For those who are used to perceiving things visually, we publish a video test:
Exterior
The car looks very smart, its aggressive silhouette draws people's attention. This mainly applies to young people.
Externally, the three-door version differs from the five-door with a different front bumper and a modified radiator grille. The declared ground clearance is 150 mm. It seems not so little, but driving onto curbs or just driving on uneven roads can be fraught with consequences in the form of a "scraped" lower part of the front bumper. The reason is a large overhang.
From the rear, the car looks quite muscular and sporty. The beautiful taillights add a special charm.
The location of the trunk opening button was a bit confusing – it is at the bottom. In bad weather, you will have to get your hands dirty, and the niche in the bumper can quickly get scratched (especially for girls).
Interior
The car's interior is made in a sporty spirit - silver inserts, metal pedal covers, a leather steering wheel with a pleasant grip. Ergonomics are excellent - everything is clear and understandable. The quality of materials is solid, the upper part of the dashboard is made of soft and pleasant-to-the-touch plastic, the lower part is hard.
The instrument cluster is made in the form of two wells. The data from the instruments is read well.
The front seats seemed comfortable – both in softness and support in corners. The only nuance is that the side bolsters are overly soft.
Getting into the back row turned out to be a fairly simple procedure. Only the principle of folding the front seat caused misunderstanding. When lowering the backrest, the seat moves forward, but when raising the backrest back, it remains in the shifted position. As a result, the front passenger/driver has to re-adjust the seat position. Three people of average height and build can fit in the back row. Tall passengers will "prop up" the ceiling. The ventilation system is not entirely clear. In particular, this applies to the middle deflectors - even if you direct the air "away from you" - for example, towards the passenger - the air will still blow on the driver as well.
The cabin has various convenient pockets and shelves where you can store various small items and water bottles. I especially liked the illuminated shelf under the central console. And the seat belt guide bracket is a useful thing. The ceiling lights were confusing. They illuminate the cabin well, but after 5 minutes of operation they get very hot, and you need to turn them off with your fingers. Hot...
In the dark, you can confuse the position of the gearbox selector (R and N modes), since all indicators emit blue light. The glove box is small - for A4 papers. But it has a cooling function. Visibility cannot be called good – the wide front pillars and small rear windows narrow the "field of view".
Sound insulation is decent. However, extraneous sounds come from the wheel arches, and when revving the engine to 2500-3000 rpm, the engine may seem a bit noisy.
Driving qualities
Our car has a gasoline engine with a volume of 1.6 liters and a power of 130 hp. It seems not little, but according to the sensations of acceleration, it doesn't seem so. Of course, the automatic transmission "eats" power, but in any case, you expect more. Perhaps because the car is not run-in.
Fuel consumption was also not pleasing. In urban mode without sharp starts and braking, it was possible to achieve 9.4 l/100 km. In traffic jams it reached 11.2 l/100 km, with slow driving on the highway - 6.4 -7.0 l/100 km. For a car with such a volume and not the most impressive characteristics, the consumption seems a bit high to us.
As for the operation of the 6-speed automatic transmission, there are no complaints - it works clearly and quickly, and the moment of gear shifting is almost imperceptible. The car's suspension also pleased – it is tight and moderately stiff. It swallows small irregularities and cracks in the asphalt perfectly, only dull knocks are heard in the cabin. And in general, the car handles well - when maneuvering, it does not sway and holds the given trajectory. The brakes are predictable and quite grippy.
It is worth noting that the steering is electromechanical, with three modes (Sport, Normal, Comfort). There is no particular sharpness in it, but the difference in modes is still there. When activating "Sport", the steering wheel becomes heavy.
Summary
The main trump card of the 3-door Hyundai i30 is its appearance, which will appeal to young people and girls (especially when it comes to versions with an "automatic"). To us, this car seemed a bit boring – the promising appearance is not backed up by a sporty character when driving. Our verdict is that this is an excellent option for those who want to have a stylish car, but do not need a stiff suspension and sporty settings.
In the catalog of new cars, you can familiarize yourself in detail with the prices and configurations of the three-door Hyundai i30