Hyundai i30 - a blatant copy of the BMW 1 Series

jetsonx

When I saw the i30 for the first time last week - I could not believe that it
resembles the BMW 1 series so much...never seen such a blatant copy of a car from two different manufacturers?

Kintarō Hattori

Just after Googling it there now and I can't say I agree with you. The tail section does look similar to the BMW's but that's about it as far as I can make out.

omega man

jetsonx wrote: »

When I saw the i30 for the first time last week - I could not believe that it
resembles the BMW 1 series so much...never seen such a blatant copy of a car from two different manufacturers?

Was driving behind one yesterday and was thinking the very same. Even the model numbering i30 is bmw ish. In saying that its probably not the best car to rip off.

Stephen

Exactly, why copy something so blatantly ugly? Especially when it loses the all-important BMW badge.

RobAMerc

Stephen wrote: »

Exactly, why copy something so blatantly ugly? Especially when it loses the all-important BMW badge.

Thats your opinion, I quite like the 1 series and so do alot of others - thats why it seems to be selling quite well particularly when you consider the price premium it commands over other cars in the class.

Anyway - I do see the resemblance between the i30 and the 1 series, but its not unusual for Far Eastern companies to make their cars look like successful European cars - they have been doing it for years.

Robbo

Stephen wrote: »

Exactly, why copy something so blatantly ugly? Especially when it loses the all-important BMW badge.

They're Koreans. They build cars that are the design equivalents of a "Rolex" from a Bangkok street market.

colm_mcm

Doesn't it look like an old model Punto from the back too? or a Merc A Class new model

E92

The VW Passat(B6) and Lexus IS(current one) are all guilty of the same charge as the Hyundai. Resembling a BMW. But its good to know thats its not just me who think highly of pre Bangle BMW designs:D!

colm_mcm

Which BMW does the current IS look like? and how?

crosstownk

colm_mcm wrote: »

Doesn't it look like an old model Punto from the back too?

I took a quick glance at one on a transporter the other day and thought initially that is was a Punto. I think it's very similar to the Punto from the rear and from the side.

pburns

When I saw it first I thought it looked a bit convoluted, a bit forced - like they were trying desperately to distinguish it from it's Kia Ceed (I refuse to use the apostrophe on principle) sister car.

That rear window next to the C-piller is straight from the Mazda 3 BTW...

caesar

E92 wrote: »

The VW Passat(B6) and Lexus IS(current one) are all guilty of the same charge as the Hyundai. Resembling a BMW. But its good to know thats its not just me who think highly of pre Bangle BMW designs:D!

Well this is what I think VW copied....





....one of their own!

colm_mcm

this is what I see:

don't see the 1 series or Mazda3 likeness btw.

E92

colm_mcm wrote: »

Which BMW does the current IS look like? and how?

The boot resembles an E39, and the side is pure E46, especially trying to copy(very badly) the Hofmeister Kink, something that every BMW has had since the 02 series(bar Z models, M1 and X3) which made its debut some 46 years ago.

colm_mcm

To be fair, lots of cars have a similar kink, it's just a curve.
I mean, if they badly copied a Hofmeister Kink, doesn't it make it something completely different?
I can see slight similarities with the flat part of the bootlids where the badges are mounted, but not so much that I'd say Lexus copied BMW.

Earth Worm Jim

Looks like a mk2 punto to me - maybe hyundi bought the old machinery of fiat and spruced it up a bit. Didn't proton do that with mitshubishi and probaly still do.

106,c1,aigo are all the same just difference badges.
New punto and corsa share a chassis.
Didn't ford and mazda share technology on the 121 and fiesta.
And most new diesel engine come from fiat.

Soon we will be driving the same car no matter what the badge says??:rolleyes:

Stephen

Ford and Mazda share technology on pretty much everything.

E92

Earth Worm Jim wrote: »

New punto and corsa share a chassis.

And they share the same oil burners(well actually Opel borrowed Fiats ones).

Earth Worm Jim wrote: »

Didn't ford and mazda share technology on the 121 and fiesta.

They were exactly the same car, only different badges. Though funnily enough each incarnation since has been getting more and more different. Like the just replaced Mazda 2 and current Feshti looked different inside and out. They had different dashes and stuff.

The just gone on sale 2 and next years Feshti will have different bodies, interiors and different petrol engines. They will also be built in different places(the 2 is being built in Japan, the Feshti will continue to be built in Spain).

Seth Brundle

E92 wrote: »

The boot resembles an E39, and the side is pure E46, especially trying to copy(very badly) the Hofmeister Kink, something that every BMW has had since the 02 series(bar Z models, M1 and X3) which made its debut some 46 years ago.

1. IIRC the kink was introduced prior to the '02 in the 2000C (in 1965)
2. Mr. H. copied the kink from Dodge (the Dart Phoenix and Polara)

yknaa

Just wondering the opinions of anyone who has purchased the new i30?
Looks like a good package that represents value (if anything in the car market is value).
Would rapid depreciation be an issue down the line?

Lex Luthor

yknaa wrote: »

Would rapid depreciation be an issue down the line?

Definitely.


Biggest rip off I've seen is the :pac: Leon for the 147

pburns

Lex Luthor wrote: »

Definitely.


Biggest rip off I've seen is the :pac: Leon for the 147

Same designer AFAIK (Walter de Silva?)

WHITE_P

E92 wrote: »

The VW Passat(B6) and Lexus IS(current one) are all guilty of the same charge as the Hyundai. Resembling a BMW. But its good to know thats its not just me who think highly of pre Bangle BMW designs:D!

Why anyone would want to copy the BMW 1 series is beyond me, the 1 series is pig ugly with one exception the new coupe.

As for the VW Passat copying a BMW ?

Time for new glasses E92.

markymac

The i30 and the Ceed are basically the same car, same parent company. The Ceed offers a 7 years warranty, not sure on the i30, but know it's not 7 years. The Ceed seems to have better lines as well.

Altreab

markymac wrote: »

The i30 and the Ceed are basically the same car, same parent company. The Ceed offers a 7 years warranty, not sure on the i30, but know it's not 7 years. The Ceed seems to have better lines as well.

i30 is a 3 year warranty but its 5 years in UK for same car..WTF??