It’s been a while since I have had the opportunity to review a new car but I’m happy to be back with the Hyundai i30 Estate, a car that means you can have your cake and eat it! Do you want space? You’ve got space! Do you want an economy? You’ve got economy! Do you want performance? You’ve got that too!!!
As I waited for the car to be delivered I began thinking about what colour I was hoping it would be and it has to be said, the colour of the moment is white! So I wasn’t at all disappointed when a shiny white Hyundai i30 Estate arrived just minutes later.
The 2011 model has been redesigned at the Design Centre in Russelsheim with a stylish exterior. It has the distinctive face of the Hyundai ‘i’ family featuring the integrated logo for a sleek finish. The elongated headlamp housing adds to the sporty feel, whilst the body-coloured bumpers and door mirrors keep the lines clean.
Coming around to the rear, the full-length light clusters are great ‘to be seen’, and the upright tailgate with upswept windows mirrors the hatchback model.
Once you step inside the Hyundai i30 Estate and relax in your seat, you feel comfortable and ready to take on the world. I am a reasonably tall lady (some might argue with the ‘lady’) at 5’8” but I felt that I had more than enough room in the driving seat. I travelled with 4 other ladies and we all fitted in quite comfortably for our 3-hour trip.
This is thanks to the long wheelbase and clever storage areas to stash all those bits and bobs we ladies can’t travel without! And you know how ladies like to shop, well we had more than enough room in the spacious boot to pack away all our goodies and keep it out of sight of prying eyes under the retractable boot cover so that we could enjoy an evening out without being laden down.
When it comes to the car’s equipment, Hyundai has thought about everything. The Comfort model comes with Air Con, 16” alloys, Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), electric front and rear windows, remote central locking, USB and Aux connections, six speakers, active front head restraints, leather steering wheel and gear knob as standard. Manual models also have an Eco-Drive indicator, which tells you when the best time to change gears is and which gears you should be driving to be more economical.
The Premium level models have climate control, leather and cloth trim, reversing sensors, rain-sensing wipers, auto lights, front fogs, electric door folding mirrors and auto-dimming rearview mirror as additional standard features and 17” alloys.
You will be pleased to note that your safety is adequately catered for with the likes of ESP and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) as well as three 3-point rear safety belts and multiple airbags.
The features on the car which made my journey that little bit better were the easily adjustable seats as there is nothing worse than being uncomfortable on a long journey, the air-con because I hate to be too hot and when driving home late at night I discovered a button on the audio panel which says ‘Dark’, one push of this button and the audio unit display which had been glowing bright blue into my tired eyes switched off! Bliss!
If you get behind the wheel of any of the Hyundai range it is fair to say that the car really does sell itself, I am still lusting after the Hyundai iX35 which I have reviewed previously, they offer high levels of equipment and style at a great price which I’m sure you would not be disappointed with.
The Hyundai i30 Estate is available in the following engines: 1.4 Petrol, 5 speed manual with Eco-Drive, 1.6 Petrol, 5 speed manual with Eco-Drive, 1.6, 4 speed Automatic, 1.6 CRDi 115PS, 6 speed manual with Eco-Drive and 1.6 CRDi 115PS, 4 speed Automatic.
For the more economy-conscious drivers, it is possible to fit the Intelligent Stop & Go (ISG) technology (at extra cost), which could result in lower Vehicle Excise Duty charges. ISG is only available as a Special Order and on manual transmission i30 models.
The Hyundai i30 Estate is an affordable family car with prices starting at £15,295 to £18,800 OTR for the Comfort model and £18,550 to £18,755 OTR for the Premium model. As with all Hyundai, the 5-Year Triple Care service is offered on all new Hyundai passenger cars, not for a taxi or private hire usage registered on or after 1st July 2011. This includes a 5-year warranty, 5-year RAC Roadside Assistance and 5 Years of Annual Vehicle Health Checks.
For more information on the Hyundai i30 Estate and the rest of the Hyundai range, click on the logo below. This post is also featured on Motors.co.uk