Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Hyundai i30 Car Review

The Hyundai i30 is a small family car from Korea’s top automobile company Hyundai Motor Company (SEO: 005387). Designed by Hyundai European team in Germany, the Hyundai i30 is sold in the United Kingdom as a replacement for the Hyundai Accent and the Hyundai Elantra. First introduced at the 2007 Geneva Motor show, the car was released in late 2007 in Europe and Australia. That same year, the estate version was released at the Seoul Motor Show in South Korea. This year, the Hyundai i30 will be released worldwide. In USA the car will be named Elantra Touring.

The Hyundai i30 shares mechanical components with Kia cee’d but there are lot modifications in the design of the car.

The Hyundai i30 is available as a five-door hatchback or estate, with a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines, either with manual or automatic transmissions.

Engine:
In 2007, Hyundai i30 won the CARS Guide Car of the Year award. The 1.6 L CRDi model won the Green Car of the Year award and it was also the cheapest car in Australia. Auto express.co.uk says:

The i30 shares its platform with the Kia Cee’d, but has slightly revised suspension settings. It feels composed and reassuring, and while it’s far from inspiring to drive, it is comfortable and refined enough. Long journeys won’t be a chore. The same range of 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines are used, too – but Hyundai has made a few changes which improve refinement. There’s also a 1.4-litre petrol entry-level car, and we found little difference in performance between this and the 1.6; however, if you can afford it, go for the excellent 1.6-litre diesel. It has impressive punch, particularly when pulling out of junctions.

Exterior:

  • The Hyundai i30 has been designed according to the need of the European car users.
  • The Hyundai i30 comes with 15" alloy wheels. The wheel design is very distinctive.
  • The Hyundai i30 comfort models have classic 15" design.
  • The Hyundai i30 style models comes with a new 16" snowflake shape.
  • The Hyundai i30 premium models comes with a sleek and sporty 17" design.
  • The Hyundai i30 comes with an elongated headlamp. It gives the i30 a real sense of purpose.

Interior:
At the first look the Hyundai i30 looks like a small car but it comes with lots of space. Autoexpress.co.uk says:

The well-constructed interior offers a comfortable seating position and plenty of rear space. The i30 actually has more rear legroom than the already-spacious Cee’d. The boot is practical, and as the rear seatbases flip, you can create a virtually flat load area. The trouble is, lower-end models don’t look as robust as they actually are, due to a large expanse of dull plastic. More upmarket variants get a leather steering wheel and metal-effect centre console. All models are very well equipped though, with even entry-level versions offering ESP, alloys, electric windows, air con and a USB auxiliary port. What’s more, the i30 offers a five-year warranty, though this is still two years less than the Cee’d. Retained values are better than the Kia though, with the Hyundai holding on to just under 39 per cent after three years.

Car Advice.com.au says:

It’s a well thought out car inside too. For starters there’s an iPod interface allowing you to plug your MP3 directly into the car’s sound system. And you won’t even need a USB cord. Every i30 comes with one in the centre console. Not only that. The car’s audio head unit can control both volume and playlists – a huge plus and not available in many prestige cars. The standard fit remote folding key fob looks remarkably similar to that found across the Volkswagen range and is a nice touch. The driver and front passenger seats are particularly good, offering comfort and sports style side bolster. A massive improvement over the Elantra. Steering is both height and reach adjustable, which in my book, is essential if you are to find the perfect driving position. The SLX and SR versions win a nice thick leather wrapped steering wheel, while the base model SX gets not so handsome plastic model which looks worse than it is to hold.

Safety features:

  • The Hyundai i30 comes with active front head restraints that will help cushion the driver’s and passengers’ neck against the impact of a rear collision and reduce the possibility whiplash injury.
  • The Hyundai i30 comes with an advanced electronic stability system that is pro-active in controlling brake pressure to each wheel, and manages the engine power output during acceleration and braking on low friction road surfaces. The ESP works along with the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Traction Control (TC).
  • All the Hyundai i30 models are installed with the new Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). It flags up significant reductions in tyre pressure and ensures tire longevity and delivers the optimal level of fuel efficiency and vehicle control.
  • The Hyundai i30 comes with six airbags, side impact bars and front seatbelt pre-tensioners.
  • If you want you can enable the speed sensitive automatic door locking system from your local Hyundai dealer.
  • For child safety, all the Hyundai i30 models come with rear childproof locks and ISOfix fittings.

Security features:

  • Along with safety features, The Hyundai i30 comes with a Thatcham approved immobiliser with deadlocks and remote operated central locking system.
  • The folding key design of Hyundai i30 provides added protection for the key when not in use.

Pricing:
So far I have found two price for European and Australian market.

For the United Kingdom:

Hyundai i30 1.4 Comfort…………………………………..£10995
Hyundai i30 1.6 Comfort…………………………………..£12295
Hyundai i30 1.4 Style………………………………………..£12545
Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDi Comfort………………………….£12995
Hyundai i30 1.6 Style………………………………………..£13295
Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDi Style……………………………….£13995
Hyundai i30 1.6 Premium………………………………….£14895
Hyundai i30 2.0 CRDi Style……………………………….£14995
Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDi Premium…………………………£15595

The Australian market:

Hyundai i30 SX 2.0 (Petrol manual)…………………$18,990
Hyundai i30 SX 2.0 (Petrol auto)……………………..$20,990
Hyundai i30 SX CRDi (man only)………………………$21,490
Hyundai i30 SLX 2.0 (Petrol man)…………………….$23,490
Hyundai i30 SLX 2.0 (Petrol auto)…………………….$25,490
Hyundai i30 SLX (CRDi man only)…………………….$25,990
Hyundai i30 SR 2.0 (Petrol man)………………………$26,490
Hyundai i30 SR 2.0 (auto)…………………………………$28,490

Related articles:

Wikipedia

Auto Express.co.uk

Car Advice.com.au

Web Wombat.com.au

Hyundai i30 official website

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