- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.6T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
150kW, 265Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 7.5L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2017)
2018 Hyundai i30 SR long-term review, report three: interior comfort and practicality
Our long-term 2018 Hyundai i30 SR is one very well-loved hatch amongst the CarAdvice team. For a lot of us, we have a long commute to work, so a car that is comfortable on the daily grind is important. That it's reasonably quick certainly doesn't hurt, either...
The Hyundai's interior is a decent step up from its predecessor. Many in the office have noted how semi-premium it is, if not quite to the level of the Volkswagen Golf.
The 8.0-inch infotainment screen is impressive and placed high on the dashboard for easy eye access. It has, however, divided opinion amongst the office with its floating screen. (Catch our infotainment review here.)
Our i30 is covered in Fiery Red paint, which goes rather nicely with the red highlights and trims inside. After all, red goes faster. It's a good-looking cabin, with red highlights around the air vents and console, and red stitching on the floor mats, seats, gear stick, steering wheel and red seatbelts. But it left me secretly wanting a red 12 o'clock stripe on top of the wheel to match the six o'clock stripe!
There's some decent padding on all four upper door trims and the same goes for the dashboard. Black headlining adds some premium-ness, although we have discovered it can get scuff marks from flipping down the sun visor.
There is no automatic light when the mirror flap is slid open, instead, a tiny switch. All cabin lighting is halogen globes, and we feel by having LED lighting it would've lit up the black headlining just nicely.
The design of the seats is a mixture of sporty and 'normal'. The side bolsters are large and hug you, but still have room for your elbows. They are comfortable on long journeys, with this reviewer taking it on a three-hour drive with no issues whatsoever.
Seat adjustment is manual and it can be lowered to a good sports-car-feeling height. The front passenger does not have height adjustment, but head room is okay, even for taller folk.
There is plenty of enclosed storage, so valuables will be kept from prying eyes. Underneath the armrest is a deep compartment, capable of storing dozens of fuel receipts, which ours has.
A 12-volt socket is fitted, but a USB connection wouldn't have gone astray considering the storage room in there.
The two centre cupholders can be covered over for a cleaner space, while there is ample door bin storage. A slim compartment perhaps for your keys is an ideal crumb and dust collector.
Hidden in an enclosed compartment are one USB, 12-volt and auxiliary connection, and wireless charging for your Qi-enabled phone or via an adapter. Meanwhile, charging via USB is a slow process, taking an hour to charge only 10 per cent.
Opening the rear doors, it is hard to climb in with the sloped body over the back wheels, but getting out is easier. The door bins can fit a small bottle and really not much else. However, there are two mesh map holders for other items.
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Passengers have rear air vents and no connections, but a very sturdy fold-down armrest with two cupholders.
Head room is adequate, even for an adult sitting in the middle seat. Toes can just fit under the front seats and leg room is probably not the best, even with knee cutaways.
Two bag hooks and coat hooks make it quite practical for a weekend away or a business trip, and two other bag hooks are found in the boot.
The 395-litre boot can stretch to 1301 litres with the back seats folded down, although they don't fold flat. The load height is a little high, but it didn't stop a long coffee table being able to fit easily with the adjustable floor height to the lowest level. The parcel shelf required a good pull to remove it too.
Four metal tie-down latches and two small side storage areas are available, and under the floor is a space saver.
Overall, the i30 is a comfortable place to be, whether it's on the daily commute or a long weekend drive.
The red trim highlights set it apart from other hatches, and is very practical with loads of hidden storage compartments.
Stay tuned for the next update
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