Facelift Fresh shine for old technology in the Hyundai i30

After eight years, the Hyundai i30 is refreshed once again. However, the cockpit appears outdated, and the consumption is too high. Nevertheless, the compact car remains an alternative to the VW Golf.

Hyundai is among the car manufacturers that repeatedly surprise with short model cycles. However, the Koreans also have stalwarts like the i30, which has been recommended in its current form as an alternative to the bestseller Golf 7/8 for eight years now. Although the compact car has matured once again visually and technically with an update for the 2025 model year, the measures can no longer disguise the advanced age of the series. Thus, the test drive with the i30 becomes a journey back in time to the recent past of automotive engineering, where not everything was bad.

Despite its Methuselah status, the neat five-door does not have to hide at all. The proportions are as expected from a compact car. In contrast to the oversized electric cars with large batteries and the many trendy SUVs, it appears pleasantly normally dimensioned and inconspicuously appealing. Our test model with decorative rims, metallic paint, and LED lighting technology even exudes a bit of prestige.

Parade discipline of the i30: Gliding

The same applies to the 103 kW/140 hp mild-hybrid gasoline engine combined with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which makes the i30 a thoroughly successful everyday companion. Relaxed cruising is its specialty. The suspension also remains unobtrusive. Nevertheless, the i30 is not a spoilsport; the feedback from the chassis and steering is as well-balanced as the comfort. You can also spur the i30 on, accompanied by the robust sound of the four-cylinder engine.

However, despite turbo power and e-boost, the 140 hp does not feel as lively as one might expect in this power class. When it comes down to it, the sprint to 100 km/h (approx. 62 mph) is completed in just under ten seconds. The top speed has dropped from 210 to 197 km/h (approx. 130 to 122 mph), presumably due to the conversion to Euro 6e during the model update. The fuel-saving miracle also did not materialize: we consumed 6.8 liters of petrol per 100 kilometers (approx. 62 mph).

Cockpit from another time

The interior, which is more than impressive in terms of material and build quality, spaciousness, and variability, most clearly conveys that the i30 has indeed aged. The instrument cluster features a display that has grown from seven to 10.3 inches. Yet, with black shiny surfaces, pseudo-chrome trim, a free-standing 10.3-inch touchscreen in the center console, and the conventional climate control panel, the i30 shows that it is lagging behind the current automotive fashion.

There is no talk of digital sensory overload in the i30, given the currently proliferating screen worlds. Orientation is correspondingly easy. This is also due to the plentiful direct buttons, which, as was customary in the past, illuminate from within. In contrast, in newer models, many manufacturers, including Hyundai, now rely on as many touch-sensitive control panels as possible and on color-variable, indirect LED ambient lighting. This allows large and simply designed surfaces to be visually enhanced.

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The i30 is more honest in this regard, which does not exclude some progress: The navigation system of the compact Korean, which is built in the Czech Republic, is now OTA-capable, the collision prevention system also reacts to cyclists, while the adaptive cruise control adjusts the speed to curves and speed limits.

An alternative to VW Golf in terms of price

Thus, the i30 remains a thoroughly pleasant and practical car with many technical refinements. However, in the case of the tested 1.5 T-GDI with DCT, these cause the base price to rise from 27,600 to 32,600 euros (29.520,96 to 34.868,96 USD). From this slightly higher level, it's only a small step to full equipment. Instead of doubling the price after a few clicks in the configurator, the i30 has everything on board for about 35,000 euros (37.436,00 USD) that one could desire in this case.

Also in terms of price, one might conclude that the i30 is a car from yesterday. Especially in terms of value for money, it remains an attractive alternative to the Golf and others.

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