2008 Hyundai i30 Comparo – Petrol vs. Diesel
May 26, 2008 by Matt Brogan
2008 Hyundai i30 Comparo
Petrol vs. Diesel – Round Three
Models Tested:
- 2008 Hyundai i30 SR 2.0 litre petrol manual – $26,490 (RRP)
- 2008 Hyundai i30 SX 1.6 litre diesel manual – $21,490 (RRP)
Options:
- Metallic Paint $300; ESP, TCS, Side & Curtain Airbags $1,790 (SX – standard on SR)
- by Matt Brogan
Our last Petrol vs. Diesel Comparo featuring the sassy Skoda Octavia drew the scoreboard at one-all. Now the pressure is on and the final round’s contender has a tough job to sway the argument one way or the other.
The final comparo for this season features Hyundai’s brilliant i30 hatch, and though we’ve been impressed with the i30 before, the results of this little experiment blew us away.
First up the sporty looking Vivid Blue SR went in to bat for its petrol brethren offering a 2.0 litre four cylinder petrol CVVT (Constantly Variable Valve Timing) engine not uncommon in spec to that found in the majority of small hatches.
On paper the synopsis is quite typical of an engine this size and the claimed economy figures do seem relative to the category, but just how these figures relate to real world driving can often be misleading.
Hyundai i30 SR (petrol) in Vivid Blue
How a car delivers its available power can be all together another thing to what seems true on the spec sheets. Body weight, throttle response, gear ratios, valve timing, electronic aids and chassis set up can all impact the way in which power is delivered, and the personality of this delivery can vary greatly in cars with near identical specifications.
Whilst 105kW @ 6,000rpm is a respectable output for an engine this size, the revs build in a far too linear fashion meaning the peak power delivery is never really felt and you’ll eventually find yourself on the rev limiter without having really achieved very much, almost as if the valve timing or cam lift needs revision.
It’s fine around town and it leaves a lot of its competitors looking like they’ve had one too many cheeseburgers, but out on the open road, especially through hills and windy bits, you just never really seem to be able to use all that the engine could offer, no thanks to a rather short torque curve.
The 186Nm on offer comes in soon enough for good pull from the lights, but fades off sharply after 4,600rpm creating a gap before the power peaks. In turn this leaves an exposed and weak high end which is further hurt by a gearbox ratioed to deliver fuel economy and little else.
First and second gear are quite tall and pull you from a standstill well, even with four people on board I had no trouble, but the all important pulling power expected from third gear just isn’t there and the loss of momentum at this crucial juncture is irretrievable.
The gap from second to third gear ratio simply does not match the overlap in torque/power delivery meaning a huge loss of power delivery at speed which can make highway overtaking very lethargic.
Final fuel economy figures came in a little over our expectations. ADR tests claim 7.2 litres / 100km combined average which was by our reckoning a little optimistic. Our results, 8.6.
Now don’t get us wrong, the petrol i30 is a good little car, and in comparison to similar hatches it’s brilliant, but it could be so much better but for a few minor alterations in gearbox ratio and/or CVVT settings. If you’re not after a spirited drive and are happy to go with the flow, this little beasty may just suit your needs.
However if you’d prefer a little more pep, and a lot more economy, then get a load of this. Forget everything you’d thought of small capacity diesels, the i30 CRDi is revolutionary in its ability and almost unbelievable in terms of power delivery and economy gains.
Hyundai i30 SX CRDi in Shine Red
It’s a rather quiet and smooth diesel, and most people won’t believe it is in fact diesel until you show them. Using modern common rail technology and a sweet little turbo charger, the 1.6 litre twin cam engine is surprisingly quick to rev, incredibly strong in terms of torque and amazingly efficient.
Presenting 85kW @ 4,000 revs and a very tidy 255Nm from just 1,900 rpm, the little oiler builds power very quickly and holds its torque over a nice thick band to offer incredible pulling power in all manner of driving circumstances. City gridlock, country cruising, freeway fastlanes, and windy alpine roads, it seems no challenge is to great for the i30 diesel’s stamina.
The gearbox is well matched to the power on offer and provides a flexible spread of gear ratios for any situation. Although the (gearbox) linkage feel could have been a tad smoother, it is nonetheless very easy to shuffle through from cog to cog with a nicely weighted clutch helping the CRDi feel that it will pull in just about any gear all day long.
Now for the best bit, the fuel economy. After my week with the car I managed an average of 4.7 litres / 100kms, which funnily enough is bang on that quoted by ADR tests (how often does that happen). On the open road lowering this figure is an easy task whilst around town trying to persuade the car to drink more than 6 litres was nigh on impossible.
Clearly then, the third round of our little comparo is awarded to the diesel vehicle. Not only has it proved a strong performer with its athletic performance but the economy figures just cannot be argued with.
If you’re the market for a new car, and the model you’re interested in offers a diesel option, then by all means drive both. You’ll be stunned at what a modern diesel can offer and no doubt further pleased with economy gains achieved.
Scoreboard – Diesel 2 : Petrol 1
Print it: 
Garry, we chose the manual primarily for reasons of economy. After all, the i30 was chosen for that reason. As a postscript to my comments – I have tried driving progressively slower in fifth until I can achieve mid 3s at around 70 km/h, which is pretty special. However, the reason that I don’t do so regularly is that I can’t see the sense in doing that speed on the open road – there does have to be a trade-off between superb economy and getting to your destination before you die of old age. I’ll keep averaging around 100 kmh until the price of petrol suggests that I start going slower.
I have just brought the I30 SLX Diesel, and have noticed that the distance to empty component of the trip computor is not working correctly, it seems to be going down 1 km for every 2km that i do. Hyundai service say they have not seen the fault before, has anyone else ?
Mick does this rate of consumption occur on cold short runs or long highway trips or both as computed consumption will be significantly higher on small runs while the engine is still cold etc.
We purchased an i30 SX diesel last week. I test drove lots of cars prior to the purchase including a Corolla which I could only describe as being very average. As soon as we drove the i30 we both knew that this was the car for us. I can’t believe how good this car is for the price we paid. We’re loving it!
Some of Korean car is much better than Japanese and European car in terms of quality and price. I had test drive Toyota Hiace diesel and then Hyundai iload diesel ysterday ..Toyota Hiace diesel? Absolutely rubbish compared to Hyundai iload
Just something to watch for with the SLX i30 manual if you have after market cruise control fitted: autopilot is definitely designed for automatics! If you have it switched on and knock it out of gear going downhill it will disengage OK, but DON’T FORGET to engage fifth again before re-engaging autopilot or you’ll get to see what 6 grand looks and sounds like in angel gear. Or so I am told.
Do test drive all brands before buy Says:
August 15th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Agree with you on Test Drive as I have driven both and Hyundai shytes all over Hiace.
I have done 18,000kms in my Hyundai i30 1.6 ltr diesel manual. Mostly country touring. This car has very few niggles. If I was a city driver I would buy the auto- the manual would be annoying there. The manual is good but would be even better of a 6th gear was added. Challengers like Focus and Astra manuals get similar economy figures because they have a 6th gear. Economy? – well cant complain BUT average cruising at speed limits gives 5.3-5.7 ltrs/100kms. City driving 5.9. If you drive slow and light footed even 3.8 is possible but unrealistic. It is achieved under turbo revs – under 2,000 in every gear. The motor eats hills, feels robust, cheap to service, inside is comfortable, easy to use and reach audio controls. I tow a 600kgm caravan with it and does it easily. Well done Hyundai.!!
You guys with the i30 diesels have got to be *burning*..
Diesel is now 35c/l MORE than ULP, and here is the crusher, the i30 petrol is already very economical.
You will NEVER make up the extra $2500 extra to buy the diesel in the first place, and now the actual $/km is about equal.
Enjoy the greasy filthy concrete and fuel-hose and nozzle at the servo-station.
One day you guys will discover the real discount fuel, its made in australia and goes by the name LPG
Cheers
F-0
Your graph/data above is WRONG as in a error listed.
The auto diesel use 6L/100km and NOT 4.9L/100km.
Its very close to the 7.6L/100km that the ULP uses, so you can see the auto is hardly much more frugal than the diesel [overpriced] model.
The above confirms what i said on the above post
Cheers
F-0 [Proofreader!]
I’m currently awaiting delivery of my brand new i30 SLX manual diesel. It was supposed to be put on a truck this morning for transport to me 1200km north of Perth. The lady from the dealership in Perth called me earlier to say she had taken the car for a run this morning, and found that there was something wrong with the gearbox. She took it to the workshop where it was found that a tooth was missing from one of the cogs in the gearbox, and they will have to put a new gearbox in. I’m hoping I haven’t bought a lemon since I live 450km from the nearest Hyundai dealer.
I filled up this morning…..surprise surprise, deisel now is te same price as ULP………whos burning now, when I get 4.9 to the 100ks, I am saving money every k i travel, and will make up the initial purchase price difference in 18 months, and from there baby it is savings
I understand the extra tax on diesel fuel is because it pollutes the environment more than petrol. The pollution from petrol is reduced because of the catalytic converter whereas the diesel exhaust is full of poisonous heavy metals. I certainly HATE to follow diesel vehicles because they stink. The “rotten egg gas” from the petrol vehicle smells like roses in comparison. The petrol Mitsubishi Colt gets equally low consumption figures (as the i30 diesel), and you don’t have to worry about the price difference (fuel and purchase costs), or the pollution.
Where the hell did you get that chestnut from? Heavy Metal in Diesel? I think you might be mistaken for a ’80s ‘rock’ band.
@IAN^ Well said!!
Smallish petrol powered vehicles, like even the i30 are already very frugal on fuel, the difference between them is very small.
NO real world savings to be had with a DIEsel
Hi,
Does anyone know why some diesel cars in this country have particulate filters and others not? Does the i30 have one? From my readings they are very expensive to replace if they fail.
I believe the Manual i30 does not have a DPF while the Auto does.
Petrol SUVS and Falcons and Bommodores, Magnas, Aurion etc etc etc emit far more CO2 than diesels.
Get over your ill informed prejudices and try a diesel.
In the UK cars the Rego is not based on how many cylinders a car has but rather on how much CO2 it emits.
You would pay a fortune to drive the inefficient and uninspiring hunks of junk littering the roads over here.
Because fuel is cheap here (compared with Europe) the car makers are buyers are lazy and the net result is polution and lots of it.