2014 Hyundai i30 SR

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Remember the Hyndai Excel? Of course you do. It seems like nearly everyone on Earth has owned one, or a friend/family member had one. The Excel has done good and bad things for Hyundai. Firstly, it made them lots of money and grew their company, but secondly, it labeled the brand as “cheap” for a lot longer than it deserved. I think now, Hyundai has finally moved out of the “cheap brand” category and now sits in line with the Japanese brands, but let me tell you, I think that quite often Hyundai out does Japanese brands for value, quality and features. Tough fact to swallow as an “import” enthusiast but its quite often true.

i30 front

Up until now the only Hyundais I had driven were sporty versions, such as the Geneis coupe in the US and the turbo Veloster, and my iLoad turbo diesel work van. The iLoad is, in my opinion, the best value for money van on the market and I love it, while the Genesis coupe was a drift machine and I wish we got them here in Australia! Why am I telling you this? So you understand that I have a lot of time for the Hyundai brand now, and they do make some good cars. But what about something a bit more normal, like a hatch? We thought we would try one out.

i30 front quarter

Having just stepped out of a Jeep Grand Cherokee and 300C SRT review, and driving our 500+whp GT-R, jumping in a i30 was a bit of a reality check. Back into something normal, well sort of anyway. The i30 we were given was the SR version, so it sports the 129kW direct injection 2.0L engine with more power plus a bunch of sporty options inlc mags and revised suspension. The website lists everything extra it has over the base model, but it is certainly the 10K worth extra that the SR commands over the base model.  But here lies the problem. The 10K extra price tag puts the car up to a R.R.P. of $32,500 ( auto $34,500 ), although current deals brings the price down to $29,990 for the manual. This price is moving into hot hatch territory.

i30 interior front side

The base model i30 is an excellent value for money proposition for daily commuting, but is the SR an expensive “hatch” or a cheap “hot hatch”? Probably somewhere in the middle I would say.  In terms of options, our press car has everything. Climate control, electric seats, navigation, cruise, leather, reverse camera and much more. The styling and the wheels give it a one up over the base model, and it’s not a bad looking thing, although it certainly isn’t  tough looking. Like most “sporty” hatches it seems to appeal to women more than the mental hot hatches, which seem to appeal to men a lot more.

i30 interior front

As a daily driver, the i30 has been rather pleasant. Good visibility, comforatble, quiet, good stereo. A far cry from a Hyundai Excel and as good as any other normal hatch I’ve driven, in fact probably better all round. But for the price it commands, is it sporty as well? The brochure sais it is, but the i30 hasn’t escaped its base models heritage, feeling more like a warmed over hatch. The direct injection 2.0L engine might have a decent (for its size) 129kW, but little torque means you need to rev it to feel it. I think the 1.6L turbo engine from the Veloster would have been a much better choice as the turbo hit of boost would have made the car more fun.

30 engine

So if it lacks low down torque and goes the NA route, then hopefully it has a great chassis, like some of the other NA hot hatches. Unfortunately not. Although it has revised suspension, it is no match for a true hot hatch around the bends. Its not that it’s terrible, it just feels like what it is, a normal hatch with some “sports” suspension, rather than a car designed to carve the corners from factory. A car enthusiast would be left feeling very disappointed, and on the limit, even scared at times, but to the normal person it would feel OK. The Europeans still seem to be the only car companies that can produce real hot hatches that are actually fun to drive fast. Overall the i30 isn’t a bad car, its just doesn’t hit the mark as a real hot hatch. If it had the 1.6 turbo engine, the fun of the engine and low down torque would make up for the lack lustre chassis. Call it a design or marketing mistake, rather than Hyundai producing a technically bad car. The quality and value of Hyundai vehicles is leaps and bounds from what it was 10 or 20 years a go and the Genesis Coupe is proof they can build a fun sports car. The only question now is why isn’t it on sale here in Australia!?

 

 

 

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