Hyundai i30n

Veloce

Just wanted to get boardsies thoughts on the all new Hyundai i30n.

2.0 litre, 271bhp with the performance pack. Front wheel drive - numerous different settings to play with - suspension stiffness, exhaust, steering feel, rev matching. Huge potential.

Prices are in or around €40k - €42k which I am finding is not particularly competitive against the likes of a Golf GTI (or Golf R even which can be got new for under 50k - not a direct competitor I know).

The dealers don't appear to be offering any incentives or discounts on the i30N either. PCP is coming in at around 3.6 - 3.9%.

Have Hyundai Ireland got this all wrong? As much as I like them, I can't see people buying this car over the premium brands?

Its a shame as the car looks to be a brilliantly fun car. Albert Biermann (ex BMW M division) was involved in the development of the car too and it was tested on the Nurburgring.

bazz26

There was a quick discussion about it in the Golf GTi/GTD thread a few days ago.

dar83

Too expensive and lacks the historical pedigree to make it desirable for the price unfortunately.

Might be worth picking up in 2-3 years time for €12k or so though, maybe.

easygoing39

There's only 1 reason why people buy Hyundai,and thats cause they are cheap.Once they start selling them at the same price as decent cars no-one will buy them.No one in their right mind one buy a 30n over a Golf GTI or a Focus ST.Hyundai are the motoring equivalent of white goods
,boring/bland/souless! And no amount of exhaust pops and farts is going to change that image.
As mentioned by dar83,wait 3 years and pick one up for buttons.

punisher5112

Since the guards got them I've never seen so many Hyundai on the road.

DaveyDave

No doubt it's a nice car, reviews seem to have good things to say and it's good to see some competition in the hot hatch segment but price is the issue. They're €28,500 in the UK with the Performance model being €32,000 while the standard GTI is €32,000 in the UK.

Hyundai's price list on their Irish website only has one model down for €39,995. The website says "up to 275hp" so I'm assuming the price is for the 250hp model which is also only available in a manual and a manual GTI is nearly €1,000 cheaper. There's very little information on their website and their website has been crap for a long time. There's no brochure or anything. No use spouting 275PS numbers if there's no sigh of the Performance model being sold here!

Obviously the price makes sense in the UK, I'm sure the GTI is a nicer car but when you're paying the same price and one is the performance model then that's good competition. Here the nicer but slightly less powerful car is cheaper, you do the math...

JoeA3

From Hyundai.ie:

The aggressive front bumpers with large air intakes and the Cascading Grille make a clear statement of performance with exclusive 19" wheels and high performance breaks.

Maybe the budget didn’t stretch to BMW M division marketing guys.

AMKC

easygoing39 wrote: »

There's only 1 reason why people buy Hyundai,and thats cause they are cheap.Once they start selling them at the same price as decent cars no-one will buy them.No one in their right mind one buy a 30n over a Golf GTI or a Focus ST.Hyundai are the motoring equivalent of white goods
,boring/bland/souless! And no amount of exhaust pops and farts is going to change that image.
As mentioned by dar83,wait 3 years and pick one up for buttons.

There's 4 reason's at least why people buy Hyundai's and its not anything to do with the reason you said.

Actually you're wrong there is a lot least 4 more reasons they buy them. The 5 year warranty that's never needed but nice to have, reliability, build quality because unlike VW's the Hyundais do not break down and get rattly all the time and style because again unlike VW's Hyundai's actually do have style and they do go hire a designer to design there cars whereas VW don;t bother anymore. The VW Tiguan and Golf are not exactly what you would call design masterpieces. They are about as exciting as watching paint dry.

I agree the i30n is a little expensive but it's also nice that they are doing that now. They have to start somewhere and it's a very good effort for there first try

It's also nice that people into these car have more choice now. They are giving people who want a car like that now and are bored of there VW breaking down a bit more choice in what to buy.

DaveyDave

JoeA3 wrote: »

Maybe the budget didn’t stretch to BMW M division marketing guys.

Nurburgring, Nurburgring, NURBURGRING!!!

AMKC wrote: »

There's 4 reason's at least why people buy Hyundai's and its not anything to do with the reason you said.

Actually you're wrong there is a lot least 4 more reasons they buy them. The 5 year warranty that's never needed but nice to have, reliability, build quality because unlike VW's the Hyundais do not break down and get rattly all the time and style because again unlike VW's Hyundai's actually do have style and they do go hire a designer to design there cars whereas VW don;t bother anymore. The VW Tiguan and Golf are not exactly what you would call design masterpieces. They are about as exciting as watching paint dry.

I agree the i30n is a little expensive but it's also nice that they are doing that now. They have to start somewhere and it's a very good effort for there first try

It's also nice that people into these car have more choice now. They are giving people who want a car like that now and are bored of there VW breaking down a bit more choice in what to buy.

The Golf sells twice as many cars as the i30, of course you're going to hear about more issues. Unless there's articles showing a bigger percentage of engine failure with Volkswagens then I can't say it's a major issue. There's no doubt the older engines had some issues but Hyundai/Kia aren't free from this. Just look at the thread where someone's neighbor had to get a whole new Kia after their brand new one was faulty. I40 clutches, Garda car reliability issues etc.

Let's not kid ourselves and compare the i30 build quality to the Golf though. There's no question the i30 isn't anywhere near as refined or well built as the Golf.

While design is personal opinion and it's ok to dislike it you'd have to be quite ignorant to say the Golf or Tiguan don't have any style. While they don't stand out as much as a Civic or a CHR they're very well designed and have a lot of attention to detail. They're just not flashy and Volkswagen can't be condemned for not having pointy bumpers that will poke your eye out. I park next to a Tiguan in work and it's nice to see a car in that segment that isn't trying to be trendy with styling. It's a car, not a fad.

Comparing the MK7.5 Golf to a MK7 there's quite a few well thought changes.

I don't have any experience with the 3rd gen i30 and I'm sure people are sick of me comparing them but the 2nd gen i30 is cheap, rattly and uncomfortable to drive. It definitely looks and feels like a cheap car on the inside from the hard plastics and the cheap feeling steering wheel. They're closer to a Dacia than a Volkswagen. I like the exterior but funny enough the 3rd Gen is more like the 1st gen, boring. In what world is THIS not boring?

We get that you don't like Volkswagen. You actually seem to dislike them on a personal level. I'm not a fanboy but I love my Golf and I appreciate that they've made a car that is damn near perfect in every aspect. Hyundai are closing the price gap between themselves and VW and they're making it easier to spend a little extra to get a lot more car and if you don't like a Golf there's always the Focus, Leon, Octavia, Civic etc.

There's also no DCT on the i30n, did they not want the sales or have they just not developed a wet clutch yet? If it was €5k less sure, but the Golf also has the iconic history behind it. I'd say they're definitely going to be great on the second hand market but people will have to buy them first!

JoeA3

AMKC wrote: »

There's 4 reason's at least why people buy Hyundai's and its not anything to do with the reason you said.

Actually you're wrong there is a lot least 4 more reasons they buy them. The 5 year warranty that's never needed but nice to have, reliability, build quality because unlike VW's the Hyundais do not break down and get rattly all the time and style because again unlike VW's Hyundai's actually do have style and they do go hire a designer to design there cars whereas VW don;t bother anymore. The VW Tiguan and Golf are not exactly what you would call design masterpieces. They are about as exciting as watching paint dry.

I agree the i30n is a little expensive but it's also nice that they are doing that now. They have to start somewhere and it's a very good effort for there first try

It's also nice that people into these car have more choice now. They are giving people who want a car like that now and are bored of there VW breaking down a bit more choice in what to buy.

So much absolute bullcrap in a single post it’s hard to know where to begin.

This car is not going to sell in any numbers, I can assure you, good and all as it may be. The few that do sell will be dealer pre reg’d demos and even then, those won’t be easily shifted. Their own dealers / distributor don’t even have confidence in the car. They aren’t offering PCP on them as they can’t / won’t give a GMFV for it. That tells you all you need to know about the likely residuals. So this 40k+ Hyundai is restricted to cash rich buyers or those that are prepared to sucker up into a very costly HP finance deal. The numbers out there willing / able to do that are minuscule.

To compete with the well established GTI and others in the VAG stable, the Focus ST, it needs a superb finance package, dealers who know how to sell it (performance “breaks” :rolleyes:) and some kind of credible image / pedigree in order to tempt lads away from the VW showroom. This car has none of these things and therefore will be as rare as rocking horse poo on our roads.

Oh and could you perhaps point out the design masterpiece details on the Hyundai - or any Hyundai for that matter? At a glance this particular car appears to have made an attempt to photocopy the standard hot hatch look, which VW have already long since nailed down.

AMKC

DaveyDave wrote: »

Nurburgring, Nurburgring, NURBURGRING!!!



The Golf sells twice as many cars as the i30, of course you're going to hear about more issues. Unless there's articles showing a bigger percentage of engine failure with Volkswagens then I can't say it's a major issue. There's no doubt the older engines had some issues but Hyundai/Kia aren't free from this. Just look at the thread where someone's neighbor had to get a whole new Kia after their brand new one was faulty. I40 clutches, Garda car reliability issues etc.

Let's not kid ourselves and compare the i30 build quality to the Golf though. There's no question the i30 isn't anywhere near as refined or well built as the Golf.

While design is personal opinion and it's ok to dislike it you'd have to be quite ignorant to say the Golf or Tiguan don't have any style. While they don't stand out as much as a Civic or a CHR they're very well designed and have a lot of attention to detail. They're just not flashy and Volkswagen can't be condemned for not having pointy bumpers that will poke your eye out. I park next to a Tiguan in work and it's nice to see a car in that segment that isn't trying to be trendy with styling. It's a car, not a fad.

Comparing the MK7.5 Golf to a MK7 there's quite a few well thought changes.

I don't have any experience with the 3rd gen i30 and I'm sure people are sick of me comparing them but the 2nd gen i30 is cheap, rattly and uncomfortable to drive. It definitely looks and feels like a cheap car on the inside from the hard plastics and the cheap feeling steering wheel. They're closer to a Dacia than a Volkswagen. I like the exterior but funny enough the 3rd Gen is more like the 1st gen, boring. In what world is THIS not boring?

We get that you don't like Volkswagen. You actually seem to dislike them on a personal level. I'm not a fanboy but I love my Golf and I appreciate that they've made a car that is damn near perfect in every aspect. Hyundai are closing the price gap between themselves and VW and they're making it easier to spend a little extra to get a lot more car and if you don't like a Golf there's always the Focus, Leon, Octavia, Civic etc.

There's also no DCT on the i30n, did they not want the sales or have they just not developed a wet clutch yet? If it was €5k less sure, but the Golf also has the iconic history behind it. I'd say they're definitely going to be great on the second hand market but people will have to buy them first!

You make some very good points.

I don't have any experience with the 3rd gen i30 and I'm sure people are sick of me comparing them but the 2nd gen i30 is cheap, rattly and uncomfortable to drive. It definitely looks and feels like a cheap car on the inside from the hard plastics and the cheap feeling steering wheel. They're closer to a Dacia than a Volkswagen. I like the exterior but funny enough the 3rd Gen is more like the 1st gen, boring.

What would you say about someone who changed from a MK5 Golf to a Gen 2 I30. My neighbour did last year and she is very happy with it. She had the Golf for 5 or more years but also had a lot of problems with it.

I don't have any experience with the 3rd gen i30 and I'm sure people are sick of me comparing them but the 2nd gen i30 is cheap, rattly and uncomfortable to drive. It definitely looks and feels like a cheap car on the inside from the hard plastics and the cheap feeling steering wheel. They're closer to a Dacia than a Volkswagen. I like the exterior but funny enough the 3rd Gen is more like the 1st gen, boring.

I agree with you that the third gen is boring and the 2nd was a much nicer looking car but I disagree on the first gen being boring. I think with the 3rd gen Hyundai are trying to target more VW buyers and were trying to make there car classier.

We get that you don't like Volkswagen. You actually seem to dislike them on a personal level. I'm not a fanboy but I love my Golf and I appreciate that they've made a car that is damn near perfect in every aspect.

I do not dislike VW I just think that VW could be braver with there styling instead of being boring and making all there cars look the same. I think the MK5 Golf was the best looking Golf but since that VW have gone very boring again.
The Parents had two Skoda Octavias in the Early naughties which is VW owned and they were great cars perfect for what they needed at the time. I was the one that convinced them to buy them well the first one anyway the second I just made sure they got the right spec. For the price of a highly specced Octavia at the time VW were selling the MK4 fatboy sorry Golf with not near as much spec as the Octavia for same price and Ford were selling a Mondeo LX a horrible yoke inside with feck all in it

166man

Standard hot hatch look? Yawn....

Nice to see someone doing something a little different I’m delighted. The badge snobs can continue to drive their over priced Skodas as well, won’t make any difference.

Heaven forbid someone went from a “Premium Golf” to a Hyundai.... boards really has gone to the dogs in recent years.

JoeA3

Sh1t stirring Alfa fan boy in for another boring dig. Yawn indeed.

carsfan2

I picked up a copy of this months “Evo” magazine and in a group test of the Hyundai i30n, golf gti, Peugeot 308 gti, the Hyundai was the surprise winner.
The golf lacked the last 5% all round they declared to make it a winner.
This was the higher power version of the Hyundai. Not sure what we have here in Ireland. A magazine like Evo is usually a straight shooter too when it comes to assessing cars unlike some other uk mags that champion jaguars and Land Rover regardless of their faults.
I applaud Hyundai for bringing this car out and actually think they are rapidly improving in terms of product. That are unveiling a new Santa Fe Jeep soon that is supposed to be a real looker too.
That said , I don’t know of any car enthusiasts that would put 40kinto a Hyundai i30.

bear1

JoeA3 wrote: »

Sh1t stirring Alfa fan boy in for another boring dig. Yawn indeed.

I like Alfas too
Hyundai have really upped their game though in recent years and I look forward to seeing more of their work.
I think they fecked up giving the i40 a measly 1.7 engine but at the same time the equipment levels (I'll include the Kia optima as well) is truly impressive compared to the standard equipment of more premium brands.
The i30n has caught my eye and also the ceed gt so may look further into getting one for the wife at some stage.

JoeA3

bear1 wrote: »

I like Alfas too
.

As do I. But not a fan of inane pointless cheap digs that offer zero to the conversation, which one contributor on this thread is very prone to.

JohnBoy26

Anyone that calls the i30n a boring white goods car has obviously never driven one. It's completely on a different level to the standard i30 and is more than a match for the golf gti and focus st.

If you can look beyond the badge you will see that these are a very good car and, dare I say it, have more character than the golf or focus equivalent.

All reviews are glowing too.

Veloce

I've been to look at one in the showroom and it certainly doesn't feel like a 'cheap' car from the inside. Steering wheel has a nice size and feel to it. Seats are very comfy but offer relevant side bolster support. A nice significantly sized central display.

The reviews have certainly been glowing. It appears to well set up and a hoot to drive. It sounds amazing too. I'd love to have an extended test drive to figure out all the available settings that can be changed. There is the most aggressive 'N' mode which can be activated by a single button the steering wheel. But from what I have read you can create your own custom set up options and save these as a preset. These options cover damping, steering, exhaust etc which all of each have 3 settings each. Normal - sport - sport +

bear1

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Anyone that calls the i30n a boring white goods car has obviously never driven one. It's completely on a different level to the standard i30 and is more than a match for the golf gti and focus st.

If you can look beyond the badge you will see that these are a very good car and, dare I say it, have more character than the golf or focus equivalent.

All reviews are glowing too.

Personally I wouldn't give 2 ****s about the badge if the car is of good quality and a pocket rocket to boot.
I actually think it's a cracking looking car.

AMKC

bear1 wrote: »

I like Alfas too
Hyundai have really upped their game though in recent years and I look forward to seeing more of their work.
I think they fecked up giving the i40 a measly 1.7 engine but at the same time the equipment levels (I'll include the Kia optima as well) is truly impressive compared to the standard equipment of more premium brands.
The i30n has caught my eye and also the ceed gt so may look further into getting one for the wife at some stage.

Someone near me has a Kia Picanto the last model not the latest one but it looks really well. Has some very nice looking red leather seats in it and and nice bodykit too. Definitely not standard Kia fare maybe retrofitted after it but it looks great.

166man

JoeA3 wrote: »

Sh1t stirring Alfa fan boy in for another boring dig. Yawn indeed.

Not just Alfa fanboy - I currently own and have owned many different cars over the years, I just happen to drive one now.

It was the “standard hot hatch” comment that really got me..:D You’re probably the same type of person who would tell me that a Golf R is an “exciting, involving” car to drive.

I take offense at your “**** stirring” comment also, I’m merely pointing out an opinion that is clearly shared by others.

JoeA3

166man wrote: »

Not just Alfa fanboy - I currently own and have owned many different cars over the years, I just happen to drive one now.

It was the “standard hot hatch” comment that really got me..:D You’re probably the same type of person who would tell me that a Golf R is an “exciting, involving” car to drive.

I take offense at your “**** stirring” comment also, I’m merely pointing out an opinion that is clearly shared by others.

Take offence, lol.
Who are you trying to kid anyway. Any time I pop into the general chat thread you've been banned / on the way to another ban after pissing one or more people off with yet another one of your well thought out contributions.

By "standard hot hatch" I meant (without thinking about it that much) that this Hyundai has clearly taken the template for a hot hatch (take the standard 5 door and add some skirts and spoilers) and I don't see anything radically different from the norm about it.

How many miles in a Golf R (or any hot hatch) have you driven? I'm guessing zero, so your opinons are based on...?

166man

JoeA3 wrote: »

Take offence, lol.
Who are you trying to kid anyway. Any time I pop into the general chat thread you've been banned / on the way to another ban after pissing one or more people off with yet another one of your well thought out contributions.

By "standard hot hatch" I meant (without thinking about it that much) that this Hyundai has clearly taken the template for a hot hatch (take the standard 5 door and add some skirts and spoilers) and I don't see anything radically different from the norm about it.

How many miles in a Golf R (or any hot hatch) have you driven? I'm guessing zero, so your opinons are based on...?

I’m not trying to kid anyone - I believe you’re throwing insults around. Not that it’s relevent but I haven’t been banned from anywhere here for ages actually, I’m being really well behaved.

My contributions I’d like to think are well thought out and based on real world experiences. I’m not sure yours are as you alluded to above - you don’t think very much it seems!

It’s radical for Hyundai and that makes it cool enough for me, it’s also different to the sea of diesel Golfs out there - which deserves praise.

Finally, driven quite a few hot hatches in my time but I think the better question here is how many fast Hyundai’s have you driven...or how many Alfa’s have you driven?

I’m guessing not many, because if you had you’d know a thing or two about this thing called “taste”.

Good day Sir.

colm_mcm

I don’t think any of us has driven a fast Hyundai to be fair.

166man

colm_mcm wrote: »

I don’t think any of us has driven a fast Hyundai to be fair.

Clutching at straws there Colm. I think we can all see that to which I was referring.

A chap on here sold his Golf R as it was too boring and bought a ‘90’s BMW - what does that tell us?

JohnBoy26

JoeA3 wrote: »

Take offence, lol.
Who are you trying to kid anyway. Any time I pop into the general chat thread you've been banned / on the way to another ban after pissing one or more people off with yet another one of your well thought out contributions.

By "standard hot hatch" I meant (without thinking about it that much) that this Hyundai has clearly taken the template for a hot hatch (take the standard 5 door and add some skirts and spoilers) and I don't see anything radically different from the norm about it.

How many miles in a Golf R (or any hot hatch) have you driven? I'm guessing zero, so your opinons are based on...?

Norm as in a golf gti/focus st? Or norm as in the normal i30? What would would you like to see different or what would it have to do different to please you?

YbFocus

Christ Joe, people can have an opinion other than VAG is the best in the world.
Live with it.
I actually seen this car testing at the ring last August and it looked really well setup.

I was in a golf R in Mondello, it was boring as sin and totally driving itself.

It was me who took a chap out in a bmw and won him over in a **** 1k bmw you the point he got one about a week later.

The i30N would be a fun car, modern and **** like they all are, but fun.

JohnBoy26

colm_mcm wrote: »

I don’t think any of us has driven a fast Hyundai to be fair.

All of the reviewers who normally nitpick when it comes to Hyundai's have and they have nothing but good to say about this car. Afaik even topgear had to rewrite their script after driving this car. I think they were going to poke fun at it but must of seen that wouldn't of been credible after driving it.

166man

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Norm as in a golf gti/focus st? Or norm as in the normal i30? What would would you like to see different or what would it have to do different to please you?

It would have to look more “standard” and fit in well with all the other cars on the road.

It would need to be fast but not too fast and definitely not wild.

It would have to have a respectable badge and impress others.

It would have to be a VW GTI I’m afraid!!

colm_mcm

166man wrote: »

Clutching at straws there Colm. I think we can all see that to which I was referring.

A chap on here sold his Golf R as it was too boring and bought a ‘90’s BMW - what does that tell us?

It just means the Golf wasn’t what he really wanted I suppose. He could as easily have sold a house in Dublin and moved to a farm in Mullingar. Doesn’t make one better than the other. They’re completely different experiences and fulfil a want someone has for something.

My thoughts are that the Golf R is an absolute weapon of a yoke, as is this new Hyundai. I’m reminded of the Impreza vs Lancer wars of the 90s, or even the fast Golf vs fast Escort battles a few years before that.
To call a Golf dull and prefer another car that’s no more exciting on any metric I can think of on the basis that it’s not another boring Golf is a bit strange to me. The I30 is the underdog and that makes it appealing maybe?

selectamatic

166man wrote: »

Clutching at straws there Colm. I think we can all see that to which I was referring.

A chap on here sold his Golf R as it was too boring and bought a ‘90’s BMW - what does that tell us?

It tells us he wanted an older more mechanical/analog car.

But it doesn't tell us the R is boring. it may not have been to the taste of the poster but the phrase different strokes for different folks is well known for a reason.

Interestingly enough that poster is currently debating moving to a slightly more modern car than his e30, so what does that tell us?

I'll give ya a clue it's a 3 word answer that goes something like "sweet f*#k all".

vintagevrs

What's going on in here then....

Think I might buy an I30n!

166man

colm_mcm wrote: »

It just means the Golf wasn’t what he really wanted I suppose. He could as easily have sold a house in Dublin and moved to a farm in Mullingar. Doesn’t make one better than the other. They’re completely different experiences and fulfil a want someone has for something.

My thoughts are that the Golf R is an absolute weapon of a yoke, as is this new Hyundai. I’m reminded of the Impreza vs Lancer wars of the 90s, or even the fast Golf vs fast Escort battles a few years before that.
To call a Golf dull and prefer another car that’s no more exciting on any metric I can think of on the basis that it’s not another boring Golf is a bit strange to me. The I30 is the underdog and that makes it appealing maybe?

I don’t intend on going back and forward with this. My point re the Golf R - fast? Yes. Overall a good car? Yes probably. But to me ultimately boring because all it can do is go fast. And speed gets boring after a while.

These are my opinions btw, and you’re all entitled to yours.

AMKC

166man wrote: »

I don’t intend on going back and forward with this. My point re the Golf R - fast? Yes. Overall a good car? Yes probably. But to me ultimately boring because all it can do is go fast. And speed gets boring after a while.

These are my opinions btw, and you’re all entitled to yours.

But to me ultimately boring because all it can do is go fast. And speed gets boring after a while.

Especially when you can not even drive legally faster than 120 KM H on the roads anyway so most of the car is wasted unless you can afford to and want to risk racing on a track a few times a year.

punisher5112

I'm just so happy that 2.0 can get so much bhp out of them...

Would I pay that money for one no...
Would I like to drive one hell yes.

I use to get to drive some really cool stuff but nowadays I'm stuck in a vRS which I feel drives very well and is a great handling car but I really would love an old school impreza 2001 to 2007 before they ruined it as them things were on rails.

JohnBoy26

punisher5112 wrote: »

I'm just so happy that 2.0 can get so much bhp out of them...

Would I pay that money for one no...
Would I like to drive one hell yes.

I use to get to drive some really cool stuff but nowadays I'm stuck in a vRS which I feel drives very well and is a great handling car but I really would love an old school impreza 2001 to 2007 before they ruined it as them things were on rails.

I think the sweet spot for impreza's was the facelift that came after the bugeye I think they ran from 03-05?

JoeA3

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Norm as in a golf gti/focus st? Or norm as in the normal i30? What would would you like to see different or what would it have to do different to please you?

I think you're missing my point or maybe I didn't articulate it very well. I quite like the look of the car - its pretty obvious to my eyes at least that the design has some heavy VAG influence and I am certain that this is no accident - which is kinda ironic given some of the Golf bashing on here!

My original post in this thread stated the obvious problems with this car, as good a car as it probably is. It's not cheap enough, the dealers are totally new to this kind of car, the finance / packaging deals just aren't there to make any impact on sales and the image (like it or not, this has some importance when you're spending your own hard earned) is absolutely not at the races. But maybe they'll get there with it eventually.

So how many of you would put your cash where your mouths are and put down 40k for one? Not many I bet. It'll be a nice buy in 3 years time for 14k (if you can find one).

Wailin

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

I think the sweet spot for impreza's was the facelift that came after the bugeye I think they ran from 03-05?

Agreed. That particular facelift came out in 2004 I think, followed by another one in 2006. That bug eyed model was definitely polarizing, a bit like the E60 from BMW.

bear1

Who'd have thought a Hyundai would cause such a reaction

colm_mcm

I wonder if Kia will do a version on the new Pro Ceed? Should be a new one on the way and the current one is a nice looking car.

tossy

This is all hilarious -lol at the alfa fan boy bit, he's a troll but he's not that bad. The most powerful car he's owned though is a diesel Alfa and he thought a 170 odd bhp volvo was a fast car so.... quantifiable opinion and all that.

I've had a spin in one of these, probably the only here who has ? not sure.

I'll give my bar stool review on it, hopefully it won't be taken as some VAG biased guff lol

I think most of us can agree from the outside it's a stunning looking car, there are elements of other cars - focus - ish grille etc but all car makers are guilty of that nowadays.

Power wise it doesn't disappoint it feels every bit of 270 ponies when on the move, at speed on a motorway it feels as solid and confidence inspiring as any other 'premium' hot hatch i've driven.

It handles as well as i expected it would from the reviews i've seen - the suspension when in sport mode is as harsh as my own car, you really feel the road. Standard issue tyres are P zeros and the brakes are more than up to the job of fast road work the appear to be about 340 mm ish.

It sounds ridiculous (in the best way) it will pop and bang at will and as so will turn way more heads than a Golf GTI,R,S3 etc just sitting at a traffic light waiting to go.

I think an automatic option would be good to compete with the rivals and i don't like FWD full stop lol.

Inside the tech is superb, the level of customization available is premium saloon level although i found the centre screen a bit busy it would be hard to decipher on the move it reminded me somewhat of the home screen of a car racing game, like everything though if you lived with it then it would become second nature.

The interior though is the one weak point for me, the quality and finish just isn't on a par with other marques, the seats are not the seats of a 40k plus hot hatch. Hyundai aren't alone in this though, i think the same of the golf R. When you sit into a car like these there should be a sense of occasion, it shouldn't just be the power,noise and handling that sets you apart from the econobox version.

I can't see brand loyal petrol heads who buy GTI's or ST's jumping ship but i can see a discerning petrol head who isn't brand loyal (aka a fan boy lol) and has tried the megane GT, leon etc driving one of these and thinking this is the car for me. Second hand these will be the hot hatch to buy no question, i think they will gain a bit of a cult following due to second hand sales and as a result the next generation will be eagerly anticipated and could do well.

Overall i was blown away by this car, like many when i heard about it i scoffed at the idea of a hot Hyundai - my previous experience of a hot Hyundai was driving the 2.7 V6 coupe eons ago and they were neither hot nor good.

JoeA3

Good post Tossy. I thought nothing would sway you out of that Audi
Fully agree re the seats in the R.... can’t understand why those buckets are not at least an option. Maybe the MK8...

Neilw

JoeA3 wrote: »

Good post Tossy. I thought nothing would sway you out of that Audi
Fully agree re the seats in the R.... can’t understand why those buckets are not at least an option. Maybe the MK8...

The only let down to an otherwise perfectly designed and engineered car.
The R really is the answer to all, does everything perfectly....it really has no competition.

166man

tossy wrote: »

This is all hilarious -lol at the alfa fan boy bit, he's a troll but he's not that bad. The most powerful car he's owned though is a diesel Alfa and he thought a 170 odd bhp volvo was a fast car so.... quantifiable opinion and all that.

I've had a spin in one of these, probably the only here who has ? not sure.

I'll give my bar stool review on it, hopefully it won't be taken as some VAG biased guff lol

Overall i was blown away by this car, like many when i heard about it i scoffed at the idea of a hot Hyundai - my previous experience of a hot Hyundai was driving the 2.7 V6 coupe eons ago and they were neither hot nor good.

You obviously have a short memory Sir. Just to point out I owned a V17 7 Series with 340 odd bhp but I wouldn't expect you to remember that.

Fwiw my ''diesel Alfa'' has 240 odd bhp and is quick enough for what is it - a diesel saloon! The Volvo I never said was fast, but it sure sounded great.

These things are all relative, but you'd do well to take a look at yourself being 40 odd years of age and arguing with someone online over ''my car is powerful than yours''!


On the other side I actually found your Hyundai review interesting, I agree that they're too expensive and they won't sell many but that doesn't take away from the fact that the car is very very cool.

tossy

When the troll gets trolled you'd want to stop taking everything everyone says so seriously.

Neilw

166man wrote: »

You obviously have a short memory Sir. Just to point out I owned a V17 7 Series with 340 odd bhp but I wouldn't expect you to remember that.

Those V17's are some engine, based on a WW2 fighter plane aren't they :P

vintagevrs

One interesting thing I find on this thread, is that we all like cars more than the average Joe, otherwise we wouldn't be on here posting our thoughts. The fact that the little Hyundai has caused such debate must mean something surely.

Few points from my perspective/experience.

Fast does not equal fun. I would think most would agree with this. Funny I even spotted Neilw posting on another forum as recently as last night that his old mk2 GTi is more fun than his Golf R, and I completely get that. I think the issue is, if someone says a Golf R is boring, or an S3 is this or a Focus is that, everyone that owns one gets on the defensive. People aren't having a dig at you ffs, they are giving their thoughts on a product. Take it for what it is.

Up until very recently I would have had a poor opinion of these "white goods" brands we hear about on here. I used to think the same, and I had no personal experience with any of these brands which made doing this very easy. More fool me, as recently I sat in a new Kia Optima and any previous opinion I had on that brand is completely gone. That is a fine car, by any standard.


That Hyundai is a cracking car. As are most hot hatches, so it really comes down to personal taste. Hyundai may well struggle with sales at the start, as the pricing may not be where it's needed, but this is a brand new product for them so no harm it starting slightly more expensive. Maybe Hyundai Ireland are still testing the water with price point. Don't forget that when VW launched the Golf R in Ireland, it was a complete flop as well due to it's RRP.

I wouldn't be surprised if Hyundai make some changes in the next 12 months to get a few of these on the road.

Neilw

vintagevrs wrote: »

One interesting thing I find on this thread, is that we all like cars more than the average Joe, otherwise we wouldn't be on here posting our thoughts. The fact that the little Hyundai has caused such debate must mean something surely.

Few points from my perspective/experience.

Fast does not equal fun. I would think most would agree with this. Funny I even spotted Neilw posting on another forum as recently as last night that his old mk2 GTi is more fun than his Golf R, and I completely get that. I think the issue is, if someone says a Golf R is boring, or an S3 is this or a Focus is that, everyone that owns one gets on the defensive. People aren't having a dig at you ffs, they are giving their thoughts on a product. Take it for what it is.

I did indeed post that.
I find the mk2 more fun at lower speeds, where you can use all the engine power/handling and brakes.
It's light and nimble too.

In reply to this quote elsewhere.

the R which seems to be just a bit too fast and capable to really be fun.

Neilo wrote: »

Nail on the head there!

To have fun in an R, bar the acceleration you need to be at silly speeds where a mistake is really going to end badly.

166man

To be clear, I wasn't looking to offend here, and clearly some people got defensive about it.

But hot hatches these days are all the same. They all look the same, have a 2.0 Turbo engine with some super fast gearbox and cost the same etc etc.

I miss the days when the R32 had a characterful V6 engine, and the Focus ST was a 5 pot petrol...and the Mini Cooper S had a 1.6 supercharged engine.


I.e they all looked different and had their own differences. Now everything is a hatchback 2.0 turbo blah blah blah. They all sound the same too.

I am glad to see Hyundai bringing out this i30 though - it shows balls. And as Vintage pointed out, they'll do what VW did with the price and have to drop it, but if you don't ask strong money you don't get strong money.

Veloce

Thanks for the write up Tossy.

colm_mcm

Looks like they’re developing an i30n fastback too!