Ford Mondeo vs Hyundai I30

What's the difference?

The Mondeo creeps to the forefront as one of the best Fords with the smallest marketing budget.

Well equipped, reasonably fun to drive and semi-luxurious to be in for long periods, it's hard to remember why it's so forgettable.

Its certainly worth your consideration over its rivals, but then perhaps you don't want to fall in love with another Ford potentially headed for the chopping block in the near future.

Big boots to fill? The Hyundai i30 Sedan N stomps its authority with charming confidence and admirable talent. It’s hard to believe one of the biggest challengers to the i30 N hatch comes from its oddly-styled booted cousin. It’s just as thrilling, immersive, enjoyable and easy.

Which means that, if you’re in the market for a performance hot-hatch, it’s time for the sedan version to step into the limelight and be on your shortlist. It’s another N superstar.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

There's no doubt that the Mondeo is a chunky monkey. Just get a look at those proportions, it looks like a dense rectangle's worth of car, and that's before you line it up next to something else for perspective.

In this case I sat it next to my Falcon. Once the largest sedan on offer by Ford in Australia, in some ways it looks dwarfed. The Mondeo is taller and just as wide, but not quite as long. A quick comparison of spec sheets proves it's not much lighter either, despite the Falcon sporting a cast-iron engine that's literally twice the size.

The front three-quarter especially makes the Mondeo look tough. The big catfish-esque grille combined with the slimline headlight clusters and bonnet ripples make it look aggressive - like a rolling advertisement for the Mustang.

Head round to the rear three-quarter, however and things get a little… off. The raised dimensions and high rear light features make it look too tall. The 'liftback' roofline does no wonders for the car's proportions either.

It's a shame that after so many decades of Mondeo there is still apparently no way to make that rear-end appealing.

Inside there are also plenty of quirks. While there are some parts that really work, there are also some that don't.

The plush leather seats unique to the Titanium grade are lovely, but they're positioned so high up you'd be forgiven for thinking you were at the helm of an SUV. The sunroof is also so far back it's basically useless for front passengers, yet it eats their headroom (also, it's just a glass roof that doesn't open).

Then there's the switchgear, of which there is an overwhelming amount. You're presented with a sensory assault of buttons and displays, half of which could seemingly be easily offloaded onto the multimedia system. It's an approach that dates an otherwise modern-looking cabin.

Eerily similar to the Falcon, the fan speed and temperature controls aren't dials (a user experience nightmare) but the volume control is… go figure.

Those gripes aside there's plenty to like about the Mondoe cabin. There are soft-touch surfaces everywhere, helping the car live up to its luxury spec and price point, while all the switchgear and interactive parts are solid and tough, just like the Mondeo's big brother, the Ranger.

While the digital dash is way too busy, it presents the relevant information well, and is a good interactive design once you get used to it.

The back seat is a very nice place to be, making full use of that big glass roof, and the rear seats are just as plush as the front ones. If you spend lots of time ferrying friends or family around, it's a strong point for the Mondeo.

Now, with hot hatches, more usually means less, with spoilers quite literally living up to their name by blighting an otherwise clean and attractive design. For some, anyway. Under the radar and all that.

But the attention-crazy (CN7) i30 Sedan – known otherwise as the seventh-generation Elantra pretty much most other places around the world – seems like the work of a protractor-brandishing origamian who would not down pencil and stop.

Which means that, in the N’s case, more might actually be more, because all the racy extras enhance the appearance of a very distinctively/divisively-designed sedan.

The blacked-out bumper treatment, red brake calipers, side skirts and handsome alloys draw the eyes away from the odd creases and angles that define the i30 Sedan.

The result is a striking four-door fastback that comes into its own. One might suspect the original drawings were of a slammed-down N, with the overtly sporty stuff removed for the necessary lesser grades that most people end up buying.

Which would be a case of less being less!

Anyway, let’s check out the interior.

Do you like stowage spaces? Good, because the Mondeo has heaps of 'em. No longer content with just making one huge plastic fascia across the dash, there's a surprisingly large extra stowage space sitting below the air-conditioning controls. That joins a massive centre console box, with two USB ports and an extra tray layer for tidbits, as well as one of my favourite features, two truly massive cupholders. These show Ford's American influence as much as the aforementioned chunky switchgear.

The cupholders spent our weekend easily swallowing two phones, two wallets and two sets of keys with no problem at all. They'll fit your XL Coke no problems.

As I mentioned before, front passenger headroom is impacted by the glass roof, and there's a slightly claustrophobic feeling brought about by the huge swooping A-pillars, which also create a bit of a vision impairment for the driver. The SUV-like seating position can potentially be awkward, room-wise, for people with chunkier knees, or those that prefer sitting in a low, sporty position.

Up the back there's plenty of legroom and space for heads and arms and legs. I fit easily behind my own driving position, and there's the luxury of a fully leather-bound fold-down armrest with two big cupholders for rear passengers.

The keyless entry is also truly keyless, in that all four doors can lock or unlock the whole car at a touch. Another nice feature for when you're ferrying people around.

Boot space is also colossal, thanks to the liftback design. Ford states the size as 557 litres but as this seems to be a non-VDA-standard measurement it's hard to compare to competitors with numbers. Rest assured it will swallow a set of suitcases with ease, and the space is a practical rectangle with little intrusion from wheel arches.

Germany's small hot-sedan rivals would struggle to match the i30 Sedan N’s sheer practicality.

Running on a newer-generation architecture also shared with the latest Hyundai Kona, the result is a substantially larger, longer and wider proposition than the 2017-vintage i30 N hatch.

Upshot? The driver and passenger have plenty of space to stretch out in, within a palpably more contemporary cabin than presented in the five-door version. It feels like a car from the next size and decade up.

Being the i30 flagship, the N Premium’s dashboard is also dressed up to look suitably upmarket, angled towards the driver and offering twin 10.25-inch screens, with N-specific configurable instrumentation right ahead of the driver. Blue-stitched leather trim and darker cabin elements also set a racier ambience.

Predictably, there’s a comprehensive performance monitor within the touchscreen with all sorts of vehicle and driving data, including a lap timer. Clever if distracting. You might also take note of the big red button under one of the steering-wheel spokes, cringingly labelled NGS for ‘N Grin Shift’.

It brings a modest 7.0kW power boost, lasting only 20 seconds. Great for instant overtaking oomph, presumably.

Speaking of fast driving, lowered sports seats provide sufficient bracing through tight corners and extra ceiling clearance for helmets, while feeling sumptuously supportive the rest of the time. They're quite terrific.

Beyond these, all the regular sensible features found in more-humdrum i30 Sedans – an excellent driving position, ample ventilation, decipherable controls and stacks of useful storage – are also present.

The same applies across the generous back seat area, which lacks nothing for expected amenities to help keep kids of all ages safe, comfy, hydrated, ventilated and connected, while the N’s slightly-smaller boot (down 10 litres over the regular i30 Sedan) is still large enough for most needs at 464L. Blame the chassis stiffness brace back there.

Meanwhile, a space-saver spare lives underneath the wide, flat floor.

Complaints? The longitudinal buttress that runs along the left side of the centre console by the front passenger seat can constrict knee movement. Driver rear vision is poor, while that sloping back-door aperture makes getting in and out a head-banging affair for taller or bouffant-wearing folk.

Otherwise, the i30 Sedan N boasts a well-resolved cabin.

Does it ever!

Regardless of whether we’re talking about a manual or auto, the facelifted i30 Sedan N for 2024 is only available in the one Premium grade, kicking off from $52,000, before on-road costs.

And though now costing a bit more than before, if it’s a booted hot-hatch experience you seek, then this Hyundai has few rivals. And all are all-wheel drive and not front-wheel drive.

The most obvious is the excellent, if slightly less-powerful, Subaru WRX, which – from just $45,990 for the manual – must be considered an incredible bargain. But the Sport auto version for $4000 extra more-closely mirrors the Hyundai’s specification.

After that… there’s Germany. Consider the Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan, but that represents a near-$40K jump. Plus, you’re also approaching $90K before you can get the Merc’s compatriot competitors – Audi’s sleek S3 quattro and BMW's M235i xDrive Gran Coupe – on the road.

This, then, leaves just the WRX as the Hyundai’s sole affordable four-door sedan alternative for hatch-averse buyers.

So, what’s changed in the i30 Sedan N for 2024?

Along with new LED lights featuring Hyundai’s now-signature full-width light bar, it gains new bumpers and alloys, a strengthened body structure, an array of detailed steering and suspension modifications, upgraded driver-assist safety tech and updated multimedia including USB-C ports.

Note, too, the arrival of real-time connected car services Hyundai calls 'Bluelink' that can locate your car or notify emergency services automatically if you’ve had a prang, among other handy things.

These come on top of all the regular N gear, like the striking body kit, electronically controlled suspension, mechanical limited-slip differential (LSD), bespoke performance driving modes, bigger ventilated brake package and special Michelin Pilot Sport tyres.

Premium also heralds the usual expected luxuries, such as adaptive cruise control, heated and vented sports front seats, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, 19-inch alloys and pretty much all of the electronic driver-assist tech in Hyundai's cupboard. See the safety section below for an expanded explanation.

The only options are a $2000 sunroof and $595 premium paint.

That’s all pretty compelling value-for-money, especially for a car this size… and abilities. More on that later.

Ford offers two 2.0-litre turbocharged engines with the Mondeo, either a petrol EcoBoost engine or its diesel Duratorq equivalent.

The EcoBoost in our car is a bit of a gem. It produces an average sounding 177kW/345Nm when compared to the 220-plus-kW V6 engines in the equivalent Camry SL and Commodore RS-V, and it's even somehow out-played in the torque division by the Mazda6 GT, with its 170kW/420Nm.

As I'll explain in the driving section, however, it doesn't make the Mondeo feel any less powerful.

EcoBoost Mondeos can only be had with a six-speed traditional torque-converter automatic. Thankfully it doesn't carry 'PowerShift' branding either…

Make no mistake. Under the bonnet beats the absolute heart and soul of the Hyundai i30 Sedan N.

The engine carries over from before – a 1998cc 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder direct-injection unit, making 206kW of power at 6000rpm and 392Nm of torque between just 2100 and 4700rpm.

Tipping the scales at 1475kg, the resulting power-to-weight ratio is an impressive 140kW/tonne. And, don’t forget, pressing the N Grin Shift unleashes an extra bit of power, bumping the total up to 213kW for a 20-second burst.

The 0-100km/h sprint time takes 5.3 seconds, on the way to a 250km/h top speed.

Refreshingly, traditionalists can still choose a six-speed manual (albeit with a rev-matching function), or eight-speed wet-type DCT dual-clutch auto transmission, and both drive the front wheels via an electro-mechanical limited-slip differential.

Due to the entertainment factor given by the EcoBoost engine I wasn't particularly light on the throttle.

Ford claims you'll use 8.5L/100km on the combined cycle, which is 1.9L/100km more than the Mazda6 but on par with the V6 Camry and Commodore. In reality I experienced about 12L/100km, which is a fair bit more than the claimed figure, but not unusual for a keen-to-go engine. More on that in the driving segment.

For a bit of perspective, I can extract similar, if not better, fuel figures from my 4.0-litre FG Falcon.

The i30 N DCT’s official combined average consumption is 8.3 litres per 100km, for a carbon dioxide emissions rating of 194g/km.

Around town, that consumption figure shoots up to 11.8L, and drops to 6.3L outside of urban areas. Add 0.2L apiece for the less-efficient (but more-engaging) manual version.

Filling the 47L tank, with 95 RON premium unleaded petrol, you could exceed 565km between refills on average.

With a combination of gentle highway schlepping and blasting through the hills around the fast Murray River-area rural roads, our trip computer indicated a commendable 10L/100km – given this car’s 250km/h performance.

The Mondeo is thankfully quite a bit more fun than it looks. As I've been leading up to, the EcoBoost engine absolutely hammers with little encouragement. It's a hoot. The downside to this is that the fuel figure suffers.

Channelling 345Nm from as little as 2300rpm through just the front wheels also has the side-effect of tearing the steering wheel out of your hands under heavier bouts of acceleration. It does wonders to suspend the initial impression from the SUV-like seating position that this Mondoe must be a heavy car.

It definitely isn't a sports car, though, more of a semi-luxe sedan, which is a good thing, because when you're not driving as hard it's a pleasure to be at the helm of.

The steering is direct and light, making it easy to point at any speed, and in terms of noise the Mondeo is impressively quiet. There's barely a peep out of the engine. Road noise is great around town but increases a lot at freeway speeds and on rough surfaces, likely due to the larger alloys and lower-profile rubber.

The suspension makes for a mostly luxurious ride as well, but frequent undulations cause it to become unsettled side-to-side. Heavier bumps and potholes also resonate through the cabin.

It's almost annoying how close to excellent the refinement is.

The six-speed auto transmission is fantastic for a daily driver because you'll never know its there. I failed to catch it off guard once during my week with it.

There's a Sport mode and paddle-shifters you can use to make it stay in gear a little longer, but with the amount of power seemingly available at a moment's notice I never felt like I needed it.

Out about the hilly roads around Albury/Wodonga, the i30 Sedan N feels in its absolute element. The mixture of long open straights and tight corners really show off Hyundai’s incredible chassis tuning capabilities.

i30 Sedan N improvements for 2024 include brakes with better cooling and resistance to fade, stronger engine mounts for improved agility, more insulation, reduced vibrations, upgraded steering components for even more-precise handling and tweaks to the stability control system for more-effective operation.

Suspension is by McPherson-style struts up front and a multi-link rear-end arrangement.

Aided by an active variable exhaust note (which is quite nicely applied), the 2.0-litre four-pot twin-scroll turbo has a deep set of lungs, providing a decent wad of torque as it revs out fast and freely to its 6000rpm red-line. As you might expect, this is deceptively rapid.

Whether driving the solid and well-oiled six-speed manual – surely one of the best in the business and truly a great thing – or super-slick eight-speed DCT, there’s a delightful amount of muscle and speed for the money.

We’re also fans of the steering’s poise and response, resulting in hunkered-down handling that belies this car’s substantial length and width, backed up by lots of feel and feedback.

Throw in delightfully strong and effective braking, and the i30 N is incredibly alert and agile for something so big.

The trade-off of all this athleticism is a consistently firm – though not harsh – ride, as well as some road and tyre-noise intrusion when cruising comfortably along the highway.

As an everyday commuting proposition, the i30 Sedan N is right on the money.

Out on the racetrack, however, it's like on something a little bit more illicit, for things really start coming alive, with the N’s polished chassis set up revealing a satisfyingly vivid bandwidth of capability.

In 'Normal' mode, the front end feels reassuringly planted with minimal understeer, while the rear possesses a playful lightness that allows for progressive back-end lift-off if desired.

The i30 is so exquisitely tuned and pliable it makes amateurs feel like professionals.

Select 'N' mode and the electronic limiters loosen, for proper oversteer fun if that’s your thing, controlled and reeled right back in by meaty, confidence-boosting steering, providing improbably fluent handling for a sedan this size.

Slicing through tight bends and long arcs alike, the Hyundai’s sheer dynamic precision, consistency and discipline are deeply impressive. And intoxicating. We didn’t want to stop.

It may not look like a hot hatch in the prime of its life, but the i30 Sedan N sure behaves like one. And all for just $52K. Cheers, Hyundai!

As with all i30 Sedans, the N does not score an ANCAP rating because it's not available in Europe. The hatch, on the other hand, managed a maximum five stars back in 2017.

Hyundai is pretty confident the sedan would score highly, too, due to a raft of standard driver-assist safety items, including Hyundai’s 'Forward Collision Avoidance Assist' (version 1.5) featuring AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, safe-exit warning and rear cross-traffic alert.

There is no speed operation data for the AEB and lane-assistance systems at this time.

As well, the N owner also scores driver-attention warning, intelligent speed limit assist, adaptive cruise control with full stop/go, rear occupant alert, 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.

As with all i30 Sedans, the N’s back seat comes with two ISOFIX points as well as a trio of top tethers for straps.

Ford has recently updated its warranty to five years/unlimited kilometres, which is a nice standard, although it is now matched by Holden and Mazda. Toyota lags behind with a three-year offering. The Kia Stinger starts to look very impressive here with its seven-year warranty.

At the time of writing, Ford's own service calculator tells us the Mondeo will cost a minimum of $370 per year or 15,000km (whichever comes first) service interval. Every fourth year that jumps to $615.

The i30 Sedan N brings a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, as well as one year of roadside assistance.

Service intervals are at 12-months or 10,000km (not at every 15,000km like the regular i30 Sedan), with service pricing published on Hyundai’s website.

Over the first five years, the standard scheduled cost is $1795, or an average of under $360 annually.