Hyundai i30 review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The Hyundai i30 is available as a five-door hatchback or Tourer estate. Unlike its predecessor there’s no three-door planned, although a five-door Fastback coupe joined the range towards the end of 2017. 

Storage inside the cabin is good, with a decent bin between the front seats and suitably-sized door pockets good enough for a bottle of water. There’s also a handy storage area ahead of the gear lever for placing your phone and wallet out of harm’s way.

Size

At 4.34m long and nearly 1.8m wide, the Hyundai i30 is slightly shorter and slightly narrower than a Vauxhall Astra. That makes it easy to drive, though manoeuvring in tight spaces is a little tricky due to the smaller rear window. The steering is light though, so you don’t have to work too hard when navigating small city streets.

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Leg room, head room & passenger space

Despite its square tailgate and high roofline, the Hyundai i30 isn’t the most capacious family car on sale. Space in the back is fine for most adults, but those over six-foot will find their heads rubbing on the roof. Knee room is also adequate, but if passenger space is a priority then a Skoda Octavia will better fit the bill.

The i30 Fastback is surprisingly uncompromised for a coupe, with as much headroom as the hatchback and nearly as much legroom. Even with a six-foot passenger behind a six-foot driver, there’s enough space for both.

Meanwhile, space up front is fine with lots of movement in the seating position and a steering wheel with reach and rake adjustment standard on all models. Everything is logically located – especially on those fitted with the larger touchscreen.

Boot 

The i30’s seats fold in one very simple motion to reveal a 1,301-litre maximum capacity. That’s 91 litres bigger than the Astra’s but 279 litres down on the Octavia. Those wanting even more room should opt for the new Hyundai i30 Tourer estate, which offers 602 litres of space, or the i30 Fastback, which features a 450-litre boot. The i30 Fastback retains a hatchback tailgate, so it’s more versatile than the Toyota Corolla saloon or Mazda 3 Fastback saloon.