Hyundai i30 Sedan 2024 review

There are five variants for the i30 sedan and our test vehicle is the entry-grade model that will cost you a flat $29,000, before on road costs.

That’s a small price hike from the previous auto version and places it towards the top end of the market, with the Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport only just pulling ahead by $270.

Features an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

What do you get in the base model? The technology has been upgraded with three USB-C ports, a wireless charging pad that can now accommodate a larger phone and wireless Apple CarPlay.

Other standard equipment includes premium black cloth upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, manual (single-zone) air-conditioning and leather-accented trims scattered throughout the car.

There is an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster and adjustable gauge displays which are linked to the driving mode.

The 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster and adjustable gauge displays which are linked to the driving mode. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

New LED headlights and daytime running lights round out the updates and the base model also sports 16-inch alloy wheels and a full-sized spare wheel.

The i30 entry-grade is what you expect from a base model. It’s mostly on par with its rivals, however, the Mazda3 sedan Pure grade outshines them all by having built-in satellite navigation, push-button start, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as standard features.

The space in the i30 sedan cabin doesn’t make it feel like a small sedan. There’s plenty of room for my 168cm (5'6") height and even when you’re carrying a front passenger, you don’t jockey for elbow room!

Even back-seaters enjoy ample head- and legroom. The i30 has a lower 140mm ground clearance and you might feel that after a long day of activity, but is otherwise comfortable to get in and out of.

The manual front seats lack lumbar support, which you’ll notice on a longer trip, but are comfortable enough for shorter journeys.

The simply styled cloth upholstery looks nice but shows dirt easily and can be annoying to clean if you have a wildling child like mine.

Charging options up front are great with the choice of a single USB-A and -C port, 12-volt outlet and a wireless charging pad, while the rear enjoys two USB-C ports.

Individual storage is average for a small sedan with a shallow middle console and glove box, a utility tray, and two cupholders. Both rows enjoy skinny drink bottle holders in each door.

In the rear, you get two cupholders in the fold-down armrest, a single map pocket and directional air-vents.

The boot is a great size and rivals a few large SUVs I’ve been in lately with its 474L of capacity!

Like most sedans, it has a narrow opening but I haven’t had any issues accessing items at the back, plus you get a full-size spare wheel.

Now on to the tech. The 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system is glitchy and at times becomes unresponsive to touch.  

Streaming music from my iPhone (15 Pro) is also a mixed experience as the audio cuts in and out, despite the multimedia screen showing that it's playing.

Turning off the multimedia system and/or hitting a couple of random buttons seems to fix it, but it’s not the best to use.

The simplified climate control is so refreshing to use (I know, back to basics, huh!) but honestly, I find I spend more time with my eyes on the road with the three-dial set-up.

The base-model i30 sedan has a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with maximum outputs of 110kW (power) and 180Nm (torque), both figures slightly down from the previous model (7.0kW/11Nm, respectively).

The base-model i30 sedan has a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with maximum outputs of 110kW (power) and 180Nm (torque). (Image: Glen Sullivan)

However, all the i30 sedan's rivals have slightly more powerful engines available on their base variants.

The facelift sees the removal of a manual gearbox option, in favour of an 'Intelligent Variable Transmission' or IVT. Which is basically a fancy CVT that’s meant to improve on fuel efficiency, which I feel it does.

The official combined cycle fuel efficiency figure is 6.1L/100km and my real-world usage came to the same figure after a good mix of open road and urban driving this week.

Based on the fuel cycle and it’s 47L fuel tank, you should see a driving range of around 770km, which is great!

As far as base models go, the i30 sedan has the usual run of standard safety features and a stand out is the adaptive cruise control with stop and go function. It has the right balance of sensitivity to be useful in a real-world setting.

Other standard safety items include lane keeping aid, daytime running lights, forward collision warning, driver attention monitoring, lane following assist, rear occupant alert, intelligent seatbelt reminders, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. The update also sees the addition of front parking sensors, which are most welcome.

The i30 sedan also has updated autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction turning assist.

The i30 sedan remains unrated with ANCAP but its hatch sibling achieved a five-star rating back in 2017. It only has six airbags, while its rivals all have seven, and it misses out on items like rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring standard on the Mazda3.

For any families out there, there are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tethers.

Two seats will fit best and I can fit my monster booster-seat but the top tether points are a little awkward to clip your tether onto.