Hyundai Motor Company Australia has announced pricing and specifications for the third generation all-new i30, which went on sale late last month.
The entry-level i30 Active manual will start at $20,950 (all prices are before on-road costs), $500 less than the outgoing model it replaces. Hyundai says it applied the $500 price reduction despite adding around $2000-worth of extra standard features to the new car compared with the old. These include a fully integrated satellite navigation system with eight-inch touch screen display (and it’s a huge upgrade over what Hyundai put in all of its cars previously), as well as Apple CarPlay / Android Auto smartphone mirroring, a DAB+ digital radio, and a 2.0-litre direct-injection engine developing 13kW more power and 28Nm more torque than the 1.8-litre multipoint-injection engine it replaces.
Other additions to the new i30 Active specification over the outgoing 2nd generation Active include 16-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, automatic headlights, hill-start assist and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
“We have built outstanding quality and value into the new i30, not just at the entry level but across the range,†said Hyundai Motor Company Australia CEO, JW Lee. “Quality is what buyers demand and expect, and it is inherent in the new i30, its refinement, comfort, handling, performance, safety and practicality. In all of these respects, along with its superb design, we believe the new Hyundai i30 is competitive with the very best in the class from a product perspective, while simultaneously extending Hyundai’s value leadership.â€
Development engineers at Hyundai Motor Europe’s Technical Centre in Germany enhanced the driving dynamics of the i30 in a rigorous testing programme throughout Europe and on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Hyundai says the highly rigid and light body, with 53 per cent Advanced High Strength Steel, helps deliver good ride and handling characteristics. Combined with 10 per cent more direct steering and a newly developed chassis, the driver can enjoy dynamic driving abilities without compromising high levels of comfort.
In addition to the entry-level Active, the new Hyundai i30 will come in two comfort and two sports trim grades.
A 1.6 litre turbo-diesel engine – 100kW/300Nm in Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) form, 100kW/280Nm as a manual – is available in Active, Elite and Premium grades, while SR and SR Premium variants are now fitted with the upgraded 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine shared with the Elantra SR Turbo, developing 150kW and 265Nm.
Specification additions for the new i30 comfort and sports trims include wireless phone charging, new-design 17 and 18 inch wheels, dual exhaust tips, LED headlights, multi-link rear suspension in SR models (torsion beam in the others) and Hyundai’s SmartSense safety and alert system, which incorporates automatic emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert and lane departure warning. An optional Safety Pack, including AEB and other SmartSense features, will become available for the Active by the end of 2017.
The new i30 is equipped with seven airbags and has achieved a maximum five star ANCAP safety rating.
“We are immensely proud of the work our engineers and designers have done to create this car,†JW Lee continued. “Through outstanding customer support, Hyundai will enhance the new i30’s ownership proposition even further, with a five year unlimited kilometre warranty, 10-year free map update plan for the satellite navigation system, a superb-value Lifetime Service Plan and outstanding roadside support.
“We feel confident this car will compete well with the best in the class and will appeal strongly to all Australian small car buyers.â€