Hyundai i30 2024 review: Sedan Hybrid

In a word, yes! Right now, just the entry-level i30 Sedan Hybrid has landed, starting from $33,000, before on-road costs. Active has been dropped as the base badge so this grade’s nameless.

You’ll have to wait for a few weeks before we're able to share the price of the mid-spec Elite and luxury Premium versions. And, sadly, there won’t be any sporty hybrid N-Line or full-fat N, either. Not for the foreseeable future, anyway.

Besides this intriguing petrol-electric addition, the changes made to the broader (CN7) Series II i30 Sedan range for 2024 deserve a mention.

The entry-level i30 Sedan Hybrid is priced from $33,000, before on-road costs.

These include a beefed-up body structure, somewhat sleeker (and now all-LED) headlights, restyled bumpers, improved 'Autonomous Emergency Braking' (AEB) and adaptive cruise control functionality (among other driver-assist safety additions), USB-C outlets, revised electronic instrumentation, a larger wireless phone charger, access to Hyundai’s 'Blue-Link' server-based voice-control subscription service (free from Elite up) and redesigned alloy wheels.

Plus, the base 2.0-litre GDI (gasoline direct injection) petrol engine adopts an Atkinson Cycle combustion process and 'Continuously Variable Transmission' (CVT) for improved efficiencies compared to the previous torque-converter six-speed auto, while the flagship i30 Sedan N scores a heap of upgrades to the chassis, suspension and interior for an even sharper drive. You can read about the latter in a separate review.

Returning to the i30 Sedan Hybrid now, what does $33,000 before on-roads buy you?

The i30 Hybrid Sedan features an 8.0-inch touchscreen with plugged Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

For starters, a middling level of driver-assist tech (check the safety section below for more details), adaptive cruise control with stop/go functionality, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, plugged Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, front and rear proximity sensors, a rear camera, Bluetooth connectivity, cloth seats, a leather steering wheel, rear air vents and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Note, too, that while the i30 Sedan Hybrid costs $4000 more than the regular 2.0L GDI equivalent, it isn’t just all down to the fancy electric motor and battery tech.

For instance, the torsion beam rear suspension is binned for a multi-link arrangement, dual-zone climate-control is added and rain-sensing wipers are fitted. You do lose the full-sized spare for a space-saver, though. At least it’s not an infernal tyre repair kit.

The base grade wears 16-inch alloy wheels.

We’re expecting a $4500 step up to the as-yet unpriced Hybrid Elite, but it does usher in good stuff like blind-spot monitoring, safe-exit warning, rear cross-traffic alert, a larger touchscreen at 10.25 inches, keyless entry/start, leather, digital radio and 17-inch alloys. If these items are essentials, then you’ll have to wait a few weeks longer.

The smaller, narrower, lighter and slightly-cheaper Corolla Ascent Sport Hybrid (from $32,320 before ORC) is more-alluringly equipped by our reckoning and has a bigger boot to boot, but offers less space and muscle. More on that later.

It’s then a near-$20K hike for Honda’s hybrid hatch, which immediately disqualifies it for most buyers searching for a base hybrid but, then again, the Civic is loaded, meaning that gap would likely halve against the equivalently-equipped i30 Sedan Premium and Corolla ZR flagships. So, if you value interior space above all else, we say advantage Hyundai, though the base car is a bit short on safety and multimedia tech.

For front seat occupants, very.

The available amount of space in the i30 Sedan to stretch in row one is palpable, due to generous length and girth dimensions brought about by the stretched wheelbase and wider tracks compared to the regular hatch.

And, yes, while it is definitely not a Camry in terms of volume (that’s what the mid-sized Sonata is for), there’s heaps more in this Hyundai than Corolla and co. 

There’s lots to like. Attractive, comfortable seating aids an exemplary driving position, storage is abundant, the multimedia set-up is fast and easy and the logical climate-control system delivers ample ventilation.

The available amount of space in the i30 Sedan to stretch in row one is palpable.

Forward and side vision are fine and no switch is more than an outstretched hand away.

The i30 Sedan is nothing if not memorable. As with the exterior, there are some distinctive, if at times strange, presentation details inside.

Though nicely angled towards the driver for extra clarity, unimpeded access and an inclusive feel, the base dashboard treatment seems wilfully austere and incomplete.

There’s lots of monotone trim surrounding the 8.0-inch centre screen and even more basic LCD instrument cluster.

The i30 features comfortable a backrest and sufficiently supportive cushion.

Making them appear smaller than they actually are, they look like digital islands lost in a sea of hard grey plastic. Some people might conclude this is a ploy to persuade potential buyers to pay more for Elite, Premium or the sporty duo. And it may just work.

The instrumentation is also a bit ho-hum given this is a hybrid, with sparse visuals and a distinct lack of obvious, fancy electricity/charging displays. It doesn’t feel like you’re in a hybrid looking at this dash.

Then there is the left-front buttress handle running across the lower console. It can foul a splayed knee, which can become irritating.

And the steering wheel is bizarrely styled, with its strange horizonal spokes. Then again, like the rest of the cabin, it feels like a quality item to the touch, highlighting the first-class fit and finish inside.

There’s lots of monotone trim surrounding the 8.0-inch centre screen.

Being a largish small sedan, the back-seat area, too, scores for available space, as well as a comfortable backrest and sufficiently supportive cushion.

And despite being the base car, this i30 Sedan includes two USB-C ports, a folding armrest with cupholders and rear air vents.

On the other hand, they don’t quite manage to stave off the Plain Jane ambience that remains quite noticeable in the back seat, giving this grade a rental car feel.

Much worse than that, though, is a design compromise that may literally be a pain in the neck. The swoopy roofline makes getting in and out of the car a feat of acrobatics if you’re not to head butt the aperture frame.

The i30 has a cargo capacity of 474L.

Finally, further back, there’s a decent 474L of cargo capacity, that spills into the cabin thanks to a split/fold backrest. It’s thoughtfully shaped and hungry enough for most smaller-families’ needs.

And don’t forget there’s only a space-saver under the floor. Oh, and accessing the boot in the base model is made more annoying by the lack of an external switch. You’ll need either the key fob or release inside the car.

The i30 Sedan Hybrid’s powertrain should be familiar to owners of the now-discontinued Ioniq Hybrid – the hunchbacked hybrid that looked a lot like the also-AWOL Toyota Prius.

Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing just 77kW of power at 5700rpm and 147Nm of torque at 4000rpm on its own.

But paired with a 32kW/170Nm electric motor, and fed by a 1.32kWh lithium ion battery, total outputs leap to 104kW and 265Nm.

The i30 Sedan Hybrid uses only electricity to move off the line, so it’s briefly EV, or when coasting along off-throttle.

Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

During deceleration or when driving downhill, kinetic energy is recaptured and stored, further saving fuel.

The Hybrid drives the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). This is a major difference compared to the Hyundai’s Japanese competition, which tend to use e-CVT tech.

If you’re a keen driver, you’re likely to appreciate this detail.

The i30 Sedan Hybrid is a series-parallel hybrid vehicle, meaning it does not require any external charging. That's mainly the engine's job.

With a 32kW/170Nm electric motor powered by a 1.32kWh lithium ion battery helping out, it promises remarkable fuel economy.

The official combined cycle average consumption figure is 3.9 litres per 100km, which equates to a carbon dioxide emissions rating of 92 grams/km.

The i30 Sedan Hybrid is a series-parallel hybrid vehicle, meaning it does not require any external charging.

The figure edges up to 4.0L/100km on the highway cycle or down to just 2.8L/100km on the urban run – which, let’s face it, is where many i30 hybrids will end up as ride-share taxis.

Even with a modest 42L fuel tank, that means about 1500km between refills is technically possible, drinking standard 91RON unleaded petrol at that, though E10 ethanol-blend is also permitted.

On the launch drive over some hilly and fast Murray River-area rural roads, the trip computer read an average of 5.1L/100km. Slowing down saw that dip into the high 4.0s.

There is no ANCAP score for the i30 Sedan range, due to it not being available in Europe (where the affiliated Euro NCAP would potentially cover the assessment).

Hyundai says the safety organisation is welcome to test the range in Australia. Which is what happened with the MG 5, a substantially cheaper rival that ended up with a zero rating.

For the record, tested in 2017, the significantly different i30 hatch scored five stars.

The i30 Sedan Hybrid is fitted with six airbags.

On the driver-assist tech front, you’ll find what Hyundai calls 'SmartSense', which includes the latest version of the company’s 'Forward Collision Avoidance Assist' (v1.5) with AEB, as well as driver-attention warning, intelligent speed limit assist, adaptive cruise control with full stop/go and rear occupant alert.

Being the base model, blind-spot monitoring, safe-exit warning and rear cross-traffic alert are not standard. There is no speed operation data for the AEB and lane-assistance systems at this time.

Also fitted are six airbags, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes with 'Brake Assist' and electronic brake-force distribution, tyre pressure monitors, rear parking sensors, a rear view camera, dusk-sensing headlights, auto high beams, rain-sensing wipers and front/rear parking sensors.

Two rear-seat ISOFIX points as well as a trio of top tethers for straps are included.