Hyundai reckons that the 1.6-litre turbo diesel version of its new C-segment car will be the best seller. To me, this is right and proper, because as far as I'm concerned it's also the best in the range.As our launch report explains, the i30 has been introduced to the UK market with 1.4- and 1.6-litre petrol units in addition to the 1.6 diesel, and there's a two-litre diesel on its way. I like the 1.4 petrol car a lot, but if you can afford the extra expense the version tested here is the one to go for.There are several reasons for that. No other i30 can match this one's 60.1mpg combined fuel economy figure. That translates into a CO2 rating of 125g/km, which is quite impressive, though there must be a certain amount of cursing and gnashing of teeth in Hyundai's UK office on account of the fact that the car missed the 120g/km barrier, with all the taxation benefits that would result.Still, an i30 1.6 CRDi is a pleasantly economical machine, and a very quiet one too. In all driving conditions, from tickover to hard acceleration, the characteristic diesel rattle is expertly subdued. And since the subject of hard acceleration has been raised, it's worth mentioning that although this is not an especially sporting car, it has enough mid-range grunt to produce quite lively performance, including a fine ability to squirt past whatever's in front of it when an overtaking opportunity presents itself.If you're at all conversant with the current state of Korean car building, you'll be aware that the i30 is in most respects the same thing as a Kia cee'd. I'm tempted to say that the i30 looks better, but the last time I did that the Kia press office threatened to cross my name off its Christmas card list, and I don't want to cause any more trouble.Although the front- and rear-end treatments of the two cars are different, they're pretty much the same in between, which means they share the ridiculous, tiny, triangular rear side windows which must have seemed like a good idea to someone who had no intention of ever driving either car. Your first attempt at reversing in an i30 - or indeed a cee'd - will show you just how dangerous the resulting lack of visibility really is.Surprisingly enough, the Hyundai and the Kia achieved quite different scores in the Euro NCAP crash test programme. Here the advantage is with Kia, since the cee'd - by no means the best car in the category itself - beat the i30 by one star for both adult and child occupant protection. The i30 missed out on a maximum five stars for adult protection due to concerns about injury to the knees and femurs of the front occupants in a head-on impact.That aside, the i30 is a charming car to drive - forwards, anyway. The petrol models are good, but they have a slight tendency to bounce at the front end. The readjustments to the suspension to take into account the weight of the heavier diesel engine also remove most of the bounce, so the CRDi is better still; it's quite placid at gentle speeds, and easy to manoeuvre in town, but it's also happy to respond to more enthusiastic driving when the occasion arises.There's a lot of room, too. Space in the front is good without being exceptional; in the rear you could quite happily carry two large adults without any trouble at all. Hyundai quotes 340 litres of luggage volume with all the seats in place (which is good for a C-segment car, though slightly less than the figure for five-door versions of the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra) rising to 1250 litres when the rear seats are folded.The £13,995 list price quoted below is for the mid-range Style model, which comes with 16" alloys, a certain amount of interior leather and a tyre pressure monitor not available as standard on the entry-level Comfort. Air-conditioning is also part of the deal, but if you want the full climate control system, larger wheels, more leather, folding side mirrors, a dimming interior mirror, rear parking sensors (oh yes), automatic wipers and a windscreen wiper de-icer, you're going to have to invest a further £1600 in the range-topping Premium. Engine 1582 cc, 4 cylinders Power 113 bhp @4000 rpm Torque 188 ib/ft @1900 rpm Transmission 5 speed manual Fuel/CO2 60.1 mpg / 125 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 11.6sec Top speed 117 mph Price From £14469.00 approx Release date 01/09/2007
Our Rating
