2017 Hyundai i30 SR Review | Energetic Engine Makes This The South Korean Brand’s Most Convincig Small Car
If you cannot beat them, side-step them. That appropriated adage is one that happens to be perfectly appropriate for the 2017 Hyundai i30 SR.
With the third-generation i30 the middle-specification SR for the first time becomes more than a lukewarm hatchback. It remains cooler than a hot hatchback, naturally, but its still-significant spice is matched by few for $25,990 plus on-road costs.
After years of playing the competition head on, and certainly succeeding at the $19,990 driveaway end of the small car market, the i30 SR now gives a clear reason for buyers to step out of more comfort-orientated rivals and into a mid-spec Hyundai.
Even before a key is turned, the number of rivals offering a 150kW 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine for this price tallies just one – the 147kW Holden Astra RS. This is fresh territory for Hyundai, and it certainly looks convincing.
Vehicle Style: Small Hatchback
Price: $25,950 (plus on-road costs)
Engine/trans: 150kW/265Nm 1.6 four-cylinder turbo petrol | six-speed manual
Fuel Economy Claimed: 7.5 l/100km | Tested: 8.6 l/100km
OVERVIEW
The entry i30 Active is a decent small car, but it offers nothing out of the ordinary. It may be a $5000 jump to the i30 SR manual, as tested here, but the 120kW/203Nm 2.0-litre non-turbo engine is firstly replaced by a 150kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbo unit.
Secondly, the Active’s cheaper torsion bar rear suspension design is tossed aside for a sophisticated, and SR-exclusive, independent rear suspension (IRS) teamed with additional grip from an 18-inch alloy wheel and tyre package – up from 16s.