Behind the wheel of the new Hyundai i30: now with an ECO label and €5,500 off

Almost 1.2 million units of the Hyundai i30 have been sold by the Korean brand since the first generation was launched back in 2007. Of these, around 125,000 have been in Spain.

Now, the Hyundai i30 receives a major update based on the third generation, presented in 2016. The changes affect the design across all three body styles, 5-door, Fastback and Wagon, and new safety and multimedia equipment has been added. But, without a doubt, among the most interesting novelties are the 48-volt mild hybrid engines.

New Hyundai i30 2021: what changes inside and out

Normally, in these “facelifts” the changes are minor. But in the case of the new i30, when the previous model and the new one are placed side by side, a much greater evolution can be seen than might first appear.

At the front, the bumpers are new, as are the air intakes, the headlight design and the grille, which is now much wider and more prominent. At the rear, the bumpers and the light clusters are also modified. Both front and back, the light signature forms a “V” through LED diodes.

Other design updates affect the wheel range, while of the 9 available body colours, 3 are new. All these changes apply to the three body styles and do not affect the vehicle’s dimensions, which remain unchanged.

Inside there are also some changes to refresh the design, although it did not really need much. For example, the climate control air vents are new, as are some of the materials used and the available colours, with a new grey tone added alongside the existing black.

The most relevant news comes with the connectivity features enabled by Bluelink and Hyundai Live Services, which make their debut on the i30 for the first time. When the integrated navigation system is fitted, these services are free for five years. They include real-time traffic information, petrol stations and prices, speed cameras, parking and weather. In addition, cloud-based voice recognition is included, capable of understanding natural language phrases without memorising commands.

With the Bluelink app you will have remote access to the vehicle from your smartphone, to lock the doors, send points of interest, or locate the car.

The driver assistance systems are integrated into what is called Hyundai SmartSense. As additions to those the i30 already had, the most notable is the new lane-keeping assist. Additionally, the forward collision prevention assist has been improved and can now recognise cyclists. Active cruise control includes stop & go function with automatic start and stop. However, it lacks some of the assistants that the Hyundai i20 has incorporated, since it debuts a completely new platform.

N-Line versions: a sporty touch

The highly appealing N-Line versions of Hyundai, which add a sporty touch, now also arrive for the first time on the estate body. These N-Line versions, and a higher one called N-Line X, replace the previous Style versions.

The N-Line models feature a distinctive design, both outside and inside. The grille is wider, as are the lower grille and the side intakes, all with honeycomb mesh. The bumpers are also redesigned, especially the rear one, which houses a diffuser with an integrated double exhaust outlet.

Inside, the sports seats and steering wheel, with red stitching, are impeccable. The gear lever includes the N logo, and the pedals are metal. Later, in the pricing and equipment section, we highlight the items these N-Line versions include as standard, and their price.

Engines: petrol and diesel, with and without mild hybridisation

And we come to one of the sections where the new Hyundai i30 has evolved the most for the buyer, at least from a practical point of view: the engine range. Although all of them are “old acquaintances”, the modifications have not focused solely on electronic management to announce better consumption or reduce emissions.

The Hyundai i30 range receives light hybridisation MHEV, or mild hybridisation, which has a direct effect on consumption (around 7% less) and allows you to enjoy all the advantages of the DGT ECO label. Just don’t be mistaken. Although the commercial name and the bodywork carry the “hybrid” badge, it is really, as we say, a mild hybrid, with 48-volt technology.

There is no electric motor here that can drive the wheels by itself at any time, only a starter-alternator and a lithium battery that stores the energy recovered during acceleration, to be used when the alternator works providing thrust that adds to the combustion engine, or so that the vehicle’s electrical consumers keep running when the car coasts and the engine is disconnected.

The petrol engine range petrol starts with the 1.0 three-cylinder with 120 CV, available with and without hybridisation, and the 1.5 four-cylinder with 160 CV, always with MHEV system. In diesel you can choose between the 1.6 CRDI with 116 CV, without hybridisation, or the 1.6 CRDI with 136 CV, always with MHEV system.

The two engines without hybridisation are the only ones offered with the basic Essence trim. With equal equipment, our recommendation is always to take the “step up” to the MHEV version. The difference is about €1,250 on the 120 CV 1.0 petrol, and €2,000 in the case of the diesel, where, in addition, you get the 136 CV variant instead of the 116 CV.

For all engines you can choose between a 6-speed manual gearbox or the 7DCT automatic dual-clutch gearbox. For the mild-hybrid engines, the manual gearbox is the new iMT developed by Hyundai, which enables automatic engine-transmission decoupling to allow coasting with the engine off, improving fuel consumption.

Behind the wheel of the Hyundai i30: which one to choose?

As with the previous range, when it comes to body styles, there is something for every taste. From the 5-door upwards, the i30 CW offers the practicality of the estate version, and the Fastback adds an elegant touch without giving up practicality.

However, when it comes to engines, care is needed. As we said, the versions without hybridisation are not worth it, even if you think you won’t need the ECO label; you never know what might happen later. Between the 1.0 TGDI with 120 CV and the 116 CV CRDi, we go with the former. It still offers greater refinement, and now with light hybridisation it feels even smoother and at the same time more responsive when you want to drive it like a diesel, making use of long gears, which it accepts willingly. In “eco” mode, it will reward you with average consumption figures around 6 l/100 km. If you drive without paying attention to the accelerator, it will use what engines with more cylinders and displacement use.

If you want a version with more “go”, especially if you decide on the attractive N-Line trim and want that extra performance, the petrol once again comes out on top. The 1.5 TGDI with 160 CV is a very pleasant engine to drive; it doesn’t use much more than the three-cylinder at a relaxed pace, and adds a touch of “spark” when driving more sportingly, with a very appealing sound too.

We would only choose the diesel, the 1.6 CRDi with 136 CV, if you are going to cover many kilometres a month, mainly on motorways. Today, for this kind of use, the low consumption of diesel is only within reach of alternative fuel engines, such as LPG. And this 1.6 CRDi is still a smooth engine, which goes a long way and gets by on very little fuel, even more so now that it also has the support of the hybrid system.

Equipment: five trim levels

The trim levels for the new Hyundai i30 are five: Essence, Klass, Tecno, N Line and N Line X. The latter replaces the previous Style.

The Essence provides entry into the range, and comes with basic equipment: 15-inch steel wheels, audio system with radio and 3.8-inch monochrome display, and air conditioning.

The Klass versions are already the minimum recommended. They add 16-inch alloy wheels, an 8-inch colour touchscreen, rear parking camera, parking sensors and dual-zone climate control.

The Tecno completes the equipment with 17-inch wheels, navigation with a 10.25-inch screen and Bluelink system, rain sensor, photochromic interior mirror, instrumentation with a 7-inch digital display, LED headlights, keyless entry and push-button start.

In the case of the N-Line, it includes the Tecno equipment and all the aesthetic modifications mentioned in the design section. The N-Line X adds a panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charger, adaptive cruise control, active lane-keeping system and electric parking brake, among other items.

Prices and discounts for the new Hyundai i30

The prices of the new Hyundai i30 with 5-door body start from €22,170 for the 1.0 TGDI with Essence trim, from €24,275 for the 1.0 TGDI 48V Klass, and from €28,775 for the 1.5 TGDi 160 CV 48V N-Line. In the diesel range, the 1.6 CRDi 116 CV Klass has a starting price of €24,725, while the 1.6 CRDi 136 CV 48V Klass is available from €26,775. The i30 CW estate versions cost around €800 more than the 5-door, while the Fastback carries a surcharge of €900.

The interesting thing is that a discount of €4,000 on diesel and €3,400 on petrol can be applied to all these prices, plus an additional €1,500 if you finance the purchase, and another €1,500 over the valuation when trading in a used vehicle of any brand.

Our most recommended i30 would be the 1.0 TGDi MHEV 48-volt with 120 CV, dual-clutch gearbox and Tecno trim, priced at €26,975, but with the €4,900 discount it comes down to €22,075. And you can still deduct an additional €1,500 by trading in a car at the time of purchase, or benefit from the Renove scheme, worth between €600 and €1,000.

Hyundai i30 2021 image gallery

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