What's all this about?
The Hyundai i30 is being overhauled with some design tweaks and new engines, the most exciting of which is the new range-topper - called the i30 Turbo.
That sounds like a name from the Eighties...
Perhaps, but it has decent spec. Its 1.6-litre turbo engine makes 186hp at 5,500rpm and 265Nm from 1,500- to 4,500rpm, which allows the Turbo to go from 0-62mph in 8.0 seconds before going on to 136mph flat out. Sports suspension, a faster steering rack (2.78 turns lock-to-lock) and 18-inch alloys with fatter tyres all promise better dynamics for this i30 warm hatch.
What have they done to the looks?
Based on the facelifted i30, the Turbo comes in new colours (including Jet Black, exclusive to the top model), in either a three- or a five-door body shell, with a new radiator grille, revised front and rear bumpers with red highlights, fresh LED lights at the front and twin, wide-spaced exhausts. Inside are sports seats, a sports instrument cluster and red detailing on the steering wheel, gear knob and door trims.
What about the rest of the i30 range?
New EU6-compliant engines, some minor tweaks to the nose of the car and the inclusion of an optional seven-speed dual-clutch transmission are the main talking points. You can have an i30 with emissions as low as 92g/km as well.
Matt Robinson - 10 Dec 2014