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Four-door i30 packed with goodies

Peter AtkinsonAAP
Hyundai's i30 sedan is overtaking the Elantra and delivering in the features department.
Camera IconHyundai's i30 sedan is overtaking the Elantra and delivering in the features department. Credit: AAP

If you want to really get to know a car, driving the most basic model is a good place to start.

While those leather seats, sunroof and fancy electronics might be nice, they can mask a car's shortcomings, and inflate the price.

Introducing the new entry-level Hyundai i30 sedan - a four-door version of the Korean hatchback that has developed a real Midas touch in Australia's small car segment.

Given the success of the i30, it's no surprise to see the maker capitalise on the name recognition by retiring one of its best-known models, the Elantra, and replacing it with this smart-looking sedan.

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The change achieves two things.

Not only does it help de-clutter the company's naming conventions, it also allows Hyundai to count both the i30 hatch and sedan as one model in the sales charts. It's a tactic long used by Toyota with its ageless Corolla, whose hatch and sedan versions are counted collectively, rather than separately, in the monthly leaderboard.

The switch also allows Hyundai to leave behind the enduring, but slightly tired Elantra nameplate, one that made plenty of sales but was often associated with the company's cheap and cheerful past.

That's important because the i30 sedan represents a substantial jump in quality, and price, from the Elantra, a car that spent much of its model life as a $19,990 drive-away deal.

The sedan, while offering more equipment, better design and road manners, arrives with a starting price of $24,790 for the basic Active model.

It looks good. It's surprisingly fun to drive. It's roomy. And it can be yours for not much more than $25 grand, putting it well into the mix with cars like the Corolla, Korean rival Kia Cerato and the Honda Civic.

So what's not to like? Well, apart from the lack of a few bells and whistles, not much.

The i30 sedan will be sold in two trim levels: the Active, and the better-equipped and more expensive Elite. The former can be had for a modest $24,790, the latter for about five grand more.

That reasonably modest price buys the same 2-litre, normally aspirated four-cylinder engine (117kW, 191Nm) that you'll find in everyday versions of the i30 hatch, along with the same functional six- speed automatic transmission.

It also delivers a car that's distinct - positively so - from the standard-issue hatchback models. And equally, it has a clear point of difference from the small SUV's dominating the market.

While it looked as if sedans had just about had their run in recent years, the traditional body shape seems to be staging a bit of a revival, for a couple of reasons.

As well as freeing up ample leg room, the extra body length required for a boot has been sensibly used by the Hyundai designers, creating a snazzy, sleek silhouette to give the i30 some extra kerb appeal. Hyundai has just this week revealed a high-performance N version of the sedan, where it looks quite the part.

Also inherent in the sedan layout is the bonus of a secure cargo space - in this case a generous 474L, about 20 per cent more than the i30 hatch - where your belongings are locked away from prying eyes.

As well as its slinky, angular exterior styling, the i30's cockpit is modern, thoughtfully designed and well finished.

The first thing you notice is the leather trim - a generous inclusion on a base model that is standard across the i30 sedan range.

That was an inclusion we didn't expect on an entry-level machine, along with the active lane-keeping device that gently steers you back toward the centre of your lane if you drift. That's part of an extensive safety suite.

Wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay, rear camera and parking sensors complete a generous fit-out.

There's also a modern touch-screen atop the centre stack that controls most of the vehicle functions, measuring eight inches in the Active and 10.25 inches in the Elite.

Dash layout is stylish and the instruments are clean and easily read, with a useful digital speedometer as well as the usual dials.

Beyond that, the i30 wants for very little.

The engine is smooth and it drives through a well-resolved and fairly intuitive six-speed automatic. There's still a six-speed manual, by the way, if you're keen to save a few more dollars.

The car rides and handles with quiet confidence - perhaps not quite to the same standards as the benchmark VW Golf and Mazda3, but not far behind.

Hyundai engineers have been tireless in their improvement of the i30's road manners with extensive testing and tuning in Australia, and this variant benefits.

Its sweet handling is accompanied by a seamless ride and German-quality quietness both from the drivetrain and the road surface.

It's not perfect, but it's much closer to the mark than its predecessor.

And it's seriously impressive for an entry-level model.

* HOW BIG? While it's based on the compact i30, the sedan looks and feels larger and roomier than its stablemate. Boot space is impressive.

* HOW FAST? Its engine is capable and reliable, with 117kW and 191Nm, but performance is nothing to write home about. However an 'N' high-performance version is not far away.

* HOW THIRSTY? Consumption is a middle-ranking 7L/100km, but the i30 lopes effortlessly along the highway where its slippery shape helps trim its thirst.

* HOW MUCH: This is where the base model comes into its own, with a starting ask of $24,790.

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