Hyundai is off to hunt Honda Civics (at least in Europe) with the i30. The Korean carmaker’s compact car has been updated with a new design, better connectivity features, and an available 1.5-liter turbocharged engine.

Available in three body styles—hatchback, fastback, and wagon, the biggest change to the i30 is with its exterior design. The front takes a cue from the Sonata with its wider, accentuated grille. Sandwiching it are slimmer headlights with LED technology and V-shaped LED DRLs. The same lighting tech is found in the back, while a new bumper design there was developed specifically to improve aerodynamic performance. The sportier N Line ups the ante with an even wider grille upfront, and a built-in diffuser in the bumper out back.



Inside, the i30 receives more modern…air vents. Yeah. That’s it.

For 2020, the i30 gets a new 7-inch digital cluster and a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. What’s more, wireless phone mirroring will be arriving later.

For engines, the i30 is powered by a 1.0-liter turbocharged engine with 120 horsepower. Moving up, there’s a 136 horsepower 1.6-liter diesel with a mild hybrid system. Finally, there’s the 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine making 160 horsepower also with mild hybrid technology. All engines are available in either manual (6-speed) or automatic (7-speed dual clutch) flavors.



The enhancements are capped off by improvements to Hyundai’s SmartSense advanced safety package. This includes lane follow assist, rear collision-avoidance assist, and leading vehicle departure alert.