ROAD TEST

Hyundai i30

No 4818

Korea shows that the Kia Ceed wasnt just a stroke of luck
MODEL TESTED

1.6 Style manual

Price 13,295 Power 120bhp Torque 114lb ft 0-60mph 10.7sec

Fuel economy 30.2mpg CO2 emissions 152g/km 70-0mph 50.7m Skidpan 0.73g

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WE LIKE Excellent ride quality Spacious interior Excellent level of equipment

3
1

PHOTOGRAPHY STAN PAPIOR/STUART PRICE

Nose of car in general, and grille in particular, look

rather insipid. Styling a car for Europe is a sensible
move, but not if the effect is as anonymous as this.

54 WWW.AUTOCAR.CO.UK 8 AUGUST 2007

Headlights are excellent for such an affordable

car. Light dispersal and level of illumination show
that Hyundai has cut no corners in this area.

A-pillars are
impressively thin,
affording very good
front three-quarter
visibility.

Alloy wheels are

standard on all
models 16in on this
Style model or 15in if
you go for the Comfort.

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HISTORY
There can be few more effective
cures for insomnia than a quick
trot through the history of midsized family cars from Hyundai.
We summed up the pros and cons
of the last one, the Elantra (right)
as follows: Top warranty, price;
totally average everywhere else.
All its models have been sold on
the stack em high, sell em cheap
principle and while this approach has undoubted shifted a great deal of usually
rather tinny metal, it has so far failed entirely to produce a car worthy of a place in
the memory. This is what the i30 is here to change.

WE DONT LIKE Euro-bland appearance Engine noise at speed High driving position

7&8

Rear screen is long but shallow, severely limiting

the swept area of the wiper. There has to be a
practical solution to this problem, but no one seems
to have come up with it yet.

Rear styling remind

you of anything?
A highly aspirational
small hatch from one of
Europes most coveted
brands, perhaps?

If you want your i30

to come with parking
sensors as standard,
youll need to head for
the top-of-the-range
Premium model.

Bumper extensions on each side may help protect

the car but look odd and tacked on. Should have
been integrated into the overall style of the car.

8 AUGUST 2007 WWW.AUTOCAR.CO.UK 55

Glovebox is reasonably shaped, a

decent size and, most important, has
switchable air conditioning so at least
you can keep your drinks cool.

Style version (shown here) has a

leather-trimmed wheel thats
pleasant to hold. Base Comfort trim
gets unpleasant, squidgy plastic one.

4
1

Air conditioning is standard and

effective on all i30s. Should you
shell out extra for the climate control
offered by the Premium model? Not in
our view. The basic system is great.

Hyundai is very proud of the

amount of oddment space on
offer, but the truth is that while
there are many, they are mainly
small and good for oddments only.
56 WWW.AUTOCAR.CO.UK 8 AUGUST 2007

Instruments are simple, clear

and attractive, but a little
difficult to read in ambient light
levels that are low but dont warrant
turning on the headlights.

No 4818

ROAD TEST

HOW BIG IS IT?

Inside out

VISIBILITY TEST
It might be sombre, but the cabin is a nice place to be for all but tall drivers

A-pillars are thin, but

theyre close to the driver
at eye level. Rear visibility
is average for the class

DESIGN AND ENGINEERING


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INTERIOR


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Rear seats fold to create a flat boot floor; legroom is impressive for the class

Height
420-750mm
Width
1060mm
Depth
770-1540mm

Boot opening could be wider at the base but dimensions are par for the course
8 AUGUST 2007 WWW.AUTOCAR.CO.UK 57

TRACK NOTES

Well mannered and surprisingly fun

DRY CIRCUIT
Wet, 15C
Hyundai i30 1:32.6sec
Fiat Bravo 1:24.6sec
Slow but surprisingly
fun. Agile chassis,
communicative
steering, eager
engine and tireless
brakes. Wasnt even
that bothered by the
soaking wet track.
Excellent performance.

WET CIRCUIT
Hyundai i30 1:14.5sec
Fiat Bravo 1:10.7sec
The i30 finds good
grip in the wet, both
at the front and rear.
The benefits of an
independent rear and
decent damping are
evident, with excellent
control through the
repeated direction
changes T3-T6.

TOP STOPPER

LIFT OFF FOR AMUSEMENT

The i30 can be made to dance entertainingly through
T3, any rear slip easily caught with a little lock.

Although the i30 never

builds much speed, its
well-equipped brakes resist fade.

CAUTIOUS ESP SYSTEM

The standard ESP system makes the i30 easy to drive
in wet conditions but its interventions are excessive,
increasing the i30 lap time by over 1.5sec.

PERFORMANCE



T7 BALANCE
For a front-drive car and one with so
little sporting intent, the i30 possesses
excellent balance through the long T7.

ACCELERATION Dry track, 17C

HYUNDAI i30 (standing quarter mile 18.0sec at 78.8mph, standing km 33.0sec at 97.8mph)

FIAT BRAVO

BRAKING 60-0mph 2.52sec

ON THE LIMIT
Hyundai has imbued the i30 with a
great deal of natural balance and then
58 WWW.AUTOCAR.CO.UK 8 AUGUST 2007

taken away the opportunity for

drivers to enjoy it with an over-eager
ESP system thats standard on all
models. In more sporting cars we

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would probably criticise this approach

more strongly, but given the likely
modest handling requirements of
most i30 customers, we think this is

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a sensible solution, not least because

the ESP can always be turned off with
the press of a switch.
Do this and youll find a car whose

ROAD TEST

No 4818

Under the skin

i30s closest rival
will be its sister,
the Kia Ceed,
which shares
many of its
components

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preferred stance is one of mild

understeer on entry into the corner
which can be quickly cancelled by a lift
of the foot. Indeed, we were surprised

by just how keen the i30 was to wag

its tail, although this never reaches
disturbing levels. This is because the
yaw rate is reasonably linear and

SEEING DOUBLE
It should come as no surprise that
the i30s ride and handling are
competitive, because theyre similarly
so on Kias Ceed, with which the i30
shares its platform (Kia is a subsidiary
of Hyundai Motor Group).
The Ceed cannot be had with the
i30s 2.0-litre diesel engine, but
otherwise the two cars have the same
engine line-up. Suspension is shared,
the two have the same wheelbase and
height, and are a gnats whisker apart

because it can always be reliably

countered with the re-application of
throttle. After the steady to turgid
understeer available in many other

in length and width. Even their prices

start at the same 10,995 although
equipment levels are generally worse
on the Ceed, which counters with a
longer warranty.
The two do not, though, share a
production line. While the Ceed is
built in Kias first European factory, in
Slovakia, the i30 is currently being
built only in Korea. Production of the
i30 will move to a new plant in the
Czech Republic from 2009.

cars with higher prices from

supposedly better brands than this,
it represents a welcome change.
Long may it continue.
8 AUGUST 2007 WWW.AUTOCAR.CO.UK 59

Crunching numbers

WHAT IT COSTS

CAR NAME

On-the-road price
13,295
Price as tested
13,670
Value after 3yrs/36k miles4450
Typical PCP pcm
na
Contract hire pcm
na
Cost per mile
na
Insurance/typical quote 5/340

EQUIPMENT CHECK LIST

CD player
Cloth/leather trim
Air conditioning
Electric windows
Electric, heated mirrors
Tyre pressure monitor
Front fog lights
Alloy wheels
Metallic paint
Mica paint
Smartnav navigation
Auto headlights

375
375
495

Options in bold fitted to test car

= Standard na = not available

ENGINE

Installation
Type

Front, transverse
4 cyls in line, 1591cc,
petrol
Made of
Aluminium head
and block
Bore/stroke
77.0/85.4mm
Compression ratio 11.1:1
Valve gear
4 per cylinder, DOHC
Power
120bhp at 6200rpm
Torque
114lb ft at 4200rpm
Red line
6500rpm
Power to weight
83bhp per tonne
Torque to weight
79Ib ft per tonne
Specific output
75bhp per litre

ECONOMY
TEST

CLAIMED

Average
Touring
Track
Urban
Extra-urban
Combined
Tank size
Test range

30.2mpg
38.1mpg
17.2mpg
35.3mpg
54.3mpg
45.5mpg
53 litres
352 miles

ACCELERATION
MPH
0-30
0-40
0-50
0-60
0-70
0-80
0-90
0-100
0-110
0-120
0-130
0-140
0-150
0-160

TIME (sec)
3.7
5.6
7.7
10.7
14.2
18.9
25.6
36.4

CHASSIS & BODY

POWER & TORQUE

Construction
Weight/as tested
Drag coefficient
Wheels
Tyres
Spare

TRANSMISSION

Type Front-wheel drive

Gearbox 5-speed manual
Ratios/mph per 1000rpm
1st 3.62/4.8 2nd 1.95/8.8 3rd 1.37/12.6
4th 1.03/16.7 5th 0.84/20.6
Final drive ratio 4.29

SUSPENSION

Front MacPherson struts, coil springs,

anti-roll bar
Rear Independent multi-link with trailing
arm, coil springs, anti-roll bar

STEERING

Type Electrically assisted rack and pinion

Turns lock to lock
2.69
Turning circle
10.7m

ACCELERATION IN GEAR
MPH
20-40
30-50
40-60
50-70
60-80
70-90
80-100
90-110
100-120
110-130
120-140
120-140
130-150

2nd
4.2
4.2

3rd
6.5
6.3
6.3
6.7

4th
9.3
8.8
9.1
9.6
10.3
11.8
15.8

5th

12.2
12.5
13.9
15.3
17.0

THE SMALL PRINT *Power and torque-to-weight figures are calculated using manufacturers claimed kerb weight. Autocar 2007. Test
results may not be reproduced without editors written permission. For information on the i30, contact Hyundai Car (UK) Ltd, St Johns,
Court, Easton Street, High Wycombe, Bucks HP11 1JX (0808 981 981, www.hyundai-car.co.uk). Cost-per-mile figures calculated over three
years/36,000 miles, including depreciation and maintenance but not insurance; Lloyds TSB Autolease (0870 600 6333). Insurance quote
covers 35-year-old professional male with clean licence and full no-claims bonus living in Swindon; from What Car? Insurance (0845 123
2618). Contract hire figure based on a three-year lease/36,000-mile contract including maintenance; from Lombard (0870 902 3311).

60 WWW.AUTOCAR.CO.UK 8 AUGUST 2007

Steel unibody
1293kg/1305kg
0.33
6x16 in alloy
205/55 R 16
Hankook Optimo
Full size

BRAKES

RANGE AT A GLANCE
ENGINES
1.4 petrol Comfort
1.4 petrol Style
1.6 petrol Comfort
1.6 petrol Style
1.6 petrol Premium
1.6 CRDi Comfort
1.6 CRDi Style
1.6 CRDI Premium
2.0 CRDiStyle
2.0 CRDi Premium

107bhp
107bhp
120bhp
120bhp
120bhp
113bhp
113bhp
113bhp
138bhp
138bhp

TRANSMISSIONS
Five-speed manual
Six-speed manual (2.0 only)
Automatic (1.6 only)

std
std
1000

SAFETY

Front 280mm ventilated discs

Rear 262mm solid discs
Anti-lock Standard, brake assist

ABS, ESP, EBD, six airbags, active headrest

EuroNCAP crash rating na
Pedestrian rating
na

CABIN NOISE

GREEN RATING

Idle 48dB Max revs in third

gear 62dB 30mph 64dB 50mph 69dB
70mph 74dB

CO2 emissions
Tax at 22/40% pcm

MAX SPEEDS IN GEAR

DEPRECIATION

152g/km
44/80

RPM in 5th @ 70/80mph = 2700/3100

ROAD TEST

10,995
12,545
12,295
13,295
14,895
12,995
13,995
15,595
14,995
16,595

Read all of our road tests

at www.autocar.co.uk

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No 4818

ROAD TEST

Hyundai i30
AUTOCAR VERDICT 

TESTERS NOTES

Koreas most convincing car yet

ANDREW FRANKEL
There is a trip computer
that looks like it should
operate via the switchgear,
but its not at all intuitive.
It is actually worked using
a badly located button
named Trip which looks
like something youd press
to zero the trip meter.

BUYING AND OWNING


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hat you are looking at is the most credible Korean

car of any description we have sampled and, Japan
aside, the most convincing ever to come from the
Far East. Its looks may not be among the most
promising, but they conceal a car of great natural ability and
very few significant flaws. Even better, it can be bought for what
is clearly a bargain price, particularly if you consider the
equipment and warranty that comes with it.
There is considerable anecdotal evidence that at least some
European car manufacturers are still not taking the threat from
Korea seriously. All we can say is the i30 should represent about
as unpleasant and timely a wake-up call as theyre ever likely to
receive. And if they dont take the hint, it is they who will suffer
and Hyundai who will rightly reap their richly deserved rewards.

MATT PRIOR
Fuel consumption rockets
if youre pressing on. It
may be easy to make a
heavy car with a small
engine look frugal in
official figures, but its
different when keeping up
with outside-lane traffic
on the motorway.
JOBS FOR THE FACELIFT
Get rid of the awful
blue trip meter. Hard to
read, horrible to look at.
Install a longer fifth
gear to improve
economy, emissions and
refinement.
Redesign the stereo
controls, which are
badly labelled.
Put a new nose on the
car, one that looks like it
belongs to the tail.

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

MAKE
Model
Price
Power
Torque
0-60mph
Top speed
Fuel consumption
Kerb weight
CO2/tax band

FORD
Focus Style 1.6
14,122
99bhp at 6000rpm
110lb ft at 4000rpm
11.9sec (claimed 62mph)
112mph (claimed)
36.7mpg (combined)
1264kg
159g/km, 18 per cent

VOLKSWAGEN
Golf 1.6 S FSI
14,527
114bhp at 6000rpm
114lb ft at 4000rpm
10.8sec (claimed 62mph)
119mph (claimed)
42.2mpg (combined)
1184kg
161g/km, 19 per cent

HYUNDAI
i30 1.6 Style
13,295
120bhp at 6200rpm
114lb ft at 4200rpm
10.7sec
119mph (claimed)
30.2mpg (test average)
1293kg
152g/km, 17 per cent

VAUXHALL
Astra 1.6 Life
13,565
114bhp at 6000rpm
114lb ft at 4000rpm
10.9sec (claimed)
119mph (claimed)
44.8mpg (combined)
1195kg
156g/km, 18 per cent

KIA
Ceed 1.6 LS
13,295
120bhp at 6200rpm
114lb ft at 4200rpm
10.8sec (claimed 62mph)
119mph (claimed)
44.1mpg (combined)
1355kg
152g/km, 17 per cent

Every Top Five

See page 90

Expensive here and not

the best Focus, but still
good enough for top spot.

Fine design seals second

spot for Golf, despite
premium.

Closer than any previous

Korean car to the class
lead. Good build and ride.

Still a smart and

comfortable performer,
if under-equipped here.

Most of i30 applies, only

with lower-rent interior
and less equipment.

TOP
FIVES

5th

8 AUGUST 2007 WWW.AUTOCAR.CO.UK 61