Hyundai i30 review
The Hyundai i30 is a stylish and reliable family car that’s great value for money. The high-performance i30 N version is also one of the most exciting hot hatchbacks you can buy.
Author: The Cazoo editorial team
6th Jan 2026 – 9 mins read
The Hyundai i30 is a brilliant all-rounder that proves you don’t have to follow the crowd to get a great family hatchback. It’s a stylish and well-equipped car that offers fantastic value, a comfortable ride, and Hyundai’s famous reliability. For most people, it's a sensible, practical, and affordable choice. But there’s another side to the i30. If you’re looking for excitement, the i30 N is a genuine hot hatchback that can rival the very best in the business, like the Volkswagen Golf GTI. Developed by a former head of BMW’s M division, the i30 N offers incredible performance and handling that will put a huge smile on your face. So, whether you want a dependable daily driver or a weekend thrill machine, the i30 range has you covered.
Pros
- Excellent value for money, especially on the used market
- High-performance i30 N model is brilliant to drive
- Comes with a five-year manufacturer warranty from new
Cons
- The interior feels a bit plain compared to some rivals
- The Hyundai badge doesn't have the same prestige as some others
- Standard models aren't as exciting to drive as a Ford Focus
Interior
Dashboard & tech
The interior of the Hyundai i30 is a sensible and user-friendly place to be. While it might not have the flair of some rivals, the dashboard is logically laid out, and everything is easy to find and use. Build quality is solid, and it feels like a cabin that’s designed to stand the test of time.
Most models come with a clear 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that sits on top of the dashboard. It’s one of the better systems in this class, with clear graphics and smartphone mirroring through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is a great feature to have.
Comfort
The standard i30 is a comfortable car for daily driving and long journeys. The seats are supportive, and there’s plenty of adjustment for the driver to find a good position. The ride is smooth, and it’s a quiet and relaxing car to travel in.
The high-performance i30 N is a different story. It has a much firmer ride, as you’d expect from a hot hatchback. However, thanks to its sophisticated adjustable suspension, you can soften it off for everyday driving, making it surprisingly usable as a daily car. The supportive sports seats hold you firmly in place when you’re driving enthusiastically.
Quality
The i30’s cabin feels robust and well-assembled. While it might have a few more hard, scratchy plastics than you’d find in a Volkswagen Golf, it gives you the impression that it will be very durable. The main touchpoints feel good, and it’s a perfectly pleasant environment. It’s a cabin that prioritises function and durability over fancy design, which is no bad thing in a practical family car.
Practicality & boot space
Interior space
As a family hatchback, the i30 is a very practical car. There’s enough space in the cabin to transport four adults in comfort, with good headroom and legroom in the front and back. The five-door layout makes it easy for passengers to get in and out and for fitting child seats. It’s a car that can easily handle the demands of family life.
Boot space
The i30’s boot is a good size for this class of car, offering plenty of space for the weekly shop or a couple of suitcases for a weekend away. It's generous enough to make the i30 a viable family car, and the rear seats fold down if you need to carry larger or longer items, adding to its versatility.
Versatility
With five doors, a decent boot, and a roomy cabin, the i30 is a great all-round family car. It's easy to live with and practical enough for most people's needs. The fact that the high-performance i30 N offers all this practicality alongside its thrilling performance makes it one of the most usable hot hatchbacks you can buy.
Driving
Driving experience
The standard Hyundai i30 is a safe, comfortable, and predictable car to drive. It’s an easy and relaxing companion for everyday journeys, with light steering and a smooth ride. While it’s not as fun or engaging as a Ford Focus, it’s a very competent car that will get you from A to B with no fuss.
The i30 N, however, is a different beast altogether. It’s an exceptionally fun and exciting car to drive. It has incredibly agile handling, loads of grip, and a powerful engine. A series of selectable drive modes, operated by buttons on the steering wheel, allow you to change the car’s character, from a comfortable daily driver to a track-ready performance machine with a loud, crackling exhaust note.
Performance
The standard i30 comes with a range of sensible and efficient petrol and diesel engines that are perfect for everyday driving. The 1.0-litre and 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engines are popular choices, offering a good blend of performance and economy.
The i30 N uses a powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. It’s available in two versions: the standard model with 247bhp, or the ‘N Performance’ version with 271bhp. Both offer seriously impressive acceleration, with the Performance model capable of going from 0-60mph in just 5.9 seconds.
Running costs
Fuel economy & CO2 emissions
The standard i30 models offer competitive fuel economy and CO2 emissions, making them affordable to run. The diesel versions are particularly frugal for high-mileage drivers.
As you’d expect, the high-performance i30 N is thirstier, but its running costs are reasonable for a car with this level of performance. One thing to be aware of is that the i30 N Performance model comes with specific, high-performance tyres that can be expensive to replace.
Value for money
Value is one of the Hyundai i30’s biggest strengths. It’s very competitively priced against rivals like the VW Golf and Honda Civic, especially when you consider its generous equipment levels. On the used market, it represents a real bargain. The i30 N, in particular, offers a huge amount of performance for the money, undercutting most of its key rivals.
Reliability & Warranty
Hyundai has a superb reputation for reliability, and its cars regularly top owner satisfaction surveys. The i30 feels like a solid, dependable car that you can count on. A huge selling point is that every new Hyundai comes with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, which is one of the best in the business. This means that many used examples will still have some of that fantastic manufacturer warranty remaining.
Safety
Safety features
The Hyundai i30 is a very safe car, achieving the maximum five-star rating when it was crash-tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP. It’s a secure choice for you and your family. All models come with a good level of safety kit, and many versions feature advanced driver assistance systems such as autonomous emergency braking and a driver alertness assistance system to help keep you safe on the road.
Trims & Engines
Trim levels
The i30 is available in a wide range of trim levels, starting with S, and moving up through SE, SE Nav, and Premium. All are well-equipped, but SE Nav is a popular choice as it includes the 8-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation.
The hot hatch version is simply called i30 N, and is also available as the i30 N Performance, which adds more power, larger 19-inch wheels, an electronic limited-slip differential for better handling, and a variable exhaust system. There are also sporty-looking N-Line models, which give you the aggressive looks of the i30 N but with the running costs of the standard engines.
Engines
The core i30 range features a variety of petrol and diesel engines. The 1.0-litre T-GDi and 1.4-litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol engines are smooth and efficient, while the 1.6-litre CRDi diesel is a great choice for those covering long distances.
The i30 N comes with a single engine option: a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit. This is available in two states of tune: 247bhp in the standard i30 N, and 271bhp in the i30 N Performance. Both come with a six-speed manual gearbox, launch control, and rev-matching technology for perfect downshifts.