Hyundai i30 Turbo review

Ooh, a turbo badge on a hatchback. Are we back in the glory days of the 1980s and ’90s?

Er, not exactly - but we will get to that. That Turbo badge does, however, mark something genuinely significant for the South Korean manufacturer. In suitably Dr Evil-style dramatic fashion, the Hyundai i30 Turbo is the most powerful Hyundai i30 ever built.

Brilliant! So it is a genuine Volkswagen Golf GTI competitor, then?

Er, not quite again. The idea is certainly appealing, though. Hyundai’s 1.6-litre four-cylinder ‘Gamma GDI’ engine gains a turbocharger here, bringing a 28 per cent power increase and 38 per cent more torque than the standard 1.6. More power and more torque: so far, so good.

Hyundai i30 Turbo chassis and styling

It also receives firmer, ‘sports-tuned’ suspension, a six-speed manual transmission - there is no automatic option - more direct steering and larger brakes. At the front are 300 mm ventilated discs, while the rear uses 284 mm solid discs.

It is sounding rather encouraging...

There is further cause for optimism. Hyundai developed the entire car at its Nürburgring test centre, tucked away within the circuit grounds. Yes, quietly now, but the i30 Turbo completed 110 laps of the ‘Ring each week during a four-to-six-week programme. That is every Rocky training montage rolled into one punishing workout.

Smaller changes also distinguish it from less potent, non-Turbo i30 versions: a revised grille, fresh front and rear bumpers, a new LED arrangement, twin exhaust outlets and 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, there is a black headlining, sports seats, red trim accents, a sporty instrument cluster, and contrasting stitching on the steering wheel, gear lever and doors.

Hyundai i30 Turbo on the road

So, what is it actually like?

Nice.

Is that all?

It is a good car, although it does not quite live up to the promise suggested by that specification. The engine sends 183bhp and 264Nm of torque to the front wheels, with the latter available from 1,500rpm to 4,500rpm. Those are respectable, eager figures, but not enough to unsettle the established hot-hatch contenders.

Ride quality is genuinely impressive. Put on your pointy hat of critical road-testing and it can occasionally seem a little fussy, but it is generally a polished and refined machine. Body control is strong, grip is plentiful, and it carries speed through bends without troubling your feathers too much - assuming you have feathers. It looks smart as well.

I can hear a ‘but’ coming.

Quite right. The steering simply does not, um, feel convincing. Its assistance can be switched between Comfort, Normal and Sport settings, and the car turns in eagerly, yet none of them offers enough satisfaction for someone who enjoys attacking corners. It will be entirely acceptable to sensible people, but drivers whose hands want to detect every texture in the road surface will find little feedback.

The engine could also do with a more appealing soundtrack. At present, it is not especially inviting.

Hyundai i30 Turbo price and rivals

Right. And what does it cost?

Here is the other problem. The three-door Hyundai i30 Turbo is priced at £22,500, while the five-door costs £23,000. A five-door Ford Focus ST costs £22,495. Unfortunately for Hyundai, the Ford produces 247bhp and 359Nm of torque.

The ST reaches 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds; the Hyundai takes eight seconds. The Focus also delivers steering with considerably more conviction.

So, what should I buy?

The standard i30 is an excellent newer car: refined, comfortable and thoughtfully judged. This Turbo, however, enters a particularly difficult price bracket. It has a lovely cabin, feels solidly assembled and has plenty going for it, and at a lower price we would certainly recommend considering it. The ST simply covers more bases, though. Lower down the range, the i30 makes perfect sense. At this level, it needs to offer a little more.

Still, it would not take much to turn it into a firecracker, because its underlying ingredients are well sorted. Besides, you may not be listening to any of this anyway: who else provides a ruddy five-year unlimited-mileage warranty?