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2017 Hyundai i30 Plays the Averages, Says First European Review

Hyundai i30s of old used to cheap above anything else, the sort of cars you would buy because you couldn't afford anything else. But the all-new 2017 compact faces stiffer competition than ever, from German rival hatchbacks, small premium cars, and the ever-growing crossover segment.
2017 Hyundai i30 Plays the Averages, Says First European Review 5 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
2017 Hyundai i30 Plays the Averages, Says First European Review2017 Hyundai i30 Plays the Averages, Says First European Review2017 Hyundai i30 Plays the Averages, Says First European Review2017 Hyundai i30 Plays the Averages, Says First European Review

Presented last year during the Paris Motor Show
, this generation of the Korean 5-door takes a huge leap towards the premium side of things, with design elements that are supposed to exude class and character.

The first European video review we've seen, coming from Carwow, suggests the i30 is a lot like the Peugeot 308. Both have been designed not to alienate people in any way, since return customers are now an important part of Hyundai's business.

The interior is filled with soft-touch materials and dumped controls. Just like us, Mat dislikes the infotainment system design, which is perched on top of the dash and presents a chunky frame.

Four engines are offered on the i30. The range kicks off with the 1.4-liter MPI four-cylinder. But you don't want that because it's only got 100 PS and people will think you're slow. The 1-liter diesel with 120 PS and the 1.6-liter diesel will be the natural choices of most European buyers.

However, this review focuses on the top-end 1.4-liter turbo with 140 PS and a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. Mat says this shifts very fast in sports mode, but 0 to 100 km/h time of around 9 seconds is not enough to justify real-world consumption of 34 mpg UK (8.3 l/100km).

Still, unlike some cars in this class, the i30 offers multi-link independent rear suspension. The setup is somewhere between the comfort of the Golf and the dynamism of the Ford Focus, a feature that reminds the reviewer of the Opel Astra hatchback.

Unfortunately, the Hyundai i30 plays the game of averages so much that it does become just an average car. There's no single feature that's unique to this car. Only on price does it start to make any sense.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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