Review: The Hyundai i30 Tourer

Recently, thanks to Hyundai, I was asked to road test Hyundai’s recently released Hyundai i30 Tourer.

I had always thought the i30’s were a small car, in the same category with the likes of the Ford Focus, Holden Astra and Mazda 3 but no, to my surprise it is much larger inside than those models.

Basically, the Hyundai i30 Tourer is a wagon version of an i30 hatch, except each wheel has it’s own independent ‘tenticle’ suspension/ chassis, so you could compare the i30 tourer in the same league as SUV’s like the Mazda CX5, Ford Kugar, Subaru Forrester and Kia Sportage etc.

There is only one HUGE difference, it is a wagon and it uses a lot less petrol/ diesel then the SUV’s I mentioned above.

There are so many things to like about this car! As well as looking sexy and stylish, the i30 Tourer comes standard with accessories you would have to pay extra on other brands.

Such as auto headlights and wipers; projector headlights; seven-inch colour touchscreen with rearview camera and integrated satellite navigation; a driver’s knee airbag; push-button start; ‘premium’ steering wheel and gearknob; illuminated vanity mirrors; dual-zone climate control; fog lights and 16-inch alloy wheels. Fantastic, yes?

The boys were quite impressed with it and enjoyed Mum picking them up from School in the i30 Tourer. They were even asking if we could keep it.

Check out these school kids ‘testing out’ the i30 Tourer (after school kids ‘testing’ out the i30, I’m sure it would withstand the three boys in this household!):

It was the little things on this car that make it a standout for me, such as lighting in the handles and mirrors at night, LED lights under the headlights, the reversing camera, the easy connect bluetooth, the animated pictures on the screen (yes, I am easily amused). Small things but they are things that make life a lot easier and enjoyable.

Fuel economy was fantastic. The elite model (which I road tested) is diesel and I only had to put in fuel once for the two weeks I had the i30 Tourer. A car which is fuel efficient gets a huge tick from me.

Price: $22,690 to $31,190. Very reasonably priced for what you get.

All Hyundai vehicles come with Hyundai iCare, which offers a comprehensive suite of owner benefits including; a Capped Price Service schedule for 3 years, Australia’s first 5-year Unlimited Km Warranty, a 3 year NAVTEQ™ MapCare Plan, complimentary Roadside Assist for 12 months on new vehicles, 1,500km complimentary first service, Australian Customer Care Centre available 24/7, myHyundai – exclusive owner website, magazine, customer events, and more.

Visit: www.hyundai.com.au for more information on Hyundai’s range.

Verdict:

The i30 Tourer is perfect for the boys and myself. The car can fit five people comfortably (which you can’t do in a Holden Cruze), it has all the bells and whistles included and a huge boot space not seen in smaller cars. The boot size was roughly the same as my Mazda 6 (boot capacity of 528L). It looks great, which is a huge thing for me (after all I have a reputation to uphold ;)). It is easy to park. Fantastic on fuel. I genuinely loved it.

As I have only had my Mazda 6 for just over 12 months, I’m not in the market for a new vehicle but if I was, I would have no hesitation in buying this car.

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Also, if you are given a car to road test, make sure you don’t park it anywhere near anyone else. Someone kindly clipped the driver side front corner, while it was parked, and didn’t leave their details. Nice, aren’t they? I mean, who does that?!? Gah!

I was loaned the i30 Tourer for review for two weeks from Hyundai for editorial consideration in accordance with our Disclosure Policy.