New i30 is a classy Korean chariot

Cheeky looks, but without being in your face.

Take wine, for instance. Shiraz fanciers will rather be seen to be drinking a bottle of upmarket Kleine Zalze Family Reserve 2007 than put a bottle of Windmeul Reserve 2007 from a “lesser known” winery on the table.

Both are superb four star wines, but the Kleine Zalze cost three times more than the Windmeul Reserve, so where is the sense in that?

And the same applies to cars where a German brand is usually preferred to a less snobbish, but much better specced and usually considerably less expensive Korean brand such as Hyundai.

It's changing, slowly but surely

Fortunately this attitude is changing in South Africa and one hears less and less disparaging remarks about the brand simply because it's Korean.

Ill-informed comments such as ‘cheap and nasty”, “bad handling”, “lack of safety features”, “awful brakes”, “cramped and uncomfortable”, “ugly-looking” and “ unreliable” still flow from the whiskey-swilling car experts propping up golf club bars, but these merely prove that they haven't driven a Hyundai in years.

Hyundai has upped its game with the i30.

And if ever there was a one-finger response to all these stupid comments, it's the new Hyundai i30. Right now there is probably few better buys in its class than this little gem.

Although the new two-model i30 range will only be available in South Africa in the second week of April, Hyundai recently gave the South African motoring media the opportunity to spend a day driving both cars - and impressive they were, to say the least.

All the goodies

There are two model choices - a 1,6-litre, five-speed manual that produces 89 kW and 153 Nm and a 2,0-litre, five-speed manual that makes 105 kW and 186 Nm.

Standard in both models are black leather seats, a four-speaker, two tweeter sound system with radio/ CD player and MP3 compatibility, central locking, child lock, remote keyless entry, onboard computer, electric windows and mirrors, tinted windows, fully adjustable steering wheel, remoter boot lid release, doors that lock automatically at 40 km/h, 60:40 rear split seats, sporty alloy wheels, full size spare wheel, aircon with pollen filters, and folding mirrors with embedded indicator lights.

The shorter, wider design means enhanced handling.

And that is only the start of the list to which you can add active and passive safety features such as ABS brakes with EBD, an electronic stability programme, driver-, passenger-, side- and curtain airbags, front and rear body crumple zones, side impact protection beams, headrests for all seats and high-mounted stop lights - plus a huge peace of mind EURO NCAP 5 Star rating.

The more expensive model also has cruise control, a sun roof and slightly larger 17-inch alloys.

Included in the purchase price of R189 900 for the 1,6-litre and R229 900 for the 2,0-litre are a class-leading five-year/150 000km factory warranty and a five-year/100 000 km Service Plan.

economical and friendly to the environment

Both models are only available as petrol-driven hatchbacks and no diesel engines are in the pipe-line although an automatic could make its way over to South Africa in the not too distant future.

Sporty alloy wheels are just one of a pretty impressive range of features that come as standard.

Performance-wise the 1,6-litre is a tad sleepy, particularly in the power-sapping thin air of the Reef, although the fuel-injected DOHC 16-valve engine is quite capable of getting to just under 190 km/h before running out of steam.

And the beauty is, if you drive it like a good citizen, Hyundai reckons you can expect an average fuel consumption of 6.2-litres per 100 km with an emission rate of 152g/km.

Fast enough to get you a hefty fine

The more powerful 2,0-litre will get to a top speed of 195 km/h, cough out a not too shabby 170g/km and will sip only 7.1 -litres of fossil juice per 100 km.

On our launch drive we headed out from OR Tambo to Parys in the smaller-engined model and the first thing one notices is how solid and well-insulated the car is.

The headlights are well-proportioned and snazzy.

Out-of-towners such as me had much praise for the car's responsive handling and good brakes which are minimum requirements for survival in Jozi's heavy traffic and messy construction yards that pass for roads.

The cabins of the two cars are identical - airy and spacious, well-designed for easy use and extremely comfortable to travel in.

I particularly liked the i30's cool blue illuminated instrument lighting, semi-bucket front seats and the fact that its ESP system can be de-activated if the driver is in a naughty mood.

Quality from Korea

The latest addition to the Hyundai i- range has a cheeky look about it, sporty without being in your face flashy. Its looks and road behaviour are certainly enhanced by the fact that it is shorter and wider than most others in this class.

Hyundai's i10 and i20 cars (the latter being a semi-finalist for the 2010 South African Car of the Year title) are super little city cars and the i30 is a more suave and sophisticated version of the same quality family.

The i30’s cool blue illuminated instrument lighting, semi-bucket front seats and the fact that its ESP system can be de-activated if the driver is in a naughty mood are among the writer’s favourite features of the i30.

click to enlarge

As Hyundai's South African marketing director Stanley Anderson says: “Hyundai has raised its game again with this car. You see it, you can feel it and the list of standard features and equipment shows it.”

Hyundai says it is confident that the i30 is more than capable of holding its own against anything in its class in the C segment, current and future.

And I go along with that. For the price it simply outclasses most of its competitors.

But don't take my word for it. Make your own comparisons, item for item, spec for spec, total up the costs of the items that other (snob) brands offer only as optional and expensive extras and you will see what I mean. Rand for rand the i30 is in a class of its own.

Specifications

Comparative specifications