The increased interior size of the new generation i30 is immediately apparent from the moment you open the big doors and slip inside. There is a lot of head and legroom and the shoulder space is also generous while the boot space is also good. Although the 2,650 mm wheelbase is carried over for the new i30, the increase in overall length and width has been exploited to create more space for occupants and more cargo space for luggage. Front seat occupants can enjoy 30mm more headroom, 11mm more legroom, and 5mm of additional shoulder room. Rear passengers gain 5mm of shoulder room and access to and across the rear seats is improved by lowering the floor’s central tunnel by 59% (from 133 mm to just 54 mm). Hyundai i30 specifications With a range starter price of £14,495, Classic models come with Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition, front fog lights, LED daytime running lights, steering wheel audio and phone controls, manual air conditioning, electrically adjustable, heated, body coloured door mirrors, electric front windows, RDS radio/CD with MP3, iPod, Aux and USB connectivity, and height-adjustable driver’s seat. Active models (from £15,595) gain alloys wheels, cruise control with speed limiter, electric rear windows, leather steering wheel and rear parking sensors. Style trim adds 16-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, static cornering lights, automatic lights and wipers, electrically folding door mirrors with integrated LED indicators, two additional audio speakers and front parking sensors – with prices starting at £16,595. From £17,595, Style Nav models feature a touch screen satellite navigation system plus rear-view camera with parking guidance mode. Located atop the centre stack, the sat-nav system is displayed via a 7-inch screen. The system is a pretty sophisticated and convenient GPS tool, offering multi-media support and speech recognition in 10 European languages. Factory-fitted options include metallic or pearlescent paint – plus three ‘option packs’ available exclusively for range-topping Style and Style Nav models. Hyundai i30 option packs ‘Convenience Pack’ adds keyless entry with engine start/stop button, automatically folding door mirrors with LED indicators and puddle lights, plus chrome exterior door handles with illumination. The pack price is £750. ‘Individual Pack’ includes leather upholstery (with leather seat facings, artificial leather centre armrest, artificial leather instrument binnacle cover and artificial leather door centre trims), heated front seats and a supervision instrument cluster with LCD colour display. Price is £1,000. The ‘Panoramic Sunroof’ is an electric tilt and slide glass roof which allows an increased amount of natural light to flood the cabin. The sunroof has been designed to open fully or tilt open, offering flexibility and functionality, together with an adjustable full-length shade. Price is £950. Hyundai i30 powertrains Star of the Hyundai i30 line up for fleets will be the 97g/km 110PS 1.6 diesel and this ticks all the boxes for businesses as well as some retail buyers. Not only does it have strong tax advantages and offer the promise of good residuals further down the road, but with the clever packaging and equipment it will satisfy users and owners. The powertrain is smooth and strong, giving the car an easy driving nature in give and take conditions and good composure on the motorway. But private customers who cover less mileage and given the cheaper price of petrol fuel over diesel and the cheaper cost of the petrol car over a diesel one, the 1.4-litre 100PS Active petrol version priced at £15,595 looks the best buy from the range. But staying with the diesel theme if you move up to the 1.6-litre 128PS version this offers even sharper responses than the 110PS unit, particularly from rest and when overtaking, and it sounded more relaxed on main roads. Blue Drive technology includes stop & start and the electro mechanical fuel saving steering system permits a driver to select normal, comfort or sport modes to tailor it to preferences. I achieved 57mpg and 54mpg respectively with the two Blue Drive diesels on brief test drives and 38mpg from the 100PS 1.4 petrol in the Classic trim, but this looks a bit too basic for my taste inside. There was no 90PS 1.4 diesel available at launch but this may be too underpowered for some and actually emits 109gkm and sits in VED Band B so is not going to appeal to fleets as strongly as the more powerful but lower emissions Blue Drive derivatives. The new Hyundai i30 range is comprehensive and targeted at the same time and with its equipment and owner assistance programme it offers a lot to both private and fleet buyers. Hyundai i30 MILESTONES Hyundai i30 1.6-litre CRDi 110PS Blue Drive 5-Door Hatchback Price: From £16,895 Engine/transmission: 1.6-litre, four cylinder turbodiesel with Blue Drive technology Stop & Go, 110PS (109bhp), 192lb ft of torque from 1,900rpm, 6-speed manual Performance: 115mph, 0-62mph 11.5 seconds, 76.3mpg Combined Cycle (57mpg on test), CO2 97g/km, VED road tax £0, BIK company car tax 13% Insurance group: 12E For: More interior space, comfortable, more grown up appearance, long five year warranty, low tax costs, good specification Against: Rear seat backs do not fold down flat, lacks refinement and poise of the Ford Focus and VW Golf competitors
