Hyundai i30 SR Manual Review
HYUNDAI I30 SR REVIEW
What's hot: Nice 'warm' style matched by balanced sporty handling
What's not: Big gap to third gear leaves a performance 'hole'; some may look for more boy-racer urge
X-FACTOR: One for those who value balance - balance in style, balance in performance, and the right balance in comfort.
Vehicle style: 'Warm' small hatch
Price: $27,990 (manual); $30,190 (auto)
Engine/trans: 129kW/209Nm 2.0 litre GDI petrol | 6spd manual (or 6spd auto)
Fuel consumption listed: 7.2 l/100km | tested: 8.5 l/100km
OVERVIEW
It's amazing how just a few tweaks to the suspension tune and a few extra ergs under the bonnet can transform a car.
It's something anyone involved in setting up a race car understands: it's the increments - the quality of the work done at the margins - that delivers the results.
This is what Hyundai Australia has managed with the i30 SR. It's warmed, not piping-hot; a sporting drive not a balls-out thumper.
The new i30 SR is all about balance and feel. There's no turbo under the bonnet, instead the i30 SR packs Hyundai's 2.0-litre GDI naturally aspirated four-cylinder replacing the 1.8 litre petrol and 1.6 litre diesel in lesser i30s.
It sits fatter on bigger 17-inch alloys (and 225/45 R17 tyres) with a 'tuned for Australian roads' sporting spring and damper set-up. (It was tuned here by British suspension tuning ace David Potter and Hyundai's local engineering team.)
Flat, but not hard, it's a nicely balanced, responsive and enjoyable chassis. One you can drive hard, but with a supple compliance that won't have your kidneys paying a price.
The result? No keen driver could fail to enjoy a spirited drive in this car.
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