Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDi (2007) CAR review

Is this the new Kia Cee’d in disguise?

Not really. The Hyundai i30 may share the same basic platform and engines as the Cee’d by sister brand Kia but its exterior, interior and ride and handling set-up is different. This one’s still made in Korea rather than Europe too. There are a few similarities, though. The side window graphic and interior centre stack look related, but the i30’s smarter in the detail – from its more stylish raked front headlamps to the BMW-esque concave details like the rocker line on the side panels and the rear hatch. Viewed from the rear three-quarter, it has hints of the much more upmarket 1-series – if you like that sort of thing.

What’s all this ‘i’ business about?

Hyundai has decided to ditch the odd names of its past – remember the Trajet and Terracan? There is now a simpler letter and number strategy. The i30 is the start of the range revamp. It will eventually replace the Accent, but it’s slightly larger and firmly targets the small family hatchback market. Expect a whole raft of i-badged models to follow, from the i10 city car next spring, to the i20 supermini and i40 (replacing the Sonata) later in 2008. Hyundai says ‘i’ stands for ‘inspiration’ – one of its three Euro brand pillars – and also ‘intelligence’, ‘integrity’ and ‘innovative’. The fact that they all sound a bit like ‘iPod’ might have had some influence too.