Currently reading: 2015 Hyundai i30 facelift and Turbo – full pricing and specs
Korean firm's Golf-rivalling hatchback gets minor style tweaks and a new turbo version for its mid-life refresh. On sale already, priced from £15,195

Full pricing and specs have been released for the mid-life refresh of the Hyundai i30, now available in a choice of four trim levels priced from £15,195 to £24,695. The model is on display at the Geneva motor show.

The i30 hatchback is priced from £15,195 to £23,595, and the estate version from £16,895 to £24,695. The three-door i30 Turbo costs £22,495 and the five-door, £24,695. Buyers will be able to choose from S, SE, SE Nav and Premium trim levels.

Entry-level S trim comes with Bluetooth, USB, an auxillary input, keyless entry and front electric windows.

SE trim adds 16in alloys, cruise control, leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearknob, and rear parking sensors. Sat-nav, electric folding wing mirrors and a rear-view camera come with SE Nav.

Top-level Premium trim comes with 17in alloys, automatic lights, an electronic parking brake, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.

The i30 SE hatchback starts at £16,495 and SE Nav, £17,495. Prices top out at £23,595 for range-topping Premium trim with the seven-speed dual clutch transmission.

The SE estate version starts at £18,195 and SE Nav, £19,495. Premium is priced from £23,395.

The three-door i30 Turbo costs £22,495 while the five-door version is £24,695.

The Hyundai i30 Turbo is the sporty, range-topping 183bhp version of the Hyundai i30 and has been added to the model line-up as part of a mid-life refresh of the company’s Volkswagen Golf competitor.

It was developed at the South Korean manufacturer’s Nürburgring testing facility, which opened last year. The Turbo sits at the top of a refreshed i30 range, which went on sale on 26 February.

Power for the front-wheel-drive warm hatch comes from a turbocharged version of the existing 1.6-litre ‘Gamma’ GDI petrol engine. 

Hyundai says it wanted to produce a “powerful but not aggressive” engine with a “focus on driver enjoyment, not simply performance figures”.

The engine, which is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, generates 183bhp at 5500rpm and 195lb ft from 1500-4500rpm. Hyundai quotes a 0-62mph time of 8.0 seconds and a top speed of 136mph.

This hot i30 will face competition from hatchbacks such as Peugeot's warmer 308 and the Kia Proceed GT.

The i30 Turbo’s suspension has been retuned for more dynamic handling, the steering has been made more direct and the model is equipped with 18in alloy wheels and tyres. It is fitted with 300mm ventilated brake discs at the front, and 284mm solid discs at the rear.

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The car has a host of design tweaks to differentiate it from standard i30 derivatives. It has a different grille, red detailing on the front and rear bumpers, a new design of front LEDs and twin exhaust tailpipes. Bi-xenon headlights also feature as standard.

The cabin has a black headlining, sports front seats, a bespoke instrument cluster and contrasting red detailing on the steering wheel, gearknob and door trims.

The new sporty variant headlines an overhaul of the i30 three years after it was launched in Europe. Across the line-up there are tweaks to the styling, more efficient engines, a new transmission and additional safety features and technology.

The car’s basic exterior dimensions are unchanged, and the 378-litre boot capacity is unaltered. While the i30’s bodyshell, wheelbase and track are also the same, Hyundai’s chassis engineers were tasked with improving the ride and handling balance, while also enhancing refinement.

The manufacturer claims the revised car is quieter inside. The electric power steering system has been upgraded for more precise steering and improved handling.

The i30 receives a new design of hexagonal grille that brings it into line with Hyundai’s other recent models, such as the i20. It also gets a new design of wheel trim on cars equipped with 15in wheels and new alloys on cars with bigger wheel sizes.

Safety features and other technology first introduced on the Hyundai i40 and Genesis have filtered down to the i30. It now has a lane-departure warning system in addition to cruise control, sat-nav with a 7.0in touchscreen, dual-zone climate control, RDS radio/CD with MP3, iPod, Aux and USB support and a six-speaker audio system.

The i30’s range of engines – all of which are Euro 6-compliant – has been revised. Buyers will have a choice a 1.6-litre diesel in two states of tune: either 108bhp or 134bhp. 

The two diesels and the 118bhp 1.6-litre petrol are offered with the option of a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which replaces the previous six-speed torque-converter automatic. The new gearbox offers fully automatic operation or sequential manual gear changes.

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The new i30 features fuel-saving technologies including engine stop-start, low rolling resistance tyres, an alternator management system and a drag-reducing ‘active air flap’ in the front grille.

The refreshed i30 was designed and engineered at Hyundai’s European Technical Centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and will be built in Nosovice in the Czech Republic.

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xxxx 3 March 2015

Bland and ugly at the same time.

Now the prices are out it's expensive too!
Will86 7 July 2014

erly5 - 15 inch wheels are great

Had an Octavia on 15 inch wheels for a few weeks last year and it was great. Comfortable ride, few worries about pot holes and superb in the wet because they were narrow enough to cut through standing water, yet there was plenty of grip when pushed and I couldn't detect any sloppiness in the handling. Put simply, they worked in the real world.
peterover 11 December 2014

That's one good looking car!

That's one good looking car!
rybo1 7 July 2014

i-30

Sadly, another bland looking car, by Hyundai. Actually, it looks like a fattened up i-20.
The Apprentice 11 December 2014

It will be interesting to see

It will be interesting to see some proper Autocar performance figures when its on sale, they sound conservative to me which the Koreans tend to do.