After a lot of anticipation and some figuratively large shoes to fill to follow up the very popular i30, but this third generation model is here and Hyundai seems rather confident that it can.
In fact, they're positioning the all-new i30 as a ‘DNA car’ for the company, meaning they will be using it to spawn an entire family of vehicles that will all blend a similar design base of engineering, but catered to customers with separate priorities.
One such example would be the upcoming i30 N, an upcoming high performance model that will be going into production starting in 2017 and deliveries (which should include Australia) due to start in middle of next year.
That aside, the base i30 is clearly aimed to be the car for everyone, offering an decent but unhpolarising design, good performance, solid running costs with some generous amounts of technology, all wrapped in a price that’s easy to swallow.
An example of the technology on offer is the standard inclusion of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, wireless smartphone charging, and the inclusion of active safety features such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot detection, and more.
The all-new i30 is the result of an extensive European testing and development period to create a car that will truly be appealing to buyers on an international level. Hyundai has even spent quite an amount of time testing it on the Nurburgring track in Germany to refine its handling and ride quality.
It receives a MacPherson strut front setup and multi-link rear suspension at the rear as standard paired to what Hyundai claim are ‘performance oriented’ dampers.
The whole car has a more purposeful look to it, with sharper angles and precise contours that stays on the right side of memorable. It’s has a shape that more obviously follows the the somewhat boxier design of the Volkswagen Golf. A car that Hyundai clearly wants a piece of.
“Our designers are driven by passion and enthusiasm bringing pride and joy to Hyundai owners. You see and feel this new spirit in the Next Generation i30 – it is a proud statement,” explains Peter Schreyer, President and Chief Design Officer at Hyundai Motor Group. “With the Next Generation i30 we are introducing our newly developed front grille: we call it the Cascading Grille. It will become the new identity of Hyundai.”
As Schreyer said, the new more pronounced grille that makes its debut on the all-new i30 is something you can expect will be a mainstay for the current generation of Hyundai vehicles. The grille features active air flaps and air curtains on each side of the front bumper, all contributing to its impressively low drag coefficient of 0.30Cd.
Hyundai has also concentrated a lot of energy of creating the all-new i30’s interior for parity on material and finish with many European marques. Flowing lines and narrow trim elements are accented in chrome to provide that high quality impression. There’s an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment screen thats positioned above the central air vents, allowing the rest of the dash to be most void of unnecessary buttons.
With the seats folded flat, the now-large all-new i30 can fit a maximum of 1,301 litres of cargo or 395-litres with the seats in an upright position while the cabin upholstery can be chosen as either a single colour or dual-tone perforated leather blend.
At launch, Hyundai will have a selection of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines on offer for the third-generation i30, starting with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder that produces 89kW and 170Nm. A new 1.4-litre TGDI four-cylinder is the new addition to the brand’s powertrain playbook that’s lighter, more efficient and more powerful at 104kW and 242Nm.
Single diesel engine is on offer here, which is a single 1.6-litre four-cylinder unit that’s offered in three different power outputs from 71kW to to 101kW. Depending on engine, the i30 will use either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed deal clutch transmission.
For more on Hyundai vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
