2025 Hyundai i30 Hatch review

Hyundai’s second-smallest hatch is now more expensive, but it’s had some key changes.

The i30 was Hyundai’s second best-selling model in 2023, behind only the Tucson SUV. It led its segment on the VFACTS sales charts, ranking above even the Toyota Corolla (20,626 sales versus 19,986 sales).

For 2025 it’s received a minor facelift that has brought some smart tweaks, namely a refreshed front end with sleek headlights. The interior has also received some tweaks, though it still features older-generation infotainment tech systems.

It has a new engine too, but as production has shifted from Korea to the Czech Republic, the i30 now attracts a 5.0 per cent import duty in Australia.

On top of that, Hyundai has axed the base Active and Elite variants, which is bad news if you’re in the market for a cheap hatchback.

With only the more upmarket N Line and N Line Premiums available for standard road-going i30 models, the base price has skyrocketed by $12,000 to $36,000 before on-roads. You can still buy the full-fat i30 N, but that’s in a league of its own compared to the N Line.

You’d be mistaken if you thought the price increase was because lower grades are no longer available, as the standard N Line is now $3500 more expensive than last year’s version. The N Line Premium is now also $3700 pricier.

On test here is the standard 2025 Hyundai i30 Hatch N Line, which will set you back a square $36,000 before on-road costs. It has only just touched down in Australia, and while it’s mechanically the same as the Premium version it does miss out on niceties like a panoramic sunroof and heated, ventilated front seats.

Should you opt for the older, cheaper i30, or is the new N Line an option worth considering for a daily warm hatch?

How much does the Hyundai i30 cost?

The N Line now kicks off the i30 Hatch range, and it’s priced at $36,000 before on-road costs. That’s $3500 more than it used to be, while the N Line Premium has been pushed above the $40,000 mark.

To see how the Hyundai i30 stacks up against its competitors, use our comparison tool.

What is the Hyundai i30 like on the inside?

The i30 Hatch has received an exterior refresh, though its interior is showing the older roots.

It’s by no means unpleasant, but there are a few things that we feel could have been updated to bring it further into the modern age. One is the infotainment system, which in the standard N Line is a smaller dated-looking 8.0-inch unit with graphics that aren’t as sharp as in the Premium which has a 10.25-inch unit.

The 8.0-inch screen is flanked by buttons on both sides that sit atop a thick gloss-black bezel with dual knobs either side. It works as it should, but it isn’t as visually appealing as we’re used to – especially in the context of screen-heavy setups in other new Hyundai cars.

In the i30 Hatch N Line Premium’s 10.25-inch unit is much nicer with no large buttons. There are still the same shortcuts present for key functions, but they’ve been moved down and integrated as touch-sensitive buttons below the screen.

The standard N Line does benefit from wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which worked flawlessly during our week with the car. The N Line Premium on the other hand has only wired smartphone mirroring instead.

Unlike other new Hyundai cars, the i30’s climate control system remains physical and is housed on a panel below the infotainment unit. It’s a simple setup and works well, with dull-finish buttons for every control, except for temperature adjustment knobs.

As is the case in other cars with this setup, it’s easy to use and makes the i30 appear less intimidating to someone coming from an older car. A benefit of the N Line is its dual-zone climate system, which makes the car easier to live with if you often have two occupants up front.

Most of the buttons feature lights to tell whether they’re activated, with that blue a theme that pops up elsewhere in the cabin.

A downside in the entry N Line is the lack of heated and ventilated front seats, as well as a heated steering wheel like you get in the Premium version. It seems superfluous, but once you’ve had a car equipped with such functions it’s hard to go back.

The base i30 Hatch N Line also has to make do with only a manually adjustable driver’s seat, which would be nice to have in a car that costs more than $35,000. It just about makes up for that omission with its seats, which are comfortable and fit the warm hatch aesthetic to a ‘T’.

They’re upholstered in leather and suede and feature Hyundai N stitching on the upper portion, plus red stitching accents.

Both front seats do feel like they’ve been designed with sports cars in mind, as the sides especially are large enough to support your body in side-to-side motion without being uncomfortable on long drives.

Sporty themes continue up to the steering wheel, which is a leather-accented three-spoke unit that I prefer to the more organic-looking wheels in other Hyundais. It feels nice in the hand and features more red stitching, with perforated leather fitted at nine and three o’clock.

The Hyundai N logo features at the bottom of the wheel, rounding out the N Line influence inside. The features appear on the gear selector too, which is a large unit with perforated leather, red accents, and an N logo on top.

Ahead of the steering wheel is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. It looks as if the traditional gauge setup was thrown out and the screen shoehorned in, as the housing retains the same shape as it did on the old model.

It is a solid display though, as it’s graphically clear with snappy responses. Standard information is included on its central portion, which can be scrolled through using the buttons on the right side of the steering wheel.

A feature we’re a fan of is the way the car’s settings are located only on the instrument display, and navigable using the wheel’s buttons. It makes it easier to adjust things like the driver assist tech, which includes turning off the speed limit warning in particular – more on that later.

Sandwiching the central portion are two large digital gauges for revs and speed, which change in appearance depending on which of the three drive modes are selected. A complaint is the way the gauges look in Normal mode, as they feature solid white backgrounds that can be painfully bright at night.

Eco driving mode is the easiest on the eyes and the cleanest for my taste, with a modern blue semi-transparent look. Sport mode switches it up to a red and carbon fibre theme, which when activates has a cheesy but endearing flame animation.

There are plenty of options for phone connectivity in the i30 Hatch. It has wireless smartphone mirroring as standard on the entry-level N Line, while a small door can be opened ahead of the gear selector to reveal a hidden cubby.

Inside is a wireless charging pad, a USB-C port and a USB-A port, and it serves as a convenient place to leave your phone when you’re driving. Inside the centre console box is a 12V outlet too.

Storage up front is solid, as you get two standard-size cupholders on the centre console underneath a sliding cover. Next to that is a long slot, which is a good place to leave your keys or your phone if you don’t want to put it on the wireless charger.

The centre console storage box is small but offers enough space for various odds and ends, with a soft felt floor to stop hard objects rattling around. There’s a standard glovebox on the passenger side and bottle holders in the doors, which are all appropriately sized for everyday use.

A downside is the gloss-black on the centre console, which surrounds all the buttons around the gear selector. It’s also the material used for the cubby door up front, which quickly attracts fingerprints.

The compromise for the i30 Hatch’s small proportions is the back row, which is cramped. Climbing in isn’t as easy as it could be thanks to the small door openings, and once you’re in there’s not a lot of room to get comfortable.

That leather and suede upholstery continues back here, which at least means the bench seat is comfortable to sit on. The main issue is legroom, which even behind an average front seating position is limited.

With the door closed it feels especially small, and while it could be described as cozy thanks to the black headliner, it’s not particularly practical for loading child seats and by extension, children.

Headroom for adult passengers is acceptable, and taller passengers should have no problem squeezing in if they can convince the front passengers to slide forwards.

The N Line features rear air vents and two USB-C ports as standard, along with bottle holders in the doors and cupholders on the fold-down centre armrest.

The boot is where the i30 Hatch impresses in particular, as it’s surprisingly practical despite the car’s small dimensions. I was able to fit more than expected, and with the rear seats folded there’s no problem fitting large items – so long as they aren’t exceptionally tall or wide.

Quoted capacity with the rear seats in place is 395 litres, considerably larger than a Corolla at 217 litres. That means you’ll have no problem fitting bags of groceries, though the space is slightly too short for a standard suitcase to fit lengthways.

The tailgate isn’t powered, but because it isn’t large there are no problems lifting it open. It is disappointing there’s no spare wheel in the new i30, because that space under the boot floor has been taken up by the battery that supplies the new mild-hybrid system.

There’s a tyre repair kit instead, which doesn’t inspire as much confidence as even a space saver does. That kit also means there’s no extra storage to be found under the floor, but at least the i30’s low ride height means you don’t have to lift items far to load them up.

The updates to the i30’s interior were necessary, and while it is still on the older side and the N Line would have benefitted from the N Line Premium’s infotainment setup, it’s a comfortable and useable space if you don’t need the back seats too often.

To see how the Hyundai i30 stacks up against its competitors, use our comparison tool.

What’s under the bonnet?

The i30 Hatch N Line is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 117kW and 253Nm. It’s mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 8.8 seconds.

It makes use of a 48V mild-hybrid system, which assists with the stop/start function at traffic lights and allows the car to coast to a stop with the engine off, all with the intention of saving fuel.

On that note, you’ll notice our tested fuel economy was worse than Hyundai’s claim. That figure came from mixed driving conditions on our end, but when we stuck to the highway we saw economy figures around 5.2L/100km.

To see how the Hyundai i30 stacks up against its competitors, use our comparison tool.

How does the Hyundai i30 drive?

As it wears some version of the Hyundai N badge, our hopes for the updated driving experience were high. Thankfully, it turns out the i30 Hatch N Line is quite fun once you hit the road.

The car feels well-composed and rides comfortably, though you will notice the suspension’s tuned towards the firmer side. That gives it a sporty feel, and you’ll be able to take turns quicker than you realise with good body control.

That’s good for navigating tight streets in the city without getting in the way of others, and it’s nowhere near being too firm. It feels planted and sure-footed, which is exactly what you want when you’re behind the wheel of a car as small as the i30.

Its small size brings benefits manoeuvrability too, as from the driver’s seat it feels like the front left corner of the car is where your left knee is. That means it’s easy to trawl through crowded carparks, which is supported by the light low-speed steering and small turning circle.

Pulling into a parking spot is easy too, though it is still a fairly analogue affair. There’s a reversing camera, but it is fairly low-resolution and there’s no surround-view camera to give you a full lay of the land.

The 2025 i30 N Line features a new 1.5-litre turbo engine, which is more powerful than the outgoing naturally aspirated 2.0-litre but isn’t as potent as the old 1.6-litre turbo.

It’s still plenty quick, and though the 8.8 second 0-100km/h time and 117kW doesn’t sound all that impressive, it punches above its weight once you give it a boot-full. As you may expect, selecting the Normal drive mode provides the most normal experience.

That’s both a good and a bad thing. It’s good because you’ll be able to enjoy the standard performance of the engine, which offers plenty of punch all across the rev range without being either too dull or too revvy.

It’s bad because it reveals the clumsy nature of the dual-clutch gearbox (DCT), which to its detriment feels exactly like a stereotypical dual-clutch setup.

The driving experience of the i30 Hatch is let down by the gearbox. Putting your foot down in a rush reveals considerable input lag as it figures out what to do with itself, while accelerating from a stop at a normal pace brings clunky shifts between first, second, and third gear in particular.

Shifting from first to second feels especially slow, which can be annoying given the transmission otherwise rows through the gears with the quick shifting you’d expect from a DCT.

When you go to accelerate fast and get past the initial lag, you’ll find the gearbox behaves quite well. It shifts fast without forcing the engine to rev too high, which means you have the confidence to get out of sticky situations or shoot a gap on the highway.

It’s by no means as fast as the i30 N, but it’s right around that ideal power range most people would be comfortable with for their daily driver.

Selecting Sport mode via the button to the right of the shifter improves the performance-oriented experience, as the transmission gets whipped into line to give the best of what that 1.5-litre mild-hybrid engine has to offer.

It holds gears to near redline and allows the i30 to properly stretch its legs, with the best performance revealed as you set off from a stop. That doesn’t mean it hangs around when you need to quickly accelerate on the highway, but its strengths are definitely found at low speed.

I was impressed how the transmission rev-matches downshifts when Sport mode is activated. It gives you a sporty impression thanks to the sound the downshifts make.

You also have the option of using the wheel’s paddle shifters in any driving mode, and they’re responsive with that extra bit of fun if you’re into that. The gearbox automatically enters ‘manual’ mode when doing so, and it’ll stay in whatever gear you select for quite a while before going back to automatic.

There is the option to lock it in manual mode by knocking the gear selector to the right.

Putting the i30 in Eco mode reveals the most of the fuel-saving, electrically assisted benefits the mild-hybrid system brings.

Notably, power is dulled to keep fuel consumption down, while it’ll look for opportunities to shut the engine off when you’re coasting to a stop.

Eco mode did catch us off guard on a couple of occasions, because when it’s selected you get minimal engine braking. Coming off the throttle on the highway instead puts the car into ‘coasting mode’, in which it effectively shifts into neutral and lets the engine run at idle to save some fuel.

You can bring engine braking back by touching the brakes or accelerating, after which the gearbox smoothly re-engages. Driving along in Normal mode allows the engine braking you’d expect when off-throttle.

When the engine is off and it’s time to set off from the lights, it’s restarted like it had been on the whole time. That’s because of the mild-hybrid system, which is able to fire things back into life in a heartbeat.

Aside from the gearbox, there are a few quirks while on the road. A minor one is the brake pedal, which is surprisingly sensitive and takes a moment to get used to.

The other is as a result of the Hyundai badge, which brings with it an array of beeps and warnings depending on what you’re doing. One is the speed limit warning, which is on by default and beeps if you exceed the posted speed limit by even 1km/h.

As mentioned, it’s easy to turn off because the setting is located on the instrument display. Navigate to the menu using the buttons on the wheel, and it’s a simple action to disable it entirely.

You can do it while on the move too, which means it isn’t as impractical as it is in some other Hyundai products.

The lane departure warning can also be too sensitive on narrow country roads, as it seems to overreact to getting too close to the median line. At least it’ll steer you back into line itself, but in many cases it’d be easier to just turn it off in the same way as the speed limit warning.

Other systems like adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist worked reliably in our week with the car, doing well to both stay with traffic ahead and keep the car centred in its lane.

Visibility all around is good, supported by the auto-dimming rear-view mirror inside. Blind spot checks are easy, though you do get the assistance of blind-spot monitoring that works consistently and doesn’t overreact.

While it is well-appointed, the i30 Hatch N Line feels like it offers the bare minimum in modern tech. That helps it to behave like a solid warm hatch, as the driving experience isn’t interrupted by intrusive or annoying systems.

To see how the Hyundai i30 stacks up against its competitors, use our comparison tool.

What do you get?

There are no base i30 models available for 2025, which means there are just two N Line trim levels to choose from.

i30 Hatch N Line highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Proximity entry with push-button start
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Automatic LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 3 x USB-C outlets
• Wireless phone charger
• Leather and suede upholstery
• Four-way power driver’s lumbar
• Driver seat cushion extension
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter
• Dual-zone climate control

N Line Premium adds:

• Panoramic sunroof
• 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Satellite navigation
• Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 12-way power driver’s seat with two-person memory
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Bluelink connected car services

Is the Hyundai i30 safe?

The Hyundai i30 Hatch range, excluding the hot N, has a five-star safety rating from ANCAP – though this expires in December 2024.

Testing was conducted in 2017 under different assessment parameters. It scored 14.01 out of 16 for front offset, 16 out of 16 for side impact, two out of two for pole, and three out of three for seat belt reminders.

It scored ‘good’ for whiplash protection and ‘acceptable’ for pedestrian protection, contributing to an overall score of 35.01 out of 37.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Autonomous emergency braking
  • Junction assist
  • Pedestrian detection
  • Cyclist detection
  • Vehicle detection
• Blind-spot assist
• Driver attention warning
• Intelligent speed limit assist
• Lane keep assist
• Lane Following Assist (lane centring)
• Rear occupant alert
• Rear cross-traffic assist

How much does the Hyundai i30 cost to run?

Hyundai backs its vehicles with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

The i30 is covered by Hyundai’s “lifetime service plan”, which outlines the costs of each service until 21 years or 210,000km.

Hyundai also offers a free service at 1.8 months or 1500km of ownership. Service intervals are the same as the outgoing turbocharged i30 Hatch N Line, though they’re shorter than the Corolla at 12 months or 15,000km.

The first five services for the Corolla are capped at $245, while the average price for the first 10 years of servicing is cheaper than the i30 at $374.

To see how the Hyundai i30 stacks up against its competitors, use our comparison tool.

CarExpert’s Take on the Hyundai i30 N Line

The 2025 update for the i30 Hatch is a needed one, and for the most part it’s been worth the effort.

Its updated looks on the outside are a nice change, as it’s now sleeker with more aggressive lines. Even if it isn’t the hot i30 N, it still looks like a mean performance car.

The interior has improved too, and while its infotainment and tech isn’t quite up to the same standard as some other Hyundais, it gets the job done reliably and maintains several creature comforts that are major drawcards for new car buyers.

That new engine under the bonnet is an impressive unit, with solid performance that puts it above a lot of other hatches for sale right now.

Unlike those hatches though, you don’t have the choice of cheaper entry-level options here.

The choice to drop the non-performance hatches was… interesting. Having those models meant people wanting a cheaper hatch could go for the i30 Hatch, while those wanting something faster could buy an N Line or above.

With a more expensive starting price, the i30 Hatch will now be less attainable for a lot of small car buyers. If they can spring for the base N Line though, they’ll be getting themselves into quite a good car.

The warm hatch performance is plenty for most people, and it’s properly comfortable despite the sporty handling. What it lacks in second-row space it makes up for in boot capacity, and it’s easy to live with the few irritating driver assist features because they’re so easy to turn off.

If you’re a Hyundai fan and are keen on a small car, the new i30 Hatch is an impressive grocery-getter capable of delivering a spirited weekend’s drive – only if you ask for it.

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