22 February 2013
Euro style wagon
During the course of 2012, Hyundai’s manufacturing plant in Korea stopped production of the i30 wagon, prompting Hyundai New Zealand’s management team to make their way to the Czech Republic to source cars for our market. Hyundai’s Czech manufacturing plant has been operating for six years, producing iX35, iX20 for some markets and the i30 wagon destined for our market among others.
The Czech-built vehicles have their wiper and indicator stalks fitted on opposite “European” sides compared to the rest of the Hyundai NZ range, along with the daytime running lights located below the front fog lamps. Other than those minor details and the obvious changes to body configuration, these are the only noticeable differences between the i30 wagon and the Korean sourced hatch.
You only need to glance at the new European built i30 wagon to recognise Hyundai’s latest design language. Hyundai's design team in Russelsheim Germany have carried over the stylish fluidic lines and sculptured body panels from the i30 hatch.
The new i30 wagon uses the same platform as the hatch, but it’s stretched by 185mm, helping it gain 150 litres more boot space than its sibling, to give it a generous 528 litres luggage space which can be increased even further by folding the 60:40 split rear seats for a useful 1,642 litres.
The cabin area is spacious, with a modern new look and is trimmed with quality looking and feeling soft touch materials. The steering wheel has a host of switches for the driver to conveniently operate the radio, cruise control/speed limiter, Flex Steer, Bluetooth and the onboard computer functions.
The Flex Steer system, which was introduced with the latest i30 hatch, is shared with the new wagon and allows the driver to customise the steering-wheel weight from three selectable settings; the modes are Normal, Sport and Comfort. Keen drivers will prefer the Sport setting for its direct feel.
Engine choices are limited for the new model wagon but equipment levels are in line with the hatch variants. The 2.0L petrol motor, which was fitted to the previous model, has been dropped and the 1.6L petrol and 1.6L diesel engines are retained. There are two six-speed transmissions to choose from; a manual shifter, which is built in the Czech plant, and an automatic transmission.
The wagon’s 1.6L petrol motor performs well enough with 88kW/156Nm while it’s claimed to burn fuel at a rate of 6.7L/100km for the stick shifter and 6.9L/100km for the automatic. The frugal 1.6L diesel engine is the same motor used for the hatch and has a useful 94kW/260Nm while it’s claimed to use 5.6L/100km for the auto and 4.5L/100km of fuel for the manual option.
Getting in touch with technology
Hyundai introduces Satellite navigation to their cars for the first time in New Zealand, using LG units uploaded with Navteq software, which are fitted to the vehicles at the port of export. Hyundai claims to be the first car importer in New Zealand to introduce SUNA Traffic Sat Nav. The system receives live traffic information from the SUNA traffic channel and when necessary it will redirect drivers to another route to avoid traffic jams. The navigation system is standard on Veloster from March 2013 and it’s optional for the i40, i30 and iX35.
Active safety features include Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Traction Control System (TCS).
Passive safety is provided by seven airbags and the vehicle is awarded a five-star Euro-NCAP safety rating.
The 2013 Hyundai i30 wagon offers drivers a functional, European designed and built vehicle with the choice of two mid-sized engines that will please the likes of fleet and small-family buyers.
Pricing of the new i30 wagon starts at $36,490 for the manual 1.6L petrol, while the automatic choice adds $1,500 to the price. The 1.6L diesel engine with a stick shifter is priced at $40,490 and there is a $1,500 premium for the auto ‘box option. Manual gearbox options will be for indent order only.