Hyundai I30 Wagon
It’s been a while since Hyundai has had a wagon in its line-up – nine years to be exact, when the Lantra wagon was discontinued. The fleet friendly wagon was a big seller for Hyundai and an attempt to fill the gap with the Matrix MPV didn’t really hit off, so the arrival of a wagon based on the i30 is sure to be welcome.
The i30 wagon is obviously based on the i30 hatch, but there are some important differences. Obviously the wagon is larger, with 230mm added to overall length, with 180mm going into the rear overhang. The wagon is also 40mm taller, and a little reengineering has gone into increasing the wheelbase by 50mm. The i30 wagon is available in three versions, a 1.6 manual petrol with a four speed automatic gearbox (there’s a five-speed manual gearbox on indent only), a 2.0 litre unit with 105kW and 186Nm, while diesel power is provided by a 1.6 litre engine with 85kW and 255Nm of torque. Apart from the manual option on the 1.6 litre petrol, all i30 wagons have a four-speed automatic gearbox.
Hyundai has taken the bold step of launching a large number of i30 wagon models, starting with the 1.6-litre manual at NZ$30,990, the 1.6 litre auto at NZ$32,490, and the 2.0 diesel at NZ$34,490. The diesel 1.6 starts at $36,990, topping out at the 1.6 Elite at NZ$40,990, while the 2.0-litre petrol Elite comes in at NZ$38,490. It certainly offers plenty of choice for both the private and fleet buyer.
As with the i30 hatch the stereo is MP3/WMA compatible, while the Elite models also get iPod compatibility, and leather upholstery. The same comprehensive safety devices carry over from the hatch, including ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, ESP, traction control, dual front airbags side airbags and curtain airbags.
On the road the i30 wagon drives as well, if not better than the hatchback. It transitions from corner to corner without any hesitation, and the extra 50mm in wheelbase smoothes out the ride quality. The diesel can feel breathless at times when challenging a hill, and an extra ratio in the four speed auto would certainly be welcome.
I drove the 1.6 diesel and the 2.0 petrol on the launch, and both are roughly compatible in terms of NVH. Rough coarse chip road doesn’t help the noise, but the diesel engine is reasonably refined and quiet at speed, even if the four gear ratios keep it a tad over 2000rpm at 100km/h.
The real surprise is that none of the things that make the i30 hatch a good car have been abandoned in the wagon, and you get far more space in the rear for only an extra NZ$1500 over the equivalent hatch model, which inevitably leads to the question of buyers simply opting for the wagon than the hatchback.
Nevertheless, Hyundai must be hoping to recover a lot of the fleet business it lost when the Lantra ended its run. The good news is that the new i30 wagon feels 20 years, rather than just nine years ahead of the Lantra.
