New Hyundai i30 Estate review
The Hyundai i30 Estate diesel makes financial sense
Author: David Miles
Published: 20 June 2008
Hyundai and its ‘manufacturing family’ Kia brand are enjoying as significant sales success in the UK because the South Korean manufacturers are now designing and building core C-segment family sized cars in Europe.
They offer value for money specification, high quality, long warranties and really very good driving characteristics.
Kia has their well know Pro-Cee’d three-door hatchbacks, Cee’d five-door hatchbacks and SW estates, Hyundai have their i30 five-door hatchbacks and now their i30 five-door estates.
Both these Hyundai and Kia ranges are technically very similar using the same basic body design, drive-train and components. Getting the best deal involves visiting both dealer networks and comparing like for like.
Apart from the name I like the Kia Cee’d family very much and in the past have rated it the best pound-for-pound family car money can buy.
Now we have the i30, Hyundai’s first model in a whole new generation of ‘I’ models and their very latest i10 small five-door family/city car is selling like hot cakes in the UK.
The latest i30 model to grace my driveway is the new Estate and in particular the 1.6 CRDi turbodiesel model.
The i30 Estate range has two 1.6-litre engine options, petrol and diesel. The petrol versions are available in Comfort and Style equipment and trim levels.
The 1.6-litre diesel engine has Comfort, Style and Premium specification options. Both engines have the option of an automatic transmission with Style specification.
Prices start at just £12,999 and rise to £16,305 but the main selling 1.6 CRDi Style manual costs a pocket-friendly £14,705 on the road. Up until the recent escalation in diesel prices I would have said definitely go for the diesel models if you cover a reasonable mileage, say above 12,000 miles a year.
But now with petrol significantly cheaper than diesel perhaps the 1.6 petrol Style at £14,005 might, for some, be the best financial buy.
However the diesel engine costs just £700 more than the petrol unit and it costs £25 less a year in road tax, plus it will do more miles to the gallon. In addition there are others reasons to still buy the diesel models.
The diesel unit gives a better and more responsive drive and should be worth more on trade-in unless the diesel market collapses due to the higher fuel prices. Whilst of the subject of price comparisons the i30 Estate costs £700 more than its equivalent hatchback.
Hatch prices, which also include 1.4-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel engine options, start at a modest £10,999 and go up to £16,605.
Given that, due to the economic climate, many private buyers are now keeping their cars longer the Hyundai five-year warranty is a real bonus and it makes the i30 range as a whole, and the Estate in particular with its excellent specification, brilliant value.
Kit and specifications
All i30 Estates have as standard air conditioning, electric front and rear windows, alloy wheels, electronic stability control, six airbags, electronic folding door mirrors and a stereo sound system with USB/iPod and aux connections.
The Style configuration I tried had in addition, larger alloy wheels, automatic lights-on sensor, cloth seats with leather trim, leather trimmed gear knob and steering wheel, solar control windscreen and tyre pressure monitoring system.
Premium specification adds even larger alloys, climate control, auto dimming mirror, leather seat facings, heated front seats, reversing sensors and front windscreen de-icer.
Interior space and practicality
So the specification is high but it no good if the car is too small for family or business use. The i30 Estate isn’t just a five-door hatchback with a load space tagged onto the rear end. The vehicle has had its wheelbase lengthened by 50mm and that extra length has been shared between the passenger compartment and the cargo area.
The result is the three rear passenger seating positions have extra legroom and the load bay is 415-litres. The rear seats easily fold down to increase this area and capacity still further. The backrests do not fold completely flat so there is a rising floor which can be difficult for loading longer items. There is also an underfloor storage section as well.
Overall the car looks very smart indeed with a nice styling treatment for the rear end. Only the grille design makes it look a little bland at the front.
Extending the wheelbase has done little to upset the i30’s fine handling. It is not a class-leader by any means, the new Ford Focus is sharper and more precise in that department, but the body control and grip is praiseworthy and the ride comfort excellent although deep potholes will unsettle the car at times.
The steering is on the light side and gives less feedback than some cars in this class but for most people it is perfectly acceptable.
The 1.6-litre, turbodiesel, 113bhp engine is a star-turn. It is punchy, very flexible, responsive with lots of torque with 255Nm from 1,900rpm and generally quiet. It is certainly fuel efficient and that is very important with the cost of fuel rising daily.
Officially the i30 1.6 CRDi Estate will return 57.6mpg with 128g/km CO2 emissions giving it a Vehicle Excise Duty Band C rating costing £120 a year. My test car returned 51.1mpg for a week’s long motoring covering all driving conditions which I consider to be very impressive. Top speed is 117mph and 0-62mph takes 11.9 seconds.
If you are in the market to change your family car I have no hesitation in recommending the i30 to you. The five-door hatchback is good, the Estate is even better for overall usage and the 1.6-litre diesel engine is first class.
MILESTONES
Hyundai i30 Estate 1.6 CRDi Style
Price: £14,705
Engine: 1.6-litre, four cylinder turbocharged diesel, 113bhp, 255Nm of torque from 1,900rpm
Performance: 117mph, 0-62mph 11.9 seconds, 57.6mpg (51.1mpg actual), CO2 128g/km, VED Band C £120
Benefit in Kind tax: 18%
Insurance group: 5
Dimensions: 4,475mm long, 1,775mm wide, 1,530mm high, load area 415-1,395-litres
For: Smart styling, roomy, high equipment levels, well made, very attractive price, very good economical diesel engine, 5-year warranty
Against: Bland front grille, functional rather than inspired cockpit design, light steering
Our comprehensive list of specs, pictures and reviews of all the estate models on UK roads.
The new Hyundai i30 hatch has received a maximum five stars for adult occupant protection after the Korean manufacturer modified the design of the i30 to protect the legs of drivers.
New Hyundai i30 SE C-Segment hatchback announces new colourful palette range, from 25 August. Red, white and blue are three new hues covering first Hyundai i30 special edition ever, until all 700 matched to UK owners.
New Hyundai i30 i-BLUE is the reasonably priced star car that holds off top gear that little longer to cut CO2 emissions to sub 120g/km. £13,155 will put C-Segment UK family hatchback drivers on the economising track.
More an estate of pocket than mind, the all-new Hyundai i30 load-lugger offers big savings to buyers who don't mind if substance outweighs style.
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