2015 Hyundai i30 Facelift Gets 7-Speed DCT, Turbo Engine
It’s mid-life time for the Hyundai i30, which means a facelift that includes some tweaks to the styling, as well as a 7-speed automatic transmission, and a new top of the line Turbo model.
The new version will be available in early 2015.
In line with some of the newer Hyundai models, the new i30 will feature a hexagonal grille, as well as new alloy wheels and paint finishes.
Previous owners of the i30 cited design as their main reason for buying, so styling changes were kept to a minimum. Chief designer, Thomas Burkle said that fluid lines were used to give the vehicle a sense of motion even when it was not being driven.
Exclusive i30 Turbo Model
The most significant changes can be found under the hood.
The refreshed i30 5-door hatchback will be offered with a 1.6-liter turbo engine that delivers 183bhp. The i30 Turbo was put through its paces at the fames Nurburgring track in Germany, with insiders saying that the vehicle offers sporty driving dynamics while still being an everyday use car.
The Turbo model will come equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission and a specifically tuned suspension. The car will go from 0-62mph in just 8 seconds, with a top speed of 136mph. Expect to get 39mpg in mixed motoring.
Those numbers may not sound too flashy, but Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor UK, said that the company focus in the next few years will be on engine technology.
By the time 2020 rolls around, Hyundai will have made changes to about 70% of its engine lineup so that there are improvements in performance, mpg, and CO2 emissions.
The Kia Cee’d GT is more powerful and is expected to be the biggest rival to the i30 Turbo. The Hyundai model is more of a warm than a hot hatch, s it isn’t really expected to challenge the likes of the Golf GTI.
All of this was announced at the same time that Hyundai UK made it known that the Veloster would be getting cut from the line-up, just 3 years after its release. The 5-door design of the i30 is more suited to the hot hatch market than the 3-door Veloster. The i30 Turbo is expected to stay as a 5-door entry, but it may show up as a sportier 3-door in foreign markets.
Tony Whitehorn said that the 3-door would not be a huge seller, and that the company has to think in terms of what version will sell the best. He did say that if reaction to the 3-door being shown at the ‘Product Momentum’ conference was in the positive, a different decision may be made.
Hyundai will have looked at the mistakes made with the Veloster in an effort to build on that, starting with offering more kit on the i30 Turbo.
Equipment that will be standard includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and xenon headlamps, and twin exhausts with red details. Sales prices will be revealed closer to the release date, but if you take into account the price of the Cee’d GT, you can expect the i30 Turbo to be under £20,000.
The new i30 will also benefit from improved engines, safety, and refinement.
A total of 6 airbags will be found in the vehicle, while a lane departure warning system, along with other electronic safety features, will also be included. The new i30 range will also come with cruise control, a seven-inch touchscreen sat-nav, dual-zone climate control, and a six-speaker audio system, although some of those will only be standard on certain trim levels.
A new 4-cylinder Kappa engine will replace the 1.4-liter petrol engine, which means improved fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions. The engine is now 14 kg lighter, and will deliver 50mpg, while emitting 129g/km of CO2.
Both the 1.6-liter diesel and petrol engines will be made available with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. This unit replaces the old 6-speed, and will now give drivers the option of choosing between manual or fully automatic gear changes.
