Hyundai i30 (2007 – 2012) Review

March 2007

Hyundai i30 launched

Goes on sale in the UK in September 2007. Designed specifically for the European C-segment, the i30 came with a choice of three petrol and three diesel engines, combined with manual or automatic transmission. Early models were initially available as a 5-door hatchback and later as an estate car.

Design touches include projection headlamps, a USB port for connecting portable music players, a smart folding key system for convenient access to the vehicle, a built-in roof rack for maximum cargo-carrying utility and repeater lamps built into the side view mirror housings.

FWD 1.6-litre DOHC Gamma inline 4-cylinder petrol or 1.6-litre CRDi with Variable Geometry Turbo. 4-speed automatic available with 115PS 1.6 diesel. 1.4 and 1.6 petrol and 1.6 diesel all quiet, smooth chain cam engines. Good car. 1.4 petrol particularly impressive. 5-year unlimited mileage warranty.

September 2007

UK prices announced

i30 1.4 petrol Comfort 5-dr £10,995
i30 1.4 petrol Style 5-dr £12,545
i30 1.6 petrol Comfort 5-dr £12,295
i30 1.6 petrol Comfort 5-dr auto £13,295
i30 1.6 petrol Style 5-dr £13,295
i30 1.6 petrol Premium 5-dr £14,895
i30 1.6 petrol Premium 5-dr auto £15,895

i30 1.6 CRDI Comfort 5-dr £12,995
i30 1.6 CRDI Comfort 5-dr auto £13,995
i30 1.6 CRDI Style 5-dr £13,995
i30 1.6 CRDI Premium 5-dr £15,595
i30 1.6 CRDI Premium 5-dr auto £16,595

i30 2.0 CRDI Premium 5-dr £14,995
i30 2.0 CRDI Premium 5-dr auto £16,595

October 2007

Hyundai i30 90PS 1.6 diesel announced. The ‘green’ i30 also features a diesel particulate filter to remove ‘soot’ from the exhaust gases. Unlike some rivals, the i30’s design means there has been no need to resort to skinny tyres, expensive stop-start systems, long gearing or lowered suspension to achieve the low CO2 figure. This ensures that the i30’s road holding, drivability, ride and equipment levels are unaffected. The new model remains affordable too, with prices starting below £13,000 despite an equipment list that includes ESP, air conditioning and alloy wheels as standard on all versions.

July 2008

SE based on 1.4 Comfort announced priced at £11,845. Unusually, has a factory-fitted electric sunroof, while 16-inch alloy wheels and electric folding door mirrors with side repeater indicators. As with all i30s, the SE is also equipped with ESP, air conditioning, four electric windows, integrated steering wheel audio controls, six airbags, trip computer, iPod/USB integration and active headrests.

There is also the reassurance of Hyundai’s famous Five Year, Unlimited Mileage Warranty. Three eye-catching new colours - Crystal White, Ember Red and Indigo Blue. Efficient and frugal 1.4-litre, 107bhp petrol engine which returns 46.3 mpg and produces just 145g/km of CO2 – making it one of the lowest emitting petrol-powered C-segment vehicles available. Just 700 of the i30 SEs will be available, priced at £11,845, with mica paint costing an additional £390.

August 2008

i-Blue i30, revealed at British Motor Show, with 1.6-litre CRDi engine emitting under 120g/km and prices starting at £13,155.

The i30’s advanced engine design means there has been no need to resort to measures such as skinny tyres, expensive stop-start systems or lowered suspension to achieve the low CO2 figure. All that was needed to achieve the 6g/km drop over the existing model was a minor change to the gear ratios. As the revisions are so minor, the i30’s acclaimed roadholding, drivability, ride and equipment levels are unaffected.

VED Group B so £35 2008/09; £30 2009/10. Company car tax band for diesels producing less than 120g/km has dropped from 18 to 13 percent, saving higher rate tax payers hundreds every year. Equipment list that includes ESP, air conditioning and alloy wheels as standard on all versions. As with all new Hyundai models, the i30 is also covered by a five year, unlimited mileage warranty.

February 2009

i30 Blue introduced

Demonstrating the company’s commitment to lowering vehicle CO2 emissions and reducing costs for consumers, Hyundai is bringing ISG (Idle Stop and Go) technology to one of its production cars for the first time. Ideal for city driving, the i30 blue will automatically switch the car’s engine off when stationary. The ISG system uses an advanced starter motor connected to the ECU, which monitors the car’s status at all times.

Applied to Hyundai’s 1.6-litre petrol engine this technology reduces fuel consumption by 7 per cent on the official combined cycle, while achieving a lower CO2 rating of 142g/km, compared to 152g/km on the regular i30 1.6. Available in UK showrooms by the autumn, the i30 blue will come in both five-door hatchback and estate body styles and with a choice of 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines. Other i30 engine derivatives will progressively be offered with ISG technology, followed by more models in the Hyundai range.

Reworked Hyundai i30 1.6 U2 diesel engine with stop/start and Bosch regenerative battery management system now up to 127PS and 260Nm torque, but, more importantly, down to 119g/km and 62.78mpg, and EU5.

December 2009

2010 model year upgrades announced A new model in the range – named Classic – will be the new entry level i30, available with the popular 1.4-litre petrol engine and a new 1.6-litre CRDi diesel with 90PS. Both have an impressive specification including ESP, air conditioning and electric front windows. The Classic 1.4 costs £12,000 (at the new higher 17.5 per cent VAT rate) while the Classic 1.6 CRDi costs £12,950, reducing the price of the cheapest i30 diesel by £1140.

The new Comfort model costs just £700 more than the Classic and adds electric rear windows, steering wheel audio controls and – new for 2010 – a leather trimmed steering wheel and gear knob plus 16-inch alloy wheels. The Comfort is expected to be the biggest seller in the i30 range and is available with 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines and a 115PS 1.6-litre diesel. Both 1.6-litre engines are also available with an automatic gearbox.

The price of the range-topping Premium has been realigned, making it up to £1200 cheaper than its predecessor. Now available from £14,750, the Premium package still features a high specification such as 17-inch alloy wheels, reversing sensors and climate control. The full leather upholstery of the 2009 model year car is replaced by half leather trim, although full leather is still a £650 option – which still makes a 2010 Premium with full leather over £500 cheaper than before.

These prices mean obvious savings for private buyers – the i30 1.6 petrol Comfort is a massive £4670 cheaper than the entry-level 1.6 Ford Focus. But company car drivers will also find they can save hundreds in tax by choosing an i30 over rival hatchbacks thanks to lower list prices and emissions levels.

For those wanting even bigger savings, Intelligent Stop & Go technology (ISG) has also been introduced as a £200 option on all i30 models with manual transmission for the first time, giving improvements in fuel economy of up to 10 percent on the hatchback and 14 per cent on the Estate.

Adding ISG drops CO2 emissions of the new Classic 1.6 CRDi 90PS from 115 to 110 g/km, allowing businesses to write down 100 percent of their capital write-down allowance in the first year. For drivers wanting more carrying capacity, the CO2 emissions of the Comfort 1.6 CRDi 115PS Estate shrink from 124 to 119 g/km, saving customers £85 per year in road tax and dropping company car drivers from 18 per cent to 13 per cent benefit-in-kind.

March 2010

Facelift i30 announced

Redesigned radiator grille and air intakes bring the i30 in line with Hyundai’s new-style corporate identity, epitomised by the hexagonal frontal form. A reshaped, lower bumper and more angular fog light recesses continue the visual enhancement around the front end. The redesigned chrome garnish housing the Hyundai logo completes the more dynamic new look. The refresh carries on into the flanks, where extended side skirts and rear bumper add a sense of strength to the car’s contemporary profile.

To complete the upgrade, the new i30 comes with Hyundai’s ‘Triple5’ package, including an enhanced five-year warranty with five year’s roadside recovery. The i30 blue uses the U2 1.6-litre engine, which produces 90PS at 4.000 rpm, while generating 240 Nm of torque. CO2 emissions of just 98g/km and 99 g/km for the hatchback and estate models, respectively, will save customers tax and fuel. Production commences in 2011 at the Nosovice plant in Czech.

March 2015

Report from reader that rear brake discs and pads and front pads of Hyundai i30 1.4 lasted 80,000 miles before needing replacement. Original front discs still good.