Hyundai facelifts i30 hatch, drops diesel
BY CALLUM HUNTER | 19th Oct 2020
HYUNDAI Motor Company Australia (HMCA) has detailed its facelifted and updated i30 hatch range which not only ushers in new styling and more safety kit, but also sheds all remaining diesel powertrains for 2021.
Armed with sharp new styling as seen on the looming i30 N performance model – albeit dialled back in terms of aggression – every new i30 now comes as standard with HMCA’s SmartSense safety suite with key features across the range including collision-avoidance assist, driver attention warning, lane keeping assist and lane following assist.
Higher grades meanwhile also feature blind-spot collision warning, rear cross-traffic collision warning and smart cruise control, depending on the transmission choice.
On the subject of grades, HMCA has taken the opportunity to rename a few of its key i30 hatch variants, with the range-opening Go now known simply as ‘i30’.
Higher up the range, the familiar Elite nameplate makes a return, slotting neatly between the mid-range Active and flagship N-Lines – note the N-Lines’ styling goes unchanged.
As well as scoring more standard safety gear, all variants have been treated to some extra standard equipment for the new model year including alloy wheels, upgraded 8.0-inch multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 7.0-inch TFT display, leather steering wheel and gear knob, electronic park brake and rear air vents just on the base model.
The Active meanwhile adds a leather interior, express windows and bigger 17-inch alloy wheels while the Elite steps things up again with a bigger 10.25-inch infotainment screen, Infinity premium audio system, DAB+ digital radio, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, wireless phone charging and push button start.
There is however a price to pay for all this new kit and safety gear, with the entry price for the range increasing by $2980 to $23,420 plus on-road costs for the i30 manual and $2650 for the automatic.
The Active has been relieved of its manual transmission to now be an exclusively automatic offering priced from $26,920 (+$3040) while the new Elite starts from $30,220.
With the axing of the 1.6-litre diesel mill, all the variants mentioned above are powered by the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine good for 120kW/203Nm, driving the front wheels via either a six-speed manual transmission (base model) or six-speed automatic.
Almost level-pegging with the Elite on price is the sports-oriented i30 N-Line which scores most of the same kit as the Active but adds wireless phone charging, sports suspension and styling, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, push button start and LED head/tail-lights.
Like the Active, the N-Line is available with the choice of manual ($29,420) or automatic ($31,420) transmissions however in the sports model, the latter is a seven-speed dual-clutch unit with power in both instances coming from the same turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as before.
The 150kW/265Nm powerplant also motivates the $34,220 N-Line Premium ($36,220 for the automatic) which compared to the regular N-Line adds front parking sensors, a sunroof, 10.25-inch infotainment screen, DAB+ digital radio, Infinity premium audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, 10-way power driver’s seat, auto-dimming rearview mirror and sun visor extensions.
“With range-standard SmartSense safety, refreshed styling and extra equipment, our ever-popular i30 hatchback is now an even more compelling proposition in the small car segment,” HMCA chief executive officer Jun Heo said.
“The stylish 2021 i30 hatchback complements the progressive all-new i30 Sedan as well as performance N Line variants to provide the perfect small car package for a wide variety of customers,” he said.
HMCA has sold 15,260 i30s so far this year ending September, making it the second best-selling vehicle in the sub-$40,000 small car segment behind the Toyota Corolla (18,649).
2021 Hyundai i30 hatch pricing*
| i30 | $23,420 |
| i30 (a) | $25,420 |
| Active (a) | $26,920 |
| Elite (a) | $30,220 |
| N-line | $29,420 |
| N-Line (a) | $31,420 |
| N-line Premium | $34,220 |
| N-Line Premium (a) | $36,220 |
| N Performance | $41,400 |
*Excludes on-road costs
