Compare the output of the 1.6-litre petrol motors fitted to the VW Golf, Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra and you’ll discover that all three produce the exact same power (115bhp) and torque (114lb ft). So it’s no small feat that Hyundai’s new twin-cam 1.6-litre unit manages to trump all three with an extra 5bhp while delivering better economy and lower emissions.
Performance is also equally market competitive; aided by a quick and slick gearchange, we managed to coax the i30 to 60mph in just 10.7sec despite a wet track.
The brakes have little trouble stopping a car that on our scales weighed just 1305kg. The pedal weight is well judged and strong on feel, useful if you’re pushing on, but equally welcome in stop-start driving. Better still, the brakes remain resilient to fade.
Nowhere is Hyundai’s commitment to making a car that competes for raw ability as much as on price more apparent than in the way the i30 goes down the open road. It has one of the most pleasing blends of ride and handling of any car in this class. This chassis rivals the very best the Europeans can offer.
The steering is quick, precise and, for an electric system, remarkably flushed with feel.
But if the i30’s handling is good, the ride is little short of exceptional. Rightly Hyundai has chosen reasonably soft springing, but combined with good damper selection and the wheel control offered by the multi-link arrangement at the back, the result is car that offers a supple, fluid yet always controlled ride that many rivals with much more vaunted reputations in this area would do well to emulate. Even when fully laden in the back and boot, the suspension refuses to allow undue body movements over crests and in dips. It’s a substantial achievement.