Hyundai i30: Fourth report

I've been left in the dark by our Hyundai i30. It’s got nothing to do with a mystery breakdown or a technical issue. Instead, it’s the lack of interior lighting that’s been letting the car down.

The short winter days mean I’ve been doing a lot of night-time journeys lately, and the lack of illumination is starting to become something of a bugbear. Of course, while you’re on the move, there’s no problem, and the Hyundai is equipped with excellent headlights that cast a bright beam on the road ahead. And when they’re not in use, the smart LED daytime running lamps look stylish and help others notice you.

But inside, it’s a different story. I’ve mentioned in previous reports that there is no lighting in the front cabin, and it’s really starting to irritate, especially if I’m stopped somewhere and am waiting to pick up a friend or family member. The single roof-mounted light is set back in the middle of the car, and while that helps when you’re in the back seats, hardly any light is cast forwards, making it difficult to get out a book or magazine to read while I’m waiting. Plus, the vanity mirrors in the sun visors don’t have courtesy lights, so there’s no solution there, either.

In daylight, I really don’t have any complaints about the look of the cabin. The touches of silver trim add a smart edge to the clear layout, and the i30 feels well built. The only real niggle is that the centre console curves away from you, so you have to lean forward to reach the upper controls.

But on a cold, dark, winter morning, the lighting issue raises itself again. There’s a lot of black plastics and fabrics on board, and if you’re nowhere near a street light, it’s difficult to find your way around, especially if you drop something.

This was something that was highlighted when the glovebox mysteriously broke a few weeks back. My daughter opened it as normal, but everything came flying out as the door ended up pointing towards the floor. For a few days, I was none the wiser to the cause, until I found a small black plastic stopper in the passenger footwell. It was a simple job to reinsert the part, and nowthe glovebox opens normally again.

And thanks to products writer Jamie Fretwell, I have a handy solution to my lighting problem. He’s supplied me with a small clip-on light by Osram that attaches to the sun visor. It’s nice and easy to use, and there are no worries about it running out of battery, because it charges via a USB lead, so I can plug it straight into the i30’s standard fit socket.

The fact that the poor interior lighting is my only real criticism of the Hyundai is proof of what a great car it is to live with. Admittedly, it’s not the most exciting or refined car on our fleet, but it’s a great-value family hatchback, and I have come to appreciate its unfussy, reliable approach.

The spacious interior allows five adults to travel in comfort, while the large boot has swallowed everything I’ve thrown at it, too. Fuel economy of 41.5mpg and exemption from London’s Congestion Charge are just the icing on the cake.

All I need is for the days to get longer so I can once again be enlightened by its talents.

Our view

“If you want a good value family hatch the i30 is hard to fault, but it lacks the VW Golf’s feelgood factor.”Owen Mildenhall, Senior road tester

Your view

“Hyundai makes some impressive cars, but I feel they are starting to look a little steep on price. ”Cuzy via www.autoexpress.co.uk