√Should I buy the new Hyundai i30 or the old Hyundai i30?

With more options than ever before, Australian Hyundai i30 buyers are spoiled for choice in 2022. Here are all your excuses to upgrade to the facelifted model.

Despite the fact small cars are becoming a rare sight on Australia’s SUV-laden streets, the new Hyundai i30 is holding strong in the sales stakes.

From January to August 2022, the facelifted 2022 Hyundai i30 sold almost 16,000 units nationally, making it Australia’s second most popular small passenger car behind the Toyota Corolla.

The hatchback model on sale today was first introduced locally in 2017, but received a midlife facelift in 2021, gaining extra safety and tech, an updated grille, rear bumper and headlight design, a revised line-up, and a power boost for the i30 N hot hatch.

If you thought previous i30 buyers were already spoiled for choice, recent updates mean they’re positively over-indulged.

The hatch is now available in seven different variants including the i30 N hot hatch, most of them offering the choice of a manual or automatic transmission.

Meanwhile, the i30 sedan landed in late 2020 as a replacement for Hyundai’s outgoing Elantra model, offering four variants initially before gaining its own performance variant – the i30 Sedan N – a year later.

While the original i30 line-up offered a diesel engine, that was dropped from the range, leaving buyers to choose from three pure-petrol options across the range.

The first is a 120kW/203Nm 2.0-litre, non-turbo four-cylinder with the choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission – offered across the base, Active and Elite variants of the hatch and sedan.

The second is a 150kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with either a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic or a six-speed manual – offered across the N Line and N Line Premium variants of the hatch and sedan.

The last is a 206kW/392Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder powering the performance-focussed i30 N hot hatch and sedan, offered with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Regardless of engine or transmission, all Hyundai i30 variants are front-wheel drive only.

Read on to find out which one is right for you.

How much does the new Hyundai i30 cost in Australia?

The i30 hatchback’s 2021 facelift saw modest price rises of between $2000 and $3500 across the range, in line with the added safety features and technology.

In the hatchback line-up, the previous Go entry-level variant was replaced by a new base variant known simply as the i30 – offered only in a hatchback body style, but with the choice of manual or automatic transmission.

Now, the i30 range kicks off from $23,720 before on-road costs – roughly $3480 more than the previous base-spec variant – or $25,990 drive-away for the base i30 hatchback with manual transmission.

From this base grade, all i30 models feature Hyundai’s SmartSense safety suite as standard (including autonomous emergency braking and active cruise control on automatic models), as well as a reverse camera with reverse sensors, a leather-appointed steering wheel and gearshifter, and an electronic parking brake.

The i30 sedan misses out on this base offering, and instead kicks off from the i30 Active variant, which is priced from $25,690 before on-road costs, or $29,450 drive-away, for a manual.

Those wanting a warm hatch can start with the Hyundai i30 N Line in either sedan or hatch form, which offers the choice of manual or automatic transmission and shares its features with the i30 base model, but adds exclusive N Line interior and exterior accents.

The i30 N Line is priced from $30,220 before on-road costs in hatch form, or $31,690 before on-road costs in sedan form.

The flagship of the range is the Hyundai i30 N Premium hatchback with sunroof and automatic transmission, which is priced from $53,700 before on-road costs or $58,636 drive-away.

Automatic transmission in the regular i30 hatch and sedan commands a $2000 premium over the manual offerings, while a sunroof adds $2000 and premium paint adds $595.

For a brief period of time, buyers also have the choice of a limited-edition i30 Fastback N priced from $49,000 before on-road costs.

Note: All prices exclude on-road costs.

Model / variant	2020 Hyundai i30	2022 Hyundai i30
Hyundai i30 manual (hatch)	$20,240 (previously the Go variant)	$23,720 (+$3480)
Hyundai i30 automatic (hatch)	$22,700	$25,720 (+$3020)
Hyundai i30 Active automatic (hatch)	$23,880	$27,220 (+$3340)
Hyundai i30 Elite automatic (hatch)	$28,040	$30,520 (+$2480)
Hyundai i30 N Line manual (hatch)	$27,010	$30,220 (+$3210)
Hyundai i30 N Line automatic (hatch)	$30,040	$32,220 (+$2180)
Hyundai i30 N Line Premium manual (hatch)	N/A	$35,020
Hyundai i30 N Line Premium automatic (hatch)	$35,590	$37,020 (+$1430)
Hyundai i30 N manual (hatch)	$41,400	$46,200 (+$4800)
Hyundai i30 N automatic (hatch)	N/A	$49,200
Hyundai i30 N Premium manual (hatch)	N/A	$49,200
Hyundai i30 N Premium with sunroof manual (hatch)	N/A	$50,700
Hyundai i30 N Premium with sunroof automatic (hatch)	N/A	$53,700
Hyundai i30 Active manual (sedan)	N/A	$25,690
Hyundai i30 Active automatic (sedan)	N/A	$27,690
Hyundai i30 Elite automatic (sedan)	N/A	$31,690
Hyundai i30 N Line manual (sedan)	N/A	$31,690
Hyundai i30 N Line automatic (sedan)	N/A	$33,690
Hyundai i30 N Line Premium automatic (sedan)	N/A	$38,690
Hyundai i30 Sedan N Premium manual (sedan)	N/A	$50,200
Hyundai i30 Sedan N Premium automatic (sedan)	N/A	$50,200
Hyundai i30 Sedan N Premium with sunroof manual (sedan)	N/A	$52,200
Hyundai i30 Sedan N Premium with sunroof automatic (sedan)	N/A	$52,200

How much space does the new Hyundai i30 have inside?

Dimensions for the 2022 Hyundai i30 are unchanged from the pre-facelift model, but the arrival of the sedan provides a nice point of difference to the hatchback.

While the hatchback offers a maximum of 395L of boot space with the seats in place, the sedan’s boot is larger at 474L. The hatchback, however, can increase its cargo space up to 1301L with all seats folded.

In both the sedan and the hatch, the rear seats can fold in a 60:40 split.

Any of the N performance variants have 10–15L less boot space than their non-N siblings, offering 381L in the boot of the hatchback N models, or 464L in the Sedan N models.

The sedan also has a longer wheelbase than the hatchback, and thus is longer in the body by 310mm and wider by 30mm, but lower by a slim 25mm.

All i30 models also feature ISOFIX child anchorage points on the two rear outboard seats, plus three top-tether points.

	2020 Hyundai i30	2022 Hyundai i30
Seats	Five	Five
Boot volume	395L seats up in regular hatch variants 1301L seats folded in regular hatch variants 381L seats up in N hatch variants 1287L seats folded in N hatch variants	395L seats up in regular hatch variants 1301L seats folded in regular hatch variants 381L seats up in N hatch variants 1287L seats folded in N hatch variants 474L in regular sedan variant 464L in Sedan N
Length	4340mm in hatch	4340mm in hatch 4650mm in sedan
Width	1795mm in hatch	1795mm in hatch 1825mm in sedan
Height	1455mm in hatch	1455mm in hatch 1430mm in sedan
Wheelbase	2650mm in hatch	2650mm in hatch 2720mm in sedan

Does the new Hyundai i30 have Apple CarPlay?

From the base grade, every i30 hatch receives an upgraded 8.0-inch multimedia system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and a 7.0-inch colour LCD supervision cluster.

Elite and N Line Premium variants add DAB+ digital radio, a wireless smartphone charger, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, and an Infinity premium sound system with seven speakers as opposed to the regular six-speaker offering.

Meanwhile, the i30 sedan’s standard equipment includes the same touchscreen, but with a smaller 4.2-inch digital supervision cluster.

The Elite and N Line Premium sedan grades add a Bose eight-speaker premium sound system and larger 10.25-inch touchscreen to this package.

A wireless smartphone charger is available as standard across the sedan line-up, or from the Elite grade in the hatchback line-up.

Is the new Hyundai i30 a safe car?

The Hyundai i30 was tested by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) in 2017 and received five stars, but that rating does not extend to i30 N variants, which remain untested.

The i30 sedan also remains unrated given it was a more recent addition, but could face stricter testing criteria if it were to be assessed.

From the base grade, the sedan misses out on a blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear autonomous emergency braking (all are available on higher grades), and is missing the centre airbag offered on many other modern cars.

When it was tested in 2017, ANCAP gave the i30 hatchback 14 out of 16 points for its performance in the Frontal Offset crash, 16 out of 16 for Side Impact, two out of two for pole, and three out of three for seatbelt reminders, giving it an overall score of 35.01 out of 37.

When it was tested, the Hyundai i30 range did not feature autonomous emergency braking (AEB) across the range, lane-keeping assist or active cruise control with stop-and-go function – all of which have been added from the base grade.

All i30 cars feature six airbags as standard.

	2020 Hyundai i30	2022 Hyundai i30
ANCAP rating	Five stars (tested 2017)	Five stars (tested 2017)
Safety report	ANCAP report	ANCAP report

What safety technology does the Hyundai i30 have?

Every 2021 Hyundai i30 hatchback now includes forward collision-avoidance assist (otherwise known as autonomous emergency braking), a driver attention warning, high-beam assist, lane keeping and lane-following assist, smart cruise control with stop-and-go, and a rear-view camera and rear parking sensors.

The forward collision-avoidance assist system can detect pedestrians and cyclists as well as other vehicles.

Opting for the Elite grade and up adds a blind-spot collision warning, a safe-exit warning, a rear cross-traffic alert with avoidance assist and parking collision avoidance assist.

Keep in mind that manual models miss out on smart cruise control, blind-spot avoidance assist and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist – they just get a blind-spot collision warning and rear cross-traffic collision warning instead.

Is the new Hyundai i30 affordable to own?

Hyundai continues to offer a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for the Hyundai i30, coupled with 12 months of complimentary roadside assistance, with support available 24 hours a day.

An additional 12 months of roadside assistance is available to owners who service their car through a genuine Hyundai service centre.

Service intervals are every 15,000km or 12 months on regular i30 variants, or every 10,000km or 12 months on N Line or N variants.

Hyundai also offers reasonably affordable capped-price servicing for all i30 variants.

Most i30 models cost $897 to service over three years, or $1495 over five years, except for the N performance variants, which are more expensive to service – costing $1005 over three years or $1675 over five years.

The Hyundai i30 hatch costs an estimated $869 to insure per year, while the i30 N hatch is $1342 per year.

Meanwhile, the i30 sedan costs roughly $1059 in insurance per year, while the i30 Sedan N costs $1233 annually.

Estimates are based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Keep in mind that N performance variants require a minimum of 95RON premium unleaded petrol, which will cost you more at the bowser.

Additionally, hatchback variants have a slightly larger fuel tank than their sedan counterparts – 50L compared to the sedan’s 47L – and thus will cost slightly more to fill up.

	2020 Hyundai i30	2022 Hyundai i30
Warranty	5 years/unlimited km	5 years/unlimited km
Servicing costs	$895 (3 years), $1495 (5 years)	$895 (3 years), $1495 (5 years) $1005 (3 years), $1675 (5 years) for N variants
Roadside assist	12 months complimentary (Plus an extra 12 months if serviced exclusively at a Hyundai service centre)	12 months complimentary (Plus an extra 12 months if serviced exclusively at a Hyundai service centre)

Is the new Hyundai i30 fuel-efficient?

Pre-facelift, the most economical i30 was the diesel-powered hatch with dual-clutch automatic transmission, which had a claimed figure of 4.7L/100km on a combined cycle.

Leaving aside the diesel variant, the next best fuel consumption figure was courtesy of the 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine in the N Line variants which, when paired to the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, was capable of a quoted 7.1L/100km on a combined cycle.

In the new Hyundai i30 range, the most economical offering is either of the i30 Sedan N Line variants with 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which are capable of a low 6.8L/100km on a combined cycle.

Those wanting a hatchback will get the best fuel economy out of the N Line models with the same 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission set-up, which quote 7.1L/100km.

Meanwhile, the pre-facelift N model with manual transmission had a claimed consumption of 7L/100km, which has risen to 8.5L/100km across both the manual and automatic models for the 2022 model year.

Unsurprisingly, that makes the hot hatch the thirstiest of the bunch based on claimed fuel consumption figures.

Fuel Useage	Fuel Stats
Fuel cons. (claimed)	6.8–7.5L/100km in sedan 7.1–7.5L/100km in hatch 8.2L/100km in sedan N 8.5L/100km in N hatch
Fuel cons. (on test)	N/A
Fuel type	91-octane regular unleaded in regular variants 95-octane premium unleaded in N variants
Fuel tank size	47L in sedan 50L in hatch

What is the new Hyundai i30 like to drive?

All i30 models benefit from Hyundai’s Australian-tuned ride and handling program. Those models fitted with the 2.0-litre non-turbo engine feature a less sophisticated torsion beam rear suspension, while N Line and N models have a sports-tuned, independent multi-link rear suspension.

N Line variants add a dedicated sports suspension, with independent rear suspension, while N variants add a host of performance-focussed features, including adaptive dampers, launch control, and additional drive modes.

While outputs across the regular i30 variants are unchanged from their pre-facelift predecessors, the N variants have received a power boost of 4kW and 39Nm, to be precise.

The addition of an automatic transmission to the i30 N variants has cut the 0–100km/h time down to 5.3 seconds in the sedan or 5.4 seconds in the hatch, while the manual can manage the sprint in 5.8 seconds. The N models also offer a top speed of 250km/h.

All i30 variants are front-wheel drive.

To learn more about how the i30 sedan drives, read our 2022 review of the N Line here and the N here.

Meanwhile, our latest review of the i30 hatchback with automatic transmission can be found here, while a manual review can be found here and a review of the track-ready N can be found here.

Key details	2020 Hyundai i30	2022 Hyundai i30
Engine	1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel (Go, Active, Elite, Premium) 2.0-litre, four-cylinder non-turbo petrol (Go, Active, Elite, Premium) 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol (N Line) 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol (N)	2.0-litre, four-cylinder non-turbo petrol (Base, Active and Elite) 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol (N Line) 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol (N)
Power	120kW @ 6200rpm (2.0L petrol) 100kW @ 4000rpm (1.6L diesel) 150kW @ 6000rpm (1.6L petrol) 202kW @ 6000rpm (2.0L turbo petrol)	120kW @ 6200rpm (2.0L petrol) 150kW @ 6000rpm (1.6L petrol) 206kW @ 6000rpm (2.0L turbo petrol)
Torque	203Nm @ 4700rpm (2.0L petrol) 280Nm @ 1500–3000rpm (1.6L diesel with MT) 300Nm @ 1750–2500rpm (1.6L diesel with AT) 265Nm @ 1500–4500rpm (1.6L petrol) 353Nm @ 1450–4700rpm (2.0L turbo petrol)	203Nm @ 4700rpm (2.0L petrol) 265Nm @ 1500–4500rpm (1.6L petrol) 392Nm @ 2100–4700rpm (2.0L turbo petrol)
Drive type	Front-wheel drive	Front-wheel drive
Transmission	Six-speed manual (Go, Active, N Line, N) Six-speed automatic (Go, Active, Elite, Premium) Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (Go, Active, Elite, Premium, N Line)	Six-speed manual (Base, Active, Elite, N Line, N) Six-speed automatic (Base, Active, Elite) Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (N Line) Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic (N)
Weight	1357–1382kg in hatch 1355–1407kg in hatch N Line 1509kg in hatch N	1357–1382kg in hatch 1355–1436kg in hatch N Line 1509–1541kg in hatch N 1280–1300kg in sedan 1355–1385kg in sedan N Line 1468–1503kg in sedan N
Spare tyre type	Full-size spare in Go, Active, Elite and Premium variants Temporary space-saver in N Line variants Temporary space-saver in N variants	Full-size spare in Base, Active and Elite variants Temporary spare in N Line variants Temporary space-saver in N variants
Tow rating	1300kg braked 600kg unbraked 1600kg braked in N variants 700kg braked in N variants	1300kg braked 600kg unbraked

Should I buy the new Hyundai i30?

The i30 line-up is so vast and varied that buyers receive ultimate flexibility for their needs.

There are affordable entry-level offerings with extensive safety equipment as standard, plus warm performance variants, all the way up to bona fide hot hatches – or, for lack of a catchier term, spicy sedans.

Those requiring more boot space will welcome the increased cargo capacity of the sedan variants, while buyers with fuel economy front of mind should look to the economical sedan offerings.

While the performance-packed N variants are likely to have their own diehard devotees, the sweet spot in the regular i30 range is likely the i30 Elite variant.

Why? Because it costs just north of $30,000 for a sedan or hatch, and adds X-factor to the base-level offering with features like a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen, seven- or eight-speaker premium sound system, wireless smartphone charger and dual-zone climate control, plus it adds extra safety features like a blind-spot warning or rear cross-traffic alert.