra is as dull as ditchwater but another competent (and affordable) family hatch, as is the newer Skoda Scala. Then there are the slightly classier choices, including the Volkswagen Golf, SEAT Leon, Ford Focus and Mazda 3. All have slightly better interiors and are more enjoyable to drive, but you don’t get as much for your money as with the i30. If outright practicality is important, we’d recommend a Honda Civic or Skoda Octavia.

The Hyundai i30 isn’t as plush as a Volkswagen Golf or Mazda 3, but it feels well-finished and more than up to the task of withstanding family life.

It’s very dependent on specification. Entry-level S models feel pretty drab, with SE trim adding a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob as well as the aforementioned chrome interior trim - both of which make the i30’s cabin feel that little bit more cossetting.

The part- or full-leather seats of the higher-spec models also give the cabin a useful lift in terms of quality but, even then, it’s not on a par with a Golf. None of the plastic finishes feel particularly brittle, though, and it certainly doesn’t feel like the budget option a Hyundai would have been a few years ago.

The infotainment is another area in which the S will leave you wishing you’d plumped for a higher-spec model. The cheapest i30 doesn’t get a conventional touchscreen media system, instead making do with an old-fashioned radio system with buttons alongside. It looks pretty naff, perched on top of the dash and reminding you that you didn’t buy a pricier model.

It’s the sort of thing that’s acceptable on a bargain-basement city car, but it’s not quite good enough on a car the size (and price) of a Hyundai i30. On the plus side, it does have DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity - allowing you to make and receive phone calls on the move or stream music from your phone. If you don’t want the complication of a fancy touchscreen display, this is the car for you.

Go for an SE model or above and you’ll get a much better eight-inch media system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This is smaller than the 10.25-inch display used across most of the Kia Ceed range, but it’s easy to use and looks pretty smart.

Only certain trim levels (SE Nav, Premium and Premium SE) get in-built navigation, but that’s no great hardship in our view. Provided you’ve got a smartphone with a decent amount of data each month, connecting your phone and using third-party apps like Google Maps or Waze actually works better.

Music fans might be disappointed - there’s no fancy premium sound system offered on the Hyundai i30. Premium and Premium SE models get a 4.2-inch LCD instrument cluster, but this isn’t as impressive as the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster offered on the Kia Ceed.

The Hyundai i30 isn’t anything to shout about when it comes to interior space, but it is on a par with rivals like the SEAT Leon and Ford Focus. If practicality’s important, Hyundai does sell an estate version of the i30 (as well as a sporty Fastback model), but you should also consider something a bit bigger like the Skoda Octavia or even a crossover SUV like the Hyundai Tucson.

There’s a reasonable amount of room up front, with a height-adjustable driver’s seat allowing you to lower the seat if you require more headroom. This is missing on the passenger side on S models, but the rest of the range gets a height-adjustable passenger seat, too.

There’s plenty of storage, with generous cupholders, big door bins and - on most models - useful stowage space underneath the front armrest. Go for one of the Premium or Premium SE models and you’ll even get a sliding front armrest with a 12V power output socket.

In the back, tall adults will feel a bit cramped but no more so than in most rivals (this side of a Skoda Octavia, anyway). Like the Kia Ceed, there’s a near-flat floor, which means middle-seat passengers would feel deprived of foot space. The same can’t be said for elbow room…

Wide-opening rear doors help when loading children, while the outer rear seats are fitted with Isofix mounting points which are easily accessible.

Capable of lugging 395 litres of luggage, the i30’s boot is the same size as the Kia Ceed’s, and marginally bigger than a Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus. Access is easy thanks to a low lip and a variable-height boot floor, while the boot’s shape is usefully square. The rear seats drop easily, providing up to 1301 litres of space if required.

It’s worth noting that all but the entry-level S model come with a space-saver spare wheel, which could save you a lot of hassle in the case of a puncture.

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The 1.0-litre petrol is usually the cheapest on the used market. Don’t dismiss it because of its size - it’s a really peppy little engine which packs quite a punch and makes town driving a breeze. It’s slightly slower in the Hyundai i30 compared to the very similar Kia Ceed, taking 11.1 seconds to reach 62mph, but it’s more than up to the job of keeping up with traffic, provided you don’t mind regular gear changes.

The manual gearbox, incidentally, is fine - not as precise as that used in the Ford Focus, but it does the job with a light change and effortless clutch pedal.

If you regularly drive on national-speed-limit roads, you might want the extra power of the bigger 1.4. This is a four-cylinder unit which means it feels a bit more grown-up than the little 1.0-litre. With 140PS, it’ll accelerate to 62mph in 8.9 seconds - plenty quick enough for building up speed on a motorway slip road or when overtaking. This engine is also available with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox which is fine if you really want an auto, but not as smooth as the torque-converter transmission used in the latest Ford Focus.

We’d avoid the diesels unless you cover lots of motorway miles. If you do, the 1.6 CRDi is fine, if nothing special. Its low-down torque means there’s plenty of pull at low revs, but it’s no quicker than the petrols.

Just like the Kia Ceed, the Hyundai i30 isn’t quite as refined as you might expect. There’s quite a considerable amount of road and wind noise, especially at high speeds. It shouldn’t be enough to put you off the i30, but drive one back-to-back with the class-leading Golf and you’ll notice the difference.

In typical three-cylinder fashion, the 1.0-litre unit makes quite a distinctive noise, particularly when it’s worked quite hard (something you’ll have to do to actually get anyway). It’s not unpleasant but is a little wearing, especially if you cover a lot of miles. It’s not helped by the amount of vibration that feeds back through the pedals and gear lever, either.

The 1.4 T-GDi is the most civilised, only making a distinctive noise at high revs - something you won’t have to do as much thanks to the extra torque on offer. Opting for one with the automatic gearbox won’t help refinement levels, though, as it sometimes gets flustered and selects a lower gear than is strictly necessary.

Like most diesels, the 1.6 CRDi makes quite a distinct grumble, but it isn’t really any noisier than alternatives like a diesel Ford Focus.

The Hyundai i30 is loaded with standard safety equipment and, pleasingly, most of it is standard across the range.

All models get things like an autonomous emergency braking system (which’ll apply the brakes if it detects an impending collision), a lane guidance system which can nudge the steering if you start straying from your lane, and a driver attention alert to remind you when to take a break.

Premium and Premium SE models come with a blind spot detection system, which warns you if there’s a vehicle in your blind spot, and rear cross-traffic alert - which’ll notify you if there’s an approaching car when you’re reversing out of a space. Both useful features that could easily prevent a collision.

If there is a crash, the Hyundai i30 is a very safe car. Euro NCAP awarded an impressive five stars (out of five) when it was crash tested in 2017. That includes an 88 per cent score for adult occupants and 84 per cent for children. Its pedestrian safety features were given a 64 per cent rating, while its safety assist tech was award 68 per cent.

The cheapest Hyundai i30 to insure will be the S model with the 1.0-litre T-GDi petrol engine. This falls into insurance group 8.

Aside from the hot i30 N, no i30 should cost a fortune to insure. You’ll pay a bit more insurance for the 1.4 petrol compared to the 1.0-litre, with the cheapest being an SE Nav or N Line model - both of which are placed in insurance group 14.

Diesel insurance groups range from 11 to 13 depending on trim level.

Under the latest car tax rules, you’ll pay a flat rate of £150 a year to tax a Hyundai i30 following the first registration. That’s the same as all rivals, apart from hybrid models (like certain versions of the Toyota Corolla), which attract a £10/year discount. 

The Hyundai i30 range is pretty extensive. We’d avoid the cheapest S model unless it’s a really good deal - it’s pretty basic, with spec highlights including 15-inch alloy wheels, manual driver’s seat height adjustment, manual air conditioning, cruise control and DAB radio with Bluetooth connectivity.

An SE shouldn’t be considerably more expensive on the used market, adding desirable features such as 16-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, electric driver’s seat lumbar support adjustment, front passenger seat height adjustment, front and rear fog lights, front and rear armrests, electric folding door mirrors, a reverse parking camera with rear parking sensors and an eight-inch touchscreen media display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. If you want navigation, look for an SE Nav model - although we think Google Maps via Apple CarPlay/Android Auto does a better job.

Sporty N Line models add 18-inch alloy wheels (17-inches with the 1.0 120PS T-GDi engine), bespoke from and rear bumpers, N Line branding on the gear stick and steering wheel, N Line cloth seats, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, door mirror puddle lights, LED rear lights and keyless entry with engine start/stop button.

N Line+ builds on this with a driver’s seat memory function (great if you regularly swap drivers), front passenger seat electric lumbar support adjustment, heated front seats, N Line leather and suede seats, climate control, automatic windscreen wipers and LED headlights.

Posh Premium models feature 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome window surrounds, driver’s electric seat adjustment, cloth and artificial leather seats, automatic front windscreen de-fog system, rear privacy glass, rear air vents on the centre console, solar glass, a front sliding armrest with 12V power outlet, automatic folding door mirrors, electronic parking brake with auto-hold function, front and rear parking sensors, 4.2-inch LCD driver’s supervision instrument cluster, navigation, wireless phone charging, a blind-spot detection system and rear cross-traffic alert.

Topping the range is the Premium SE, which builds on the Premium with full leather seats, a heated steering wheel and a panoramic sunroof. Fancy.