2013 Hyundai I30 Reviews

Graham Smith reviews the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Hyundai i30 as a used buy. Hyundai hatch's value proposition is still strong. Shame about the radio. New When the first i30 arrived in 2007, it typified Hyundai's progress as a maker of quality, reliable vehicles and earned Carsguide's Car of the Year gong that year. It was

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Hyundai i30 as a used buy.

In some ways you might say this is a better looking car than the hatch. It's certainly no stodgy old wagon, not by a long shot with compact lines that belie its size.

Hyundai has expanded its i30 range with the introduction of an 'SR' version. Little changed from the concept car that gained positive feedback when displayed at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney late last year, the SR has a shadow style body kit, a warmed over engine, sports suspension and a revised interior with leather trim, sporting alloy-faced pedals and a self dipping interior mirror.So important is the Australian market to Hyundai these days that we were chosen as the first in the world to receive this new SR model. One reason is the considerable amount of work put into the local suspension tune by engineers from Australia, the UK and South Korea.PRICINGThe Hyundai i30 SR is best regarded as a warm-hatch rather than a hot hatch. But it provides decent performance at a pretty modest price: $27,990 for the manual, $30,190 for the auto. A panoramic sunroof adds $2000.ENGINE AND TRANSMISSIONThe engine is a 2.0-litre direct-injection unit producing 129 kW of power and an impressive 209 Nm of torque. That’s over 100 Nm per litre, an output only achieved from a few expensive European engines. The torque is there from lower revs than you would expect from a non-turbo engine and continues in a delightfully linear fashion well into the rev range. However, the engine isn’t all that happy as it gets near the redline, becoming a bit noisy.Sitting alongside the high(-ish) performance Hyundai engine is the choice of either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with manual overrides.SAFETYHyundai is one of the leaders in crash avoidance and survival through a collision. The i30 meets five-star crash safety requirements, thanks in part to seven airbags; ABS brakes with EBD and BAS; Vehicle Stability Management with ESC and TCS; rear view camera; and rear park assist.DRIVINGDuring our road testing at the global launch of the Hyundai i30 SR in northern NSW we found the car on its 17-inch alloy wheels with 45 Series tyres to be firm in its ride, but not unacceptably so.Changes on the manual are about average in quality for a front-drive car, but we had hoped for better in a sporty model. The auto is willing to change down to grab extra revs, but we really feel a car like this should have paddle shifters, not just a floor selector.Steering is beautifully direct in the central position; where many cars have a dead spot just either side of straight ahead, the SR has instant reaction and excellent feedback to the driver’s hands.Handling is safe and sure with the sporty Hyundai remaining neutral and safe well beyond speeds likely to be attempted by almost all drivers. Near its limit the i30 SR shows some understeer but it’s easy to dial out - with the security of sophisticated traction control as a backup should you still get it wrong.Moving slowly seems like an odd way of getting into fast cars, but Hyundai is playing the cautious game with the introduction of the SR range. Rather than being seen as frustrating, this should be regarded as a sign of maturity in a company that’s becoming increasingly well regarded as one of the major mainstream global players.It seems certain we will one day see full-blown hot hatches, perhaps taking the full 4WD big-turbo route that will provide serious competition for the established Japanese and European players. Competition that may well shock the others in its affordability.Time will tell, but we can’t wait for the introduction of a 180kW all-wheel-drive street and track stormer from Hyundai.VERDICTIt’s not a true hot hatch, but Australian performance car enthusiasts can still take pride in the fact the Hyundai i30 SR made its global debut in this country, and that it has significant Aussie input in the suspension dynamics field.Hyundai i30 SRPrice: $27,990 (auto $2200)Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrolPower: 129kW and 209 NmThirst: 6.5-7.2 litres/100kmTransmission: six-speed manual and auto, front-wheel drive 

Small-car buyers have plenty of reasons to welcome the Nissan Pulsar back to their shopping lists. Around 18,990 of them, by our count.That's the driveaway price for the Pulsar sedan and hatch until the end of this month, and it's unlikely to go much higher in 2013 as boatloads of the born-again Japanese small car continue to dock in Australia. Nissan has set a year-end target for deliveries of its born-again baby and is now landing the cars needed to hit the bullseye, with big incentives on several fronts to ensure it happens.The current deal includes on-road costs and a $1000 bonus, labelled as the 'Switch' incentive, but if you drill a little deeper you discover the reality of Nissan's pricing push. It effectively means the Pulsar - if you allow $2000 for on-roads and then add the extra $1000 - is a $15,990 car in Australia at the moment. And that's unbeatable buying.The Pulsar is not the best car in the class, and we think it's a bit dowdy in some areas, but it does the job and a lot of people are coming back to the badge after the unfortunate experience - for Nissan and its customers - with the underdone Tiida. What the Pulsar really means is that any brand with a small car to shift needs to be setting the bar low enough to compete with the new Nissan, both sedan and hatch.We've seen it many times in recent years, back from the 1990s when Hyundai was the first to go big on driveaway pricing with its Excel tiddler and other rushed to join the feeding frenzy. It's been the same more recently with five-year warranties and capped-price servicing, which are both intended to give customers a benefit that doesn't affect the car's resale value while also giving them certainty on their purchase.Not long ago, baby cars like the Hyundai i20 were pegged at $15,000 and $19,990 became the default setting for small cars. Toyota admitted as much last year when it landed its all-new Corolla and priced it just below the psychological barrier at $20,000.But the Nissan push has driven down the transaction prices - the level at which cars are really sold, not advertised and definitely not the Recommended Retail Price - considerably below the $19,900 level before on-roads or the near-essential automatic gearbox that drives the deal closer to $25,000.If you scan the advertising over the past month it's easy to find driveaway rivals at $18,990, including the Ford Focus, with most small cars now pitched with an on-road price at $19,990. We've compiled our list of contenders using the RRP because there is always going to be some sort of sales incentive, so keep a sharp lookout and watch for the day when your first choice goes on sale.Best of all for buyers, the price genie is now out of the bottle and - as Nissan continues to push the Pulsar - there will be deals through to the end of 2013 and probably well into next year. And beyond.Holden Cruze Price: from $19,490 Output: 1.8-litre four, 104kW/176Nm; 5-spd manual/6-spd auto, front-wheel driveThirst: 7.0L/100kmThe surprise packet this year, as a seemingly-minor facelift makes the locally-made Cruze a better drive with more class. Now a car you definitely recommend to friends, especially with a tasty starting price.Hyundai i30Price: from $20,990Output: 1.8-litre petrol four, 110kW/178Nm; 6-spd manual and auto, front-wheel driveThirst: 6.5L/100kmAs good as the Toyota Corolla for comfort and class, but better as a value deal and definitely the one to benchmark in this class. The former Carsguide COTY winner has always been good buying, too.Ford FocusPrice: from $20,290 Output: 1.6-litre four, 92kW/159Nm; 5-spd manual/6-spd auto, front-wheel driveThirst: 6.2L/100kmThe best driving car in the class thanks to a tight chassis, although the 1.6-litre base engine is nothing special and nowhere near the fun factor providing by the turbo in the 2-litre ST. A sensible choice, although the dashboard is a confusing miss-match of switches.Nissan Pulsar Price: from $24,990 Output: 1.8-litre four, 96kW/174Nm; 6-spd manual, CVT auto, front-wheel driveThirst: 6.7L/100kmA lot of people have been waiting for the Pulsar to return and it's a solid contender, not an outright leader. Quiet and comfy, for sure, but not as good as some of its rivals. But Nissan has big ambitions for the Pulsar and it's the leader on dollar deals.BUYING SECONDHANDThere was a time, for a very long time, when a Toyota Corolla was the automatic choice for anyone looking to buy their first car. That drove up secondhand prices and helped provide plenty of willing buyers who graduated to a Corolla for their first new car. But not now.The first Japanese baby car to really hit the sweet spot in Australia has been overtaken by compact contenders from South Korea and the Hyundai i30 is the current Carsguide choice for savvy secondhand shopping. A Corolla might look good, and plenty of people still recommend them, but their prices are artificially inflated by their history in Australia.The i30 matches the Corolla in most areas including comfort and economy, and is bulletproof reliable. But it's smarter buying and you can get an equivalent car, or something newer or with fewer kilometres, than you would spend on an equivalent Corolla. What makes the i30 more enticing is the five-year warranty, which means buying near-new at around $15,000 can provide a car that still has the remainder of the manufacturer's cover.If you're spending more, or intent on a diesel engine for long-distance driving, the i30 ticks that box. And there is also an i30 wagon, in a class where SUVs have virtually exterminated the once-popular baby station wagon. 

More than just another model, the launch of Hyundai's sporty i30 SR hatch marks the next step in the evolution of the once unfashionable brand. Now sitting fourth in the Australian market, the “warm” rather than hot version of its best-selling model follows the Veloster SR Turbo and will itself soon be joined by an SR version of the smaller Accent.More sporty models could follow including a more powerful turbocharged version of the i30, in a drive to generate some much-needed excitement for the brand. In fact, the SR project is something of a test case that could have international implications if the idea takes off.VALUEThe manual i30 SR is priced from $27,990 and the auto from $30,190 before on road costs, the latter the same price as the luxury Premium model. Apart from the absence of a sunroof, heated front seats and an electric parking brake, the equipment list reads pretty much the same as Premium and includes a 7-inch satnav system.SR comes standard with 17-inch alloys, sports grille, a rear diffuser, xenon headlights, LED tail lights and SR badges. Inside there's metal-faced pedals, leather/leatherette upholstery, power adjust driver's seat and an auto dimming mirror. It comes in a choice of four colours, of which “Hyper” silver is exclusive to the model. A panoramic glass sunroof is a $2000 option.TECHNOLOGYBased on the five-door shell, in terms of power and performance it sits halfway between the standard car and the funky Veloster Turbo. The SR gets Hyundai's 2.0-litre direct injection engine with 129kW of power and 209Nm of torque, up from 110kW and 178Nm in the 1.8-litre i30.It's the same engine that powers sister Kia's top of the line Cerato and propels the manual from 0-100km/h in 7.7 secs and the auto in 8.6 secs. Combined fuel consumption for the manual is 7.2 litres/100km, while the six-speed automatic returns 7.5 litres/100km. In comparison, the 1.8 is good for 6.5/6.9 litres/100km.Hyundai reveals it has petitioned head office for an even quicker i30 with the Veloster SR Turbo's 1.6 litre turbo engine, but the problem could be supply, as it's having trouble keeping up with demand for the turbocharged engine in the Veloster.DESIGNThe look is understated, perhaps too understated. Aussies love their sports machines and as such they can never be too loud nor too colourful. The wheels are different, but no larger and although the front grille has been changed and a rear diffuser added,  but no body kit.We can only hope they are holding back these goodies for a full-blown turbocharged version down the track? Plenty of work has gone into tuning the ride and handling however, with re-valved dampers and unique front springs. Developed locally for Australian conditions, the SR's sports suspension is designed to deliver sharp, responsive turn-in and improved handling while retaining the i30's supple, rounded ride qualities.SAFETYFive stars -- same as the rest of the i30 lineup. Safety features include seven airbags including a driver's knee bag, Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), and ABS with EBD and Brake Assist System (BAS). There's also a rear view camera.DRIVINGSports model or not, it's the i30 you want if you're after an i30. With around 20 per cent more power and torque than the standard 1.8, with only penalty to pay in increased fuel consumption  it's a no brainer really. Hyundai has done a great job tuning the ride and handling, with the help of consultant and one time rally champ David Potter. The ride is refined and remains composed, even on choppy back roads and should be adopted across the range.Both the auto and manual are fun to drive, the auto unexpectedly so but the lack of change paddles is disappointing. The Veloster gets them, the Accent SR will probably get them too so why not the i30? The gearing remains unchanged, apart from a slightly higher final drive ratio and the brakes have not been touched either, deemed more than up to the job. The 225/45 series Hankook tyres offer plenty of grip with progressive breakaway.VERDICTIt's good and our pick is the manual, but we can't wait for the turbo. Hyundai i30 SRPrice: $27,990 (auto $2200)Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrolPower: 129kW and 209 NmThirst: 6.5-7.2 litres/100kmTransmission: six-speed manual and auto, front-wheel drive 

A warm hatch with a nice price - that's the bottom line on the Hyundai i30 SR. But there is more to the SR than just a little bit of tizzying and tweaking to the car that was a close second in the Carsguide Car of the Year judging for 2013. The SR shows that Hyundai is serious about sharpening the edge for Australia and, far more importantly, doing serious tuning of its cars for local drivers and conditions.PRICE AND EQUIPMENTThe SR is a genuine world leader, at least for Hyundai, because it stuffs the company's 2.0-litre engine into the i30 for the first time and delivers it with a starting price of $27,990 including nice kit such as Xenon lamps, leather seats, push-button start and satnav with Bluetooth.Hyundai believes it will account for about 10 per cent of its i30 sales downunder, up to 250 cars a month, and is already following-up with an Accent SR. Other SRs will follow, but none is likely to benefit from the 1.6-litre turbo engine in the model that introduced the badge to Australia, the Veloster SR, despite the potential for a truly hot hatch.ORIGINJust in case you're wondering, SR has no special meaning. It's not short for Sport Racing or Serious Rocketship, just "I think it sounds good", Hyundai's chief operating office, John Elsworth, tells Carsguide.But Elsworth, a high-profile Hyundai recruit last year from the second-top job at Holden, is committed to SR and what it means. "To me, it's about making the brand more multi-functional than being famous for great value. I think we already own that," he says."Having the local tuning program gives buyers a lot more confidence that the cars aren't just imported direct from the factory in Korea. The SR models are key to us in developing character."The SR story on i30 began just 10 months ago with a tease at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, which gave the support to drive the project forward. The show car was only cosmetic, but Hyundai knew it needed to do more and targeted the SP25 version of the Mazda3 and the Ford Focus Sport as the result it wanted.The go-ahead for production sparked intensive local development using technology that would not be out of place on a V8 Supercars racer, including live telemetry and dozens of individual sensors, in a program spanning everything from alpine and gravel roads to closed-course hot laps.The program was directed by Hyundai's local product planning chief, Andrew Tuitahi, but the keys to success were provided by British suspension guru David Potter. He's a motorsport veteran who has 15 years experience of local conditions and is described as a 'doctor of suspension' by Hyundai.WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCEWork on the SR concentrated on compensating for the extra 33 kilograms in the nose, because of the heavier engine, and giving a sportier feel. The car gets 17-inch alloys with Hankook rubber but the other changes, as far as Hyundai will share, run to heavier front springs and much different damper settings.ENGINE AND TECHNOLOGYThe SR is only mildly sporty, although the 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine picks up 17  per cent more power at 129kW and a similar torque increase to 209Nm. The best measure of the improvement is the 0-100km/h time, which drops from 9.1 to 7.7 seconds in the manual. There is a six-speed automatic, but I chose the six-speed manual SR for my first drive in the latest i30.DRIVINGAfter the impressive performance at COTY 2013 I know the basics, but this is a car with a tougher job and much tougher opposition. The result of all the work transforms the basic i30 into a car which has a very mature feel, coping easily with the worst road conditions I could find while still delivering great grip and balance in corners.Within 10 kilometres I know the SR’s chassis is a winner. In fact, it feels like it could easily handle more grunt - and a bit more aural excitement above the standard exhaust. The body changes are only mild, and the leather seats are nice without being amazing, but the suspension tuning has made a huge difference.It's the control that's most impressive. Nothing upsets the SR, from full-power acceleration to hard braking or the worst potholes I can find. It's even better than the Kia Cerato hatch I've just driven, and that's saying a lot. The i30 SR is not cheap, but it is good value and it's the sort of car that makes living easy. In the history of Hyundai in Australia, it's a landmark car because it shows what can be done by applying tasty Australian icing - even though Potter is British - to a Korean cake.VERDICTThe Hyundai i30 gets a tasty tweak thanks to local SR development.Hyundai i30 SRPrice: $27,990 (auto $2200)Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrolPower: 129kW and 209 NmThirst: 6.5-7.2 litres/100kmTransmission: six-speed manual and auto, front-wheel drive 

The Hyundai i30 SE is, for the moment at least, a genuine special edition. The company won't tell us exactly how many they've brought in, but the idea is to see if Australians are interested in a three door version of the smash-hit i30.It has divided opinion in the office - some of us (okay, me) think nobody will buy it, despite its many charms while others think it will sell like crazy. Only time will tell, but we can tell you that the i30 SE was predictable in some ways but in another way, sprung a huge surprise.VALUEThe i30 SE is a very simple proposition - $19,990 for the 1.6 litre manual and $22,190 for the six-speed automatic. For that you get a six-speaker stereo, air-conditioning, cruise control, keyless entry, rear parking sensors, a 5-inch touchscreen, power windows and a cloth covered interior. There's no leather but the plastics used throughout are pleasant enough, like any i30 (gearknob excepted).The stereo distinguishes itself by being quite good and very easy to use. It accepts a normal USB cable as well as Bluetooth streaming. The interface is simple to use but probably too simple when in Bluetooth mode as you can't change playlists.DESIGNThe obvious difference with the SE is the lack of rear doors. Everything from the A-pillar back is new, with new front doors, a slightly re-profiled roof, new bumpers and new, fixed rear windows. It gives the i30 a sportier, more purposeful stance, especially on the standard 16-inch alloys.There's a bit of chrome pinched from i30s higher in the range and a pair of boomerang-shaped daytime running lights for a bit of class. It looks pretty good. Inside is standard issue i30, albeit bottom of the range spec, with flip-forward front seats to allow access to the rear. Access could be a little better but once you're in there, there's plenty of space, almost as much as the five-door.SAFETYThe i30 maintains its five-star safety rating with seven airbags, ABS, traction and stability control, brake force distribution, brake assist and hill-start assist.TECHNOLOGYUnder the bonnet is Hyundai's Gamma 1.6 litre GDI directed injected petrol. Its 98kW of power come high in the rev range at 6300rpm while the modest torque figure of 163Nm arrives at 4850rpm. Hyundai claims 6.3l/100km for the manual and a 5 star green rating. We got closer to 7.5l/100km. The automatic will do a claimed 6.9l/100km with 4.5 green stars.DRIVINGThis is where the big shock came. While it's never going to win any races, except against an automatic i20, the manual car is much more fun to drive than you could reasonably expect. The job of being fun is supposed to fall to the Veloster Turbo, but the i30 SE trumps it for feedback and driving character.It still has its problems - the throttle response is woefully slow (to help less attentive drivers achieve smooth progress) and the gear ratios are too widely spaced, but once you're moving and on a good piece of road, it's unbelievably close to hot-hatch fun.The key is the suspension tune. In this case it's the UK setup, which delivers a smooth, quiet ride with excellent body control and heaps of grip from the Hankook tyres. It's not necessarily better than the Veloster Turbo - the quirky four-door is faster and will stop and go more quickly - but the SE is just more fun.Because the SE is a long way down on power, you have to work the gearbox, but the box itself is much more willing to play than the Veloster's and lets you shift faster. The clutch isn't afflicted with the usual Hyundai problem of being far too light. The electric steering, when switched to Sport mode, doesn't just add weight but also modest amount of feedback.You always know what the car is doing but more to the point, you can feel it. The Veloster is like an extra passive-aggressive cat in comparison. Most people who buy this car probably won't care, but it's worth knowing that it is the best chassis of any Hyundai on sale in Australia and everyone reaps the benefit - passengers and drivers.It's also very quiet inside the cabin, as long as the road surface is reasonable. Coarser surfaces cause a bit of a roar, but halfway decent roads mean a quiet journey. At 110km/h there's a faint rustle around the wing mirrors, but apart from that, relative silence.VERDICTThe i30 SE is a bargain hatch with the added bonus of being enormous fun to drive. Yes, it's slow and there's still a way to go before the i30 meets the VW Golf on level terms, but if the Korean company can keep this up, the rest of the competition has an even bigger job on its hands.Hyundai i30 SEPrice: from $19,990Warranty: 5 years unlimitedEngine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder, 98kW/163NmTransmission: 6-speed manual, FWD Thirst: 6.3L/100Km, CO2 147g/kmKerb Weight: 1320kgSafety: 5 stars

Image is everything in the minds of many car buyers. Motoring journalists have a saying, “People pay big dollars for the front two inches of their cars”.EQUIPMENTThe Hyundai i30 Premium CRDi we have just returned after an extended review is a classic case in point.It was positively crammed with luxury items of the sort found in big name Euro cars: leather trim; a panoramic glass sunroof; satellite navigation with Suna traffic control; powered front seats with heating; connectivity by way of Aux, USB and iPod/iPhone inputs, as well as Bluetooth; hands-free phone; audio streaming; keyless go. The list just goes on and on.VALUEDespite the huge levels of standard equipment, people gasped when we told them the i30 Premium CRDi had a recommended retail of $32,590 – saying it was a lot of money for a Korean car.Which brings us back to our comments about image being everything – one of the big name German marques in this class would come in at close to $70,000 if loaded with the same gear. Yet many would have described the $70,000 price tag as being a bargain for a Merc, Beemer or Audi. Logical? Not...ENGINEPower is provided by a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine with a high-tech six-speed automatic transmission. The engine produces up to 94 kilowatts of power, and 260 Newton metres of torque. We found the transmission nicely interactive as it responded quickly to our desire for a different gear by way of the ‘throttle’ pedal.At motorway speeds our Hyundai i30 CRDi had fuel consumption in the six to seven litres per hundred kilometres range. This increased to nine to ten litres per hundred in the hard grind of typical city commuting. The best European turbo-diesel engines in this class can do significantly better than this, showing that the Asian car makers still have a distance to go in their designs of car diesel engines. Knowing Hyundai, that won’t take long.SAFETYHyundai i30 has been praised as, “one of the safest in the small-car category” by ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program), after gaining the maximum five-star safety rating.Seven airbags and rear parking sensors are standard across the Hyundai i30 range. There’s a full suite of active safety technology, with ESC, TCS, ABS, EBD and BAS all being standard in every model. The budget priced Hyundai i30 is on a par with far more expensive passenger vehicles.DRIVE IMPRESSIONSHyundai i30 Premium is pleasant to drive, albeit with the nose heavy feeling of any front-drive car. Interestingly, the driver can vary the feel of the car by dialling up one of three steering modes with Hyundai's fascinating Flex Steer system.In ‘Normal’, Flex Steer provides a balance between steering input and feedback, making it ideal for the majority of roads; ‘Comfort’ reduces the weight of steering, allowing for effortless manoeuvring and relaxed driving cruising; ‘Sport’ increases steering weight and feedback for increased driver involvement.The suspension and steering have been tuned for Australian conditions. However the semi sporting setup designed for keen Aussie drivers means it’s over firm on rough and ready back roads.Instruments are made easy to read with sports-style layout and blue back lighting. The engine fires up via a start/stop button, while an electronic park brake makes life simpler. The seats are comfortable and the ergonomics work in a sensible, comfortable manner.VERDICTImage is everything, and despite above remarks that could be taken as being sarcastic I have to admit that I’m as good a consumer as most others around me. Give me $70,000 and my heart would see me in a Merc, Beemer or Audi any day. But the head still says Hyundai i30 Premium CRDi makes a lot more sense...Hyundai i30 Premium 1.6-litre turbodieselPrice: from $32,590Warranty: 5 years, unlimited kmEngine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel, 94kW/260NmTransmission: 6-speed auto, FWDThirst: 5.6L/100Km, CO2 147g/km

The second generation i30 has done something Hyundai hasn't really done before - it built on the success of the first car and did a better job second time around. Better still, instead of the two year wait for the previous generation's CW variant, we've only had to wait nine months.VALUEThe newly-released Tourer has something of a reputation to uphold. Starting with the mid-90s Lantra wagon and eventually again with the first-gen i30 CW, Hyundai has done a great job of making cheap workhorses.The Active CRDi starts at $25,590 and asks $2000 for automatic. The model tested, the top of the range CRDi Elite lists at $31,190 and has automatic transmission as standard. On average, the Tourer is $2000 more expensive than both the current i30 Hatch and its CW predecessor.The Holden Cruze CD 2.0 ($29,990) is more powerful but lesser equipped, while the top of the range Skoda Fabia ($29,990) wagon has a sophisticated 7 speed DCT and fabled VW TSI engine, but there's no diesel. The Volkswagen Golf Trendline wagon is a 7-speed diesel, but with far less power and gear for $31,990.DESIGNThe i30 Tourer takes the front of the i30 back to the B-pillar and then grafts on a wagon addition at the rear. Externally, it does the already good-looking i30 the world of good and improves the overall balance of the design. Internally it is exactly the same as the Elite hatch, which is to say perfectly agreeable. The seats are covered in cloth, the steering wheel and shifter in leather.The seats are probably a bit soft in the squab, front and rear, but are comfortable even on longish trips of a few hours. The front seat passengers get plenty of legroom while the rear passengers make do with the same amount as in the hatch, which is reasonable if not huge.It's not really a full-on wagon, it's more a hatch-plus. Don't let anyone know how big it is inside, though, as your friends will ask you to do the Ikea run, which is as inviting as hepatitis. The rear seat squabs need a bit of encouragement to flip up, but it's worth the trouble as it does lead to a properly flat space, something a few other wagons lack.Storage abounds, even under the floor is a full-size spare wheel with yet more storage arranged around it in plastic trays and bins. Despite the full size spare, the boot floor is low and also doubles as a surprisingly comfortable place to sit when you're watching the under-8s soccer game with your thermos handy.SAFETYThe Tourer's five star ANCAP rating is supplied via stability and traction control, ABS with EBD and brake assist. Hyundai's VSM also applies steering lock to stop the car from losing control in the event of driver inaction or incompetence.Seven airbags, including dual front and side, full length curtains and driver's knee bag complete the passive safety list. The Tourer also features an unusually good reversing camera with a wide, clear field of vision.TECHNOLOGYThe dash has a big 7-inch screen that handles entertainment and sat-nav duties. The sat-nav is standard-issue Hyundai with SUNA updates and is serviceable if a little fiddly. The Hyundai-built VGT 1.6 litre direct-injected diesel is good for 94kW and 260Nm of torque. These are both modest numbers, especially compared to the 1.7 litre in the i40, which has 320Nm and does 7l/100km.DRIVINGOn the road, the Tourer feels slightly better than the CRDi hatch. The hatch is really nose-heavy, it feels like most of the weight is out in front of the headlights during moderate cornering. The Tourer is a minor improvement, perhaps because there's more weight further back, perhaps there's been a little tune-up of the front-end. Whatever, it's better and feels far less pendulous.It's very quiet inside and rides just as well as the hatch thanks to an excellent suspension tune and the mildly sophisticated multi-link rear end, replacing the torsion beam set up. The diesel engine is strong and once you're moving its got some real grunt in the mid-range, ably supported by the excellent six speed automatic. It's the pick of the engines.The engine is quite happy both around town and on the highway, returning a decent 6.8l/100km. The 53 litre fuel tank is a bit limp, however, giving a real-world range of about 770km.VERDICTThe i30 Tourer cements the opinion that Hyundai is now in the top three of cars to consider. While the hatchback battles it out with the Corolla best-selling Mazda 3, the Tourer has found a quiet little niche to exploit. The i30 Tourer is probably the best small wagon out there by some margin. The fact it's cheap to buy and run is a bonus.Hyundai i30 Tourer CRDi ElitePrice: from $32,990Warranty: 5 years, unlimitedService interval: 15,000km/12 monthsCapped servicing: $289 (15,000km/12 months for 3 years)Safety: 5 starsEngine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder, 94kW/260NmTransmission: 6-speed automatic, FWDThirst: 5.8L/100km, 151g/km CO2Dimensions: 4300m (L); 1780m (w); 1470m (h)Weight: 1503kgSpare: full size alloy wheel