For Apple it’s the iPhone, to Xerox it’s the photocopier, while for McDonalds it’s
the Big Mac.
I am, of course, referring to core products, that one thing that serves as the cornerstone,
the backbone of any successful company.
For Hyundai, here in the UK that’s the i30.
But core products always have to evolve to keep fresh over time, think of the endless
new phones coming out – even this has subtly changed over the years.
So, the new i30 is now fresher looking, more upmarket and roomier inside, and – Hyundai
says – better to drive than ever.
Let’s take it for a spin to see what’s what.
Now, when we first drove the new i30 on its launch earlier this year we tried the most
powerful 1.4-litre 138bhp petrol, but this time round we’ve got the little 1.0-litre
turbo, which is the same one you’ll find in the smaller i20 supermini.
It’s got three cylinders and 118bhp, which isn’t a bad figure, but it can at times
feel like it struggles in the larger i30 compared to the smaller cars.
There’s a bit of lag, and you do have to work it really quite hard to wring the absolute
best out of it.
You mightn’t think that matters, as after all it’s not ‘hot’ by any stretch of
the imagination and it’s fine for sedate urban driving, but on the motorway overtaking
and getting up to speed on the sliproads will take a bit of forward planning, while getting
up hills with passengers and a full boot usually takes a couple of downshifts.
Because you have to work it so hard to get up to speed, you probably won’t get amazing
economy from it either.
Officially, it can return 56.5mpg with 115g/km of CO2 on the combined cycle, but after having
it for a week and some lengthy motorway journeys we’ve managed an average of just Xmpg.
As a result, it’s hard to recommend the 1.0-litre but aside from that this isn’t
a bad car to drive at all.
The handling, while not as agile as the best in the car’s class, is agreeable, the steering
nice and direct if not terribly communicative, and the i30 makes for comfortable and perfectly
usable – if not particularly exciting – family motor.
We’ve said before that the redesigned cabin of the new i30, with its fresher appearance
and decluttered control layout, is a big improvement over the last one.
Last time round we had the range-topping Premium SE trim, but this car is the mid-spec SE Nav,
which is likely to be one of the bigger sellers.
Along with this large eight-inch floating touchscreen, SE Nav cars benefit from plenty
of kit like integrated sat-nav, Bluetooth and smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay
and Android Auto, DAB radio and a wireless phone charging mat.
There’s also parking sensors and a reversing camera included, while our test car comes
with the optional Visibility Pack which adds larger 17-inch alloy wheels, dual LED headlights
and dual-zone climate control for an extra £1,000.
In the back and there’s plenty of leg and headroom – Hyundai says it’s got the best
rear space in its class and although I must admit I haven’t exactly broken out the measuring
tape it does feel comfortable and spacious enough to sit in for long journeys.
The boot has 395 litres of space, while folding the rear seats down increases maximum cargo
capacity to 1,301 litres, which is more than rivals like the Focus, Golf and Leon, though
the Skoda Octavia has slightly more space.
Remember there is now also the option of the i30 Tourer Estate, which we’ll give a separate
review at a later date, but which has 1,650 litres of space if practicality is a main
concern.
The new i30 starts from £16,995 for the entry-level model, while this SE Nav starts from £19,645
before options.
The range-topping Premium SE, meanwhile, starts from £23,495 – which puts the car about
on par with main rivals like the Focus, Octavia and Astra and it’s pretty good value for
the amount of kit you get.
All models in the i30 range come as standard with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty,
plus five years’ roadside assistance, five years’ worth of free vehicle health checks
and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty for the paintwork.
The i30 has been a very successful car for Hyundai and it’s easy to see why with its
core themes of practicality, affordability and good amounts of equipment.
This new one keeps all of that and just adds a little bit extra, while its attractive warranties
could be the icing on the cake that tempts buyers away from one of the more common family
hatches.
While it mightn’t be the most exciting car around, and while we’d find it hard to recommend
the 1.0-litre engine, as an all-rounder family hatch it remains one of the best.