HYUNDAI i30 (2015-2017)

By Jonathan Crouch

Models Covered

5dr hatchback/ Tourer estate (1.4, 1.6, 1.6 turbo petrol / 1.6 CRDi diesel 110PS/136PS)

Introduction

If, in choosing a used Focus-sized Family Hatchback, you merely want to buy a very good one and pay as little as possible for it, then Hyundai has a proposition for you – its improved post-2015 second generation i30. With efficient engines, a smart look, a pokey petrol Turbo flagship model and the availability of an impressive dual-clutch 7-speed auto gearbox, it’s certainly a competitive proposition. Spacious, sensibly-specced and value-laden, this is a car that offers a really good alternative to the volume brands in this segment.

The History

Cast your mind back to 2007. That was the year the very first Hyundai i30 family hatchback appeared, a Focus-sized model that completely changed the way we thought about Korean cars. Since then, this Asian maker has transformed itself from budget brand to the point where it’s now a mainstream quality choice, a process that was aided by the launch of the second generation i30 model in 2012, a family hatchback that did well for Hyundai on these shores.

By 2015 though, this model was facing tougher competition from an army of new arrivals in the Focus and Astra segment. Hence the need for the revised second generation i30 model that we’re going to evaluate here as a used car buy, a car first launched here in the Spring of 2015. It’s very firmly a product of evolution rather than revolution: you’d certainly have to know the original second generation design quite well to immediately spot this improved version’s differences at first glance. Delve a little deeper though and it becomes clear that the changes Hyundai made here were actually quite significant. They included an upgraded engine line-up incorporating a more efficient 1.4-litre petrol powerplant, a much higher-tech dual-clutch 7-speed automatic transmission option, a powerful flagship petrol Turbo model, luxury car-style equipment options and a smarter look to build on the brand’s well-liked so-called ‘Fluidic Sculpture’ design philosophy.

This improved MK2 model sold until 2017, when it was replaced by an all-new third generation i30 range.

What To Look For

We came across lots of satisfied i30 customers in our owners survey but inevitably, there were a few who had issues. Known faults on this model include the knocking sound that a few owners have noticed from one of the wheels. There were reports of several power steering failures. And a handbrake recall. One buyer had the rim on his car’s steering wheel disintegrate, and had to replace the high-mounted rear stop light. Another buyer had to fork out for a clutch replacement.

Customers have noted that some of the interior finishes can get scratched quite easily and the alloy wheels fitted to top models are quite easy to kerb. Other than that, it's a clean bill of health. Hyundai’s brilliant five-year warranty arrangement means that these vehicles very rarely fall into premature neglect.

On The Road

It says something about the progress Hyundai has made over the last few years that many will come to this car expecting dynamic standards that match the Family Hatchback class-leaders. Cars like the Ford Focus and the Volkswagen Golf that have spent decades perfecting themselves in this area. Of the two, it’s clearly the Volkswagen that has been Hyundai’s benchmark in development, for in terms of ride and refinement, this i30 remains very close to the high standard set by its pricier German rival.

One of the most significant improvements made with this revised MK2 i30 was that Hyundai could at last offer buyers a properly efficient automatic gearbox option. It’s a 7-speed DCT dual-clutch transmission - one of those clever units able to pre-selects the next gear before you’ve even left the last one - and it makes the auto version of this diesel i30 massively more sensible to fuel and tax than was the case with the old torque-converter 6-speed CRDi automatic model.

On to the petrol i30 line-up, something Hyundai worked hard on to improve as part of the second generation range upgrade. The main change was the replacement of the original MK2 model’s old-tech 1.4-litre 100PS ‘Gamma’ engine with a lighter, more efficient ‘Kappa’ series unit with the same size and output. Performance was pretty much unchanged, so 62mph from rest takes 12.7s on the way to 113mph. We’d take this unit over the mainstream alternative, a 120PS 1.6-litre GDI petrol powerplant that was carried over from the pre-facelifted version of this car. After all, the standard 1.6 isn’t much faster (62mph from rest takes 10.9s en route to 119mph) and will cost you a lot more to run.

That only leaves the top petrol Turbo model, a variant added as part of the updates made to this improved i30 line-up. Here, as the model name suggests, you get the 1.6-litre GDI engine in turbocharged guise, which usefully boosts output to 186PS. That’s not enough to make this a really credible hot hatch, but it is enough to offer very lively performance, 62mph achievable from rest in 8.0s en route to 136mph.

Overall

With this improved second generation i30, Hyundai was in the unfamiliar position of having to update a car that was already pretty good in the first place. It was a nice problem to have. Back n 2015, we expected a smartening of the styling, an improvement in running costs, an addition of hi-tech equipment and an extra dose of quality. All of which were duly delivered in an enhanced MK2 model i30 that proved to be a predictably complete product.

In summary then, an effective package - as this i30 has always been. It was good enough to leave the industry’s more established car makers with furrowed brows because ultimately, it’s hard to do too much better for the money in this part of the used car family hatchback segment. Which means that in this case at least, the i’s still have it.