With all those SUV's and crossovers nowadays, you'd think there's lots of choice when it comes to cars,
but the compact middle class kind of comes off badly.
In the 90's, cars like the Opel Astra or Renault Mégane had 3-door versions,
a coupé, sometimes a convertible... Nowadays however,
most manufacturers tend to only make 5-door versions and a station wagon.
Hyundai wasn't any different, but the Koreans are going to try something new.
Something new in the form of this i30 Fastback.
You could call this car a liftback, but that's not what Hyundai wants.
This is a 5-door coupé. Just like you see at BMW and Audi,
but in the compact C-segment. And it's the first in its class.
The main reason to choose a fastback over a hatchback, is the appearance.
It looks very different to the hatchback, especially from this angle.
It's 11 centimetres longer than the hatchback, and it's 3 centimetres lower.
That means it automatically gets a kind of stretched silhouette.
It gets accentuated by the sloping roofline as well.
So this is one of the cars, just like the i30 N,
which Hyundai wants to use to 'emotionalize' themselves. They want customers to buy their cars because they like them,
not only because it's got certain financial advantages.
At the front, you'll immediately recognize it as an i30, but there are a few changes.
The grille is a tad lower, which should make the car look wider,
the same goes for this strip.
Also, the daytime running lamps look different.
In the cabin, it's about the same as the i30 we already know,
but it's a whole other story in the back. Because of the extra length,
you get a bigger boot. In this car, you can fit 450 litres,
compared to the 390 litres in the hatchback.
Of course, it isn't as spacious as the i30 Wagon,
because that's another story, but there's more space than in the hatchback.
The seating in the back? Well, I already told you about the sloping roofline,
and that tends to compromise the headroom.
It isn't too bad though. I'm over 1,80 m and I'm able to sit beneath the roof.
If you're longer than that, you might be in trouble.
The legroom is fine as well, but it isn't incredibly spacious.
The seating in the back isn't as important as the front seats though.
It doesn't only look better, I'll admit that's subjective, but besides the looks,
it's supposed to be more dynamic than the hatchback and wagon.
That's something you'll notice immediately. It's worked, because you have a deep driving position.
Nice and low. I'm looking at the top of the steering wheel.
That gives a very sporty feel. You immediately want to go for a drive.
Even when you're driving it... Right, it isn't incredibly sporty,
because Hyundai saves that for a "N"-version, but it's clearly aimed at dynamic driving.
If you want, you can throw it into a corner,
and the whole car makes you part of the driving process. The gear lever gives enough feedback while shifting gear,
the same goes for the steering, so if you like sportier driving, you won't be disappointed.
The engine in the front has the same dynamic personality.
Right now, I'm driving the 4-cylinder 1.4-litre T-GDI,
producing 140 horsepower. It's a quick little engine, which isn't too extreme.
It's incredibly smooth though. When you go beyond 2.000 RPM, you'll feel the engine pulling you forward.
You can have lots of fun with this engine.
There's one other engine available, the well-known 1.0-litre T-GDI,
which produces 120 horsepower. That should be sufficient as well,
but the importer expects the 1.4-litre to be more popular.
That's because this car will be bought by people who want an i30 which is more dynamic, or maybe have a tad more money to spend.
Then, the prices. They're already available.
It's a very clear range. You've got two engines,
the 1.0-litre T-GDI, and the 1.4, which we're driving right now.
The latter can be combined with an automatic gearbox as well.
You can also choose between two trim levels. The Comfort and the Premium.
You can also get the Premium with a panoramic roof and 18" inch wheels, and that's supposed to be a third trim level.
Prices start at €27.795, and the most expensive version is exactly €10.000 more expensive.
Without options, that is. That means the car is exactly €3.000 more expensive than the hatchback across the range.
If you want one, you can visit Hyundai-dealers from april forward,
because that's when the Hyundai i30 Fastback arrives in the Netherlands.