HYUNDAI i30 FASTBACK
Coupé version of family hatchback is now available in sporty form only
The idea is a simple one: make a more premium and desirable coupé out of a family hatchback. That’s what Hyundai set out to achieve in 2018 with the launch of the i30 Fastback, a sleeker, fivedoor version of the i30, trying to replicate the success that Mercedesbenz has achieved in morphing the A-class into the CLA.
However sleek it might look and interesting the proposition might be, the idea hasn’t really set the world alight and prompted a whole raft of imitations from rival firms (when they all start making their own, you know you’re really onto something). Yet it remains a stylish option and a welcome niche in a sea of similar family hatchbacks.
The i30 Fastback was refreshed just over a year ago and the range simplified at the same time. The car is now available only in sporty N Line trim, with a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and either a six-speed manual or sevenspeed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It’s the latter we’re testing here.
Too often you get into cars in this area of the market with such sporty looks and such a specification and are let down by how it drives. Not so with the i30 Fastback.
It feels more towards the Ford Focus end of the market for more involving dynamics, albeit not quite at the Blue Oval’s free-flowing level. The handling is accurate and predictable and the car is willing to change direction and involve you in the drive on a more interesting stretch of B-road.
The stiffer N Line suspension makes the ride firm but never uncomfortable, with almost all bumps and imperfections well absorbed by the chassis. Only really high-frequency surfaces at much higher or very low speeds unsettle the car, and it always feels well tied down.
The steering does lack bite and feel, though, particularly just offcentre, which spoils an otherwise pleasing dynamic set-up.
The engine is a willing performer. It produces 157bhp and 187lb ft, which isn’t explosive by modern standards but is just as much as the i30 Fastback needs. Performance is smoothly delivered and the engine is quiet and refined, achieving more than 40mpg, thanks to the 48V mildhybrid technology that both boosts economy and aids acceleration.
It’s not a good match for the DCT gearbox, however. This is the weakest part of the whole dynamic package. It always feels half a step behind what the driver wants from the engine and is slow to shift and said shifts are quite cumbersome.
We would save ourselves £1200 by getting the manual, which is likely to be a far better match to the rest of the chassis set-up and performance levels in keeping with the car’s cooking-hatchback brief.
The rest of the package is largely as we know from before with the i30 Fastback, even after those styling and range tweaks. You get more boot space than a standard i30 hatchback (450 litres plays 395 litres), with the trade-off for that rakish shape coming in rear cabin space and rearwards visibility for the driver.
The interior switchgear and infotainment layout feels half a generation behind those of many more modern rivals, but that’s actually no bad thing given how many physical buttons remain and aren’t hidden behind endless menus on a touchscreen. Less isn’t always more, and there’s an honesty and robustness to the front cabin of the i30 Fastback.
Equipment levels are very good as standard, with the only options being the gearbox and the paint colour.
The i30 Fastback remains a niche choice, albeit an interesting one. That interest comes not only from the way it looks but also from the way it drives. If you like the former, you will enjoy the latter, so long as you stick with the manual gearbox.