Hyundai’s updated i30 hatchback is a capable and well-rounded offering, but it faces its toughest competition from within

Photos: Ben Chia & Lionel Kong

SINGAPORE

If you have a 100 grand or so to spend on a car, you may take a look at the Hyundai i30 here, and see it for what it is: a capable hatchback that is well-built, efficient and packed with some pretty impressive safety features.

The i30 has now been facelifted, and the most obvious identifier is the revised front end styling. There is now a wider chrome grille, and it is flanked by sharper headlights that now incorporate V-shaped LED daytime running lights. The overall effect makes the i30 look somewhat sportier, and it’ll probably look very cool when dressed up in WRC rallying trim.

That’s about it for visual enhancements though, but most of the i30’s changes lie under the skin. The most significant one is the new powerplant, with local agent Komoco opting to introduce a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 120hp here to replace the previous version’s 1.4-litre 140hp unit.

The intention is obviously to allow the i30 to drop below the 130hp threshold to qualify for a Cat A COE, but the other implications of the smaller engine is of course better efficiency, as well as a lower road tax bill.

Around town, the engine is peppy and energetic enough, but it does strain a little if you need a bit of speed on the highway. The engine is mated to seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which works pretty well, with very few signs of that uneasy lurch and jerkiness that can afflict some other DCTs.

Hyundai quotes an average fuel consumption figure of 5.3L/100km, which you could probably come close to if you’re careful with the throttle. In reality though you’ll probably edge somewhere around 6 or 7 with a more regular driving style.

More enthusiastic drivers though would actually appreciate the i30’s driving abilities. For a seemingly ordinary family hatchback, the i30 drives rather well. The handling is fluid through the corners, and there’s a remarkable sense of poise and control. No wonder the i30 N hot hatch feels like such a sensation to drive, if it has such a capable chassis as a base to start with.

If you like your i30 with a bit more performance, check out the manual-only i30 N

It rides reasonably well too, with the car only really disturbed by very large bumps or expansion joints. And despite having to wring the engine sometimes to get some meaningful forward momentum, it doesn’t sound too coarse, and the i30’s overall levels of comfort and refinement feels pretty well-sorted.

The facelifted model also brings with it a full suite of driver assistance safety features, under the Hyundai SmartSense package. Essentially, they are all things that help keep you in your lane, and prevent you from running into somebody, whether in front, at the side, or while reversing. It’ll certainly be very hard to get into an accident in the i30 indeed.

There’s also a few minor updates to the interior too, with the facelifted i30 now featuring a wireless smartphone charger on the centre console. The instrument cluster is also now fully-digitalised, while the infotainment system now incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

Objectively speaking, the i30 is actually a very complete package, and at $103,999 inclusive of COE, it’s quite reasonably priced too. However, the i30’s biggest issue is what lies across from it on the Hyundai showroom floor.

Essentially, the recently-launched Hyundai Avante delivers most of what the i30 can offer, and then some. The top-spec Avante is $1,000 less than the i30 too, so it’s easy to see how a customer can walk into Komoco’s showroom and make a beeline for the sedan.

Do you really want a hatchback in this age? No, what you want is a hybrid SUV that’s also under S$110k

And if you compare like for like, there are a few other hatchbacks on the market that can match the i30 for competitiveness and value. The recently-launched Honda Jazz retails for around the same price and has tremendous interior space as before, and a much improved interior. The Mazda 3 Hatch is only available in top-line Astina trim now, at S$116k with COE, but it’s a premium drive and a truly premium car. The Mazda 3 Sedan can be had for the same price as the i30, and less.

Meanwhile, the hatchback class benchmark, the car the i30 emulates in Europe – the Volkswagen Golf – has now debuted in extremely capable eight-generation form.

It may be slightly more expensive, but with mild hybrid tech and a totally new interior concept the new Golf is still king of the hatchback class

Compared to the Avante, the i30 has a more sophisticated drivetrain, is probably a touch more engaging to drive, and its smaller engine is somewhat lighter on your pocket too. That’s quite a lot going for it, and it would be remiss to dismiss the i30 simply because of the sexier-looking sibling sitting across it on the showroom floor.

Hyundai i30 Hatchback 1.0 Turbo

• New BYD showroom at Robinson 77, run by newly-appointed dealer, Harmony Auto
• The new Category A Volkswagen Tiguan lessens pain in bum
• Top 5 common EV charging problems and how to avoid them
• 2024 Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo Review: Electric Dream
• First Look: The controversial, bullet-resistant Tesla Cybertruck