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Hyundai i30 review
September 26, 2012
I LIKE THE Hyundai design ideology of fluidic sculpture. It’s a groovy little synergy between nature and man’s best attempts to emulate it. Still, when the term gets thrown around a PowerPoint presentation like confetti at a wedding, some of the appeal rubs off. But then I saw what happened when the design team was let loose, given freedom to create art, and the concepts this yielded was magnificent. I’m talking H R Giger meets Mad Max, properly fantastic and clever creations. I like that a lot, that ultimately the man who crafted the cruise control buttons on the i30′s steering wheel has a copy of Blade Runner in his DVD collection and has probably finished Starcraft 2 about ten times.
The future is now, of course – at least for Hyundai, which in recent times has been churning out great cars at an accelerating rate. No small wonder then that the value prospect has diminished somewhat with certain models undercutting established Euro rivals like the Ford Focus and Opel Astra by just five grand. To be fair, the Korean cars are kitted to the rafters with every mod con you’ve ever considered, from Bluetooth and multi-media connectivity, through rear park distance control and cruise control to alloy rims.
The launch test route began in Franschhoek and involved a loop around Hermanus, a beautiful backdrop with sinewy asphalt ideal putting the i30’s ride, handling and performance to the test. A pity, then, that the car I hopped into first was a lethargic 1.6 Auto GLS (R243900). The engine felt lacking, but perhaps it was Hyundai’s own self-changer that let it down, with sluggish shifts and an engine note that reminded us of a CVT stroked drivetrain. The return trip, however, was undertaken in a GLS Manual powered by the same 1.8 motor found in the Elantra. This was a revelation as the competent steering, handling and suspension dovetailed into a pretty convincing dynamic, now adjustable via something called Flex Steer, essentially a button on the wheel that weights-up the characteristics according to your preference. It’s not perfect, but does improve on initial impression. Yours for R249000.
A third model, a 1.6 Manual base offering is yours for just R229000, bells and whistles included, just lacking the partial leather in the 1.8. No diesels are on the radar.
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