Second-generation Hyundai i30

European flair and Korean reliability is what Hyundai's best at when it comes to create better looking cars with the finest features. For the Hyundai i30's full model change, this will make European engineers envy over this hatchback It made them so envy, even the Volkswagen Group CEO got jealous over the new i30's silence.

2012 Hyundai i30

The all-new Hyundai i30 is the second addition of Hyundai's new Premium Youth Lab (PYL). In case that most don't know what PYL is, this is the new sub-brand targeted for the young Korean adults in their 20's. This brand was launched since the Hyundai Veloster debuted in March 10, 2011 and BLU Premium Youth Lab members provide special perks and privileges. It uses the "Aero Active" concept as its basis on its design and with its "Fluidic Sculpture" design philosophy, the all new i30 is made to be highly attractive and some say that it was inspired from the Veloster. We might even think that we are going to nickname this the Veloster with 5-doors, you know what I mean. Although the front view its impressive, the back view is somewhat a little bit rubbish, it's like when the designers faced the common sentence "Finish or not finish, pass your papers", get it?

2012 Hyundai i30 interior

A lot of people commenting about the new interior because the new i30's big space got the attention of the Volkswagen Group CEO and he got so jealous that why European car makers didn't do the same thing as Hyundai because of its European flair and Korean reliability but whatever. The new i30 features loads of interior features such as a 7-inch intelligent navigation system, large TFT Supervision Cluster, dual-zone climate control, and panoramic sunroof. Customers can be benefited with the new i30's interior because this has more space than the previous model and the rear seats can be folded to create three seating arrangements suitable for luggage purposes, perfect for the adventurous drivers who wanted to take some time off.

Two engines are available on the new i30 such as the Gamma 1.6L GDI engine and the U2 1.6L VGT engine. First, the GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) 1.6L engine produces 140PS/6300rpm of power and 17kg-m/4850rpm of torque. This helps the car accumulate a maximum fuel economy of 16.3km/L but with the Hyundai i30 1.6 GDi BlueSaver grade, this reaches a fuel economy of 17.3km/L thanks to its innovative idling stop function which helps the Gamma 1.6L GDI engine to shut off automatically when stopped. The U2 1.6L CRDi-VGT engine produces 128HP/4000rpm of power and 26.5kg-m/2750rpm of torque. This helps the engine to accumulate 23km/L of fuel economy, if the 6-speed manual is equipped. GDi variants are equipped with a standard 6-speed automatic transmission but CRDi-VGT variants of the new i30 come with either a 6-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual transmission.

The new i30 comes with the new Flex Steer system that allows the driver to choose from three driving modes; Comfort, Normal, and Sport. The Comfort mode provides easy driving on normal roads, Normal mode for balance, and Sport mode to provide quicker handling on the corners of the earth. From the corners of Monaco, straight Belgian roads, Canadian forests, and the twists and turns of Switzerland, we are sure that hardcore drivers may want to switch the i30's Flex Steer on Sport Mode with a hint of exclamation mark. The new i30 also has SPAS (Smart Parking Assist System) that allows the car to park all by itself hands-free and we won't regret it about its safety feature.

The new Hyundai i30 comes with nine color variations such as Creamy White, Sleek Silver, Hyper Silver, Pink Shell, Hazel Brown, Tropic Red, Santorini Blue, Black Bean, and Phantom Black.

My comment:
With its catchphrase "never-ending ideas", the new Hyundai i30 provides never ending ideas for the driver to come up on the road because of its design, space, technology, and performance, something that the Germans failed to have, even the Japanese. The new i30 is the second member of the new Hyundai Premium Youth Lab brand and it provides three key goals; Shift the Grade, Show your Identity, and Save your Money, referring to its performance, design, and ecology.

Unfortunately though, it is not yet confirmed to bring it to the Philippines because of the previous model's slow sales. Also, the 1.6L GDi engine and the 1.6L CRDi-VGT engine are not strong enough on the Philippine roads. There is a 10% probability that it will come...as a gray market somewhere at either Pitstop Motors or Hancars.

The new i30 has something that European car makers never have...

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company