Hyundai i30 facelift
Thorough overhaul for Korean family hatch
HYUNDAI has given the i30 a mid-life facelift, to keep its family hatch in the fight alongside the new Volkswagen Golf.
The exterior has been updated subtly, but N-Line cars (pictured) now really stand out compared with the standard line-up. The front and rear bumpers are more aggressively sculpted, there’s a new wider grille, and the fresh LED headlights have a new daytime running signature.
Elsewhere the rest of the range gets a different shape for the grille and extra chrome trim. Around the back, the only real change is the new LED tail-lights. Fresh 17 and 18-inch wheels arrive, too, while there are also three new paint finishes.
The engine line-up has been overhauled. The old 1.4-litre unit has been significantly re-engineered into a new 108bhp 1.5-litre. A turbo version of the same engine gets 158bhp, 20bhp more than the old 1.4 turbo. The 1.5 turbo car also benefits from a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, which uses energy recovered during deceleration to enable quicker stop/start and engine-off coasting.
This tech is also available on the 118bhp 1.0-litre turbo petrol model and on a 134bhp 1.6-litre turbodiesel. The final powerplant option is a non-hybrid 1.6-litre diesel with 113bhp. All engines are available with a new six-speed manual gearbox or a sevenspeed automatic, except the base petrol.
A clearer new 10.25-inch touchscreen is fitted, with customisable shortcut tiles on the home screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and later in 2020, they will be able to connect to your phone wirelessly.
Ahead of the driver is a new instrument panel. The seven-inch digital display has speedo and trip functions, while its graphics change based on the driving mode chosen. It’s surrounded by traditional analogue dials.
As for other tech, Lane Following Assist and adaptive cruise control combine to enable semi-autonomous driving on some road types, while blind-spot collision warning can alert other vehicles and swerve to prevent an accident. A rear collision-avoidance system can brake the car while reversing if it detects something unseen by the driver.
“The exterior has been updated subtly, but N-Line cars now really stand out compared with the standard line-up”
“The seven-inch digital display’s graphics change based on the driving mode”