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By
EWAN KENNEDY
5 January 2009
Though Hyundai's i30
comes from a South Korean maker it’s more European than Korean
in the way it drives and looks. Indeed, it’s styled in Europe
and is dynamically set up for the high speed roads that crisscross
that continent.
The biggest feature of
the Hyundai i30 is that it’s aimed at those who enjoy driving
and demand a precise feel through the steering wheel, and who also
appreciate sharp on-road dynamics. Though most of the initial
design and testing of the suspension and steering was done in
Europe, the Korean suspension engineers also spent time in
Australia to get a feel for our local needs.
It really does work
well, though, inevitably there are downsides. Because the
excellent handling and precise steering feel have resulted in a
rather firm suspension setup. It can be on the harsh side when
driven over rough surfaces, so be sure to find roads of that type
as part of your initial road testing.
A turbo-diesel option
was added to the range to suit European tastes, but the Australian
importer considered it worthwhile to have a crack at the diesel
market in this country. Unfortunately the oddly skewed pricing of
diesel versus petrol means the oil burners don’t make a lot of
sense from a pricing point of view, but that situation doesn’t
look like lasting forever.
The Hyundai i30 CRDi
uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that produces a handy torque
output of 250 Nm of between 1900 rpm and 2750 rpm. The result is
plenty of performance following an acceptably short period of
turbo lag. Hyundai's diesel engine is pretty quiet from inside the
car and not too bad on the outside.
This Hyundai can use
as few as five to six litres of diesel for each hundred kilometres
run on easy paced country runs or motorways. And the consumption
will seldom go much over seven litres per hundred in suburban
driving. So the magical 1000 kilometres from a tank is there for
the asking if you drive moderately.
The turbo-diesel is
sold with five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic
transmission. The manual in our test car was on the loose side in
the feel of its changes. But the ratios are well selected and the
strong torque means you can often hold a higher gear than you
originally anticipated.
Interior space is good
for what is a relatively small car. Four adults can be
accommodated with a bit of cooperation in the way of the front
seats being moved forward. Two adults in the front seats, and a
pair or trio of children in the back is a more reasonable load.
Boot space is good,
with a decent depth and ease of loading that lets you get all but
the bulkiest objects inside.
The South Koreans have
been working hard at build quality for several years and really
are getting close to Japanese standards both inside and out.
However, the use of
flat plastic in the centre area of the dash takes away some of the
refinement that is present in other areas of the car. It looks as
though the plastic will hold up well enough over the years, but
the visual impression lets it down.
With
a price of just $21,490, the Hyundai i30 CRDi is the lowest-priced
diesel car on our market. As mentioned, it may not make financial
sense right now due to that odd diesel vs petrol pricing, but when
that situation normalises the little economy car will certainly be
worth consideration.
Then
again, if dealers are keen to shift 2008 stock of the i30 diesel
they may come up with some very tempting deals. So it could well
be worth a trip down to your local Hyundai dealer to try some arm
twisting.
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Marque Publishing Company
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