Hyundai i30 2024 review: Sedan Hybrid

Hyundai Australia has confirmed the i30 Sedan Hybrid will arrive in Australia by early 2024, but not much else.

Exact pricing and specifications won’t be locked in and announced until closer to the on-sale date, but we can speculate based on what we know of the US-spec Elantra Hybrid we drove and the South Korean-built examples we currently get in Australia.

In the US Hyundai offers the Hybrid in two grades - Blue and Limited - but based on what we’ve seen with other hybrids in Hyundai Australia’s range, expect a three-tier line-up with a Active (or just i30 Sedan Hybrid), Elite and Premium options.

In terms of pricing, Hyundai is charging a $4000 premium for the Kona hybrids so it’s reasonable to expect something similar for the i30 Sedan. That would mean the entry-level starting at around $30,000 the Elite from $36,000 and the Premium in the low-$40K range.

If accurate, that would be competitive against the Corolla Sedan Hybrid range which spans $31,680 to $39,620.

Like the design, the interior of the i30 Sedan Hybrid is the same as the non-hybrid model, highlighting how far we’ve come in terms of normalising the technology.

That means there’s no downside of buying a hybrid, in terms of batteries or electric motors eating into cabin space.

Instead, you’re greeted with the same well laid out cockpit you find in the rest of the i30 Sedan range.

It has that same driver focused layout, with the large, dual-screen display panel and the central console somewhat wrapping around the driver’s side of the cabin.

It has that same driver focused layout, with the large, dual-screen display panel and the central console somewhat wrapping around the driver’s side of the cabin.

There’s really nothing to betray what’s under the bonnet, but there is a pair of cupholders, a small storage area ahead of the gear selector and a lidded centre console box.

Dual-screen display panel.

In the rear the space is good and there’s a fold down arm-rest with a pair of cupholders. 

Importantly, the boot is the same 400 litres as the petrol-powered Elantra models in the US, once again proving there’s no practical penalties for the different powertrain.

In the US the Elantra Hybrid is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor coupled to a 240-volt lithium-ion battery.

The electric motor generates 32kW and helps the non-turbocharged engine produce 103kW and 265Nm of total performance.

This compares to 150kW/265Nm from the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine in the N Line model.

The engine is paired to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission and sends its power to the road via the front wheels.

This is expected to be the same powertrain in the facelifted model that arrives in Australian showrooms in the not-too-distant future.

This is the bit that really matters with the i30 Sedan Hybrid and while we drove a US model there’s a lot we can learn for the cars we’ll get in Australia.

The US Environmental Protection Agency official fuel economy rating for the US-spec Elantra Hybrid is 4.3 litres per 100km for the Blue model and 4.7L/100km for the Limited.

Combined with the 41-litre fuel tank the Blue model has a range of approximately 950km and the Limited roughly 870km.

For comparison, Hyundai Australia’s current i30 Sedan line-up manages 6.8L/100km for the 1.6-litre turbo models and 7.0L/100km for those powered by the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, so adding the Hybrid would be a big step forward in terms of efficiency.

But it can’t match the on-paper claims of the Toyota Corolla Sedan Hybrid, which uses just 3.9L/100km on the combined cycle.

In the real world the Elantra Limited we drove in the US started with a claimed 750km range on the car’s trip computer and returned a figure of 5.0L/100km on the dash after our two-day test drive.

That’s impressively close to the claim over such a short period and one that bodes well for long-term ownership, particularly for those who primarily have an urban commute that is best suited to the advantages of the hybrid.

While safety specifications aren’t confirmed yet, it would be unusual if the hybrid didn’t match the rest of the range. So expect forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot monitoring and safe exit warning. 

Whether or not all of those features will be available on the entry-grade model is debatable, but it’s highly likely they’ll be standard on the mid- and high-grade variants.