Hyundai Elantrai30 Sedan N-Line 2021 review A warm sedan that looks good!
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00:00G'day, I'm Paul. So this car behind me, it is a Hyundai, but I reckon if you covered up the badges
00:04you would never actually know that it's a Hyundai. It is a seriously good-looking machine and it turns some heads.
00:10So, I don't know, it looks a bit German, a bit sort of high-end premium sort of thing.
00:14Oh, let me know if you think I'm wrong. This is called the i30 Sedan.
00:18It was called the Elantra here in Australia, but they changed it to the i30 Sedan.
00:22This competes with things like the Mazda 3, the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla. This one here is the top specification.
00:28It's called the N-Line Premium Auto and it's priced at just over $37,000.
00:34But if that's a little too expensive, the entire i30 Sedan range starts at just under $25,000.
00:40So there's something in there for everyone. Today, we're going to do a detailed review of this car.
00:43So if you do want to skip ahead to other parts of the review,
00:46you can use the time codes that are up on the screen or if you're on YouTube, just scroll down and use the
00:50chapters below. And if you haven't done so already,
00:52I would love it if you could subscribe to our channel and press the bell icon so you can find out every single time
00:57we drive cars that surprise me.
01:00Okay, let's talk exterior. So you've got seven external colors to pick from. All but white is an additional $495.
01:07So the design, I think this is what's excited me the most about it. It's not boring.
01:11I'm just sick of these sedans being conservative and boring. And I think given that this is the N-Line,
01:17they've been able to give it just a little bit of that sporty treatment. Up the front here,
01:21you can see a stack of piano black and while I normally don't like that stuff,
01:24it actually works down the front of the car here because you don't have to look at it all that much and touch it and
01:28get it smudgy and whatever. But you've got an N-Line badge down the front here, big Hyundai badge there.
01:33And I think that this kind of gives you the perception that this is a sporty version of the i30 sedan.
01:39And they've done it respectfully, I reckon. I think it's it's not too over-the-top, still looks stylish,
01:43but it also has that sporty edge to it. Around the side here,
01:46you have a set of full LED headlights with LED daytime running lights and a little indicator built into that socket
01:53just there. And then around the side of the car, we have a set of 18-inch alloy wheels.
01:57So typical to a lot of cars today,
01:59they have that shadow chrome on the outside and then that glossy sort of piano black finish on the inside there.
02:04And then the Hyundai logo around the side. This is interesting,
02:07it's got like a textured knurled finish to the outside of it for the for the center cap,
02:12which I think is pretty cool. Now the N-Line badge just here,
02:14you've got piano black on the top of that
02:16wing mirror with an indicator built into it. Then up the top here, you have a sunroof.
02:21But as you move down the side of the car,
02:22you can see this crease line that runs all the way from the front there
02:25through to the back and then it's joined over here with these little bits of aero on the C-pillar.
02:31Let's go around the back of the car. Now around here, you've got a shark fin aerial, this black section that's attached to the boot.
02:37You've got this black boot lip spoiler, these LED lights that run all the way around the back of the vehicle,
02:44an i30 badge there, and then this is where your boot opener is located.
02:49Look at that black diffuser section down the bottom.
02:51But while the design does look very German, unlike the Germans, this actually has real exhaust outlets there, they're not fake.
02:57Let me know in the comments section, do you reckon this is a good-looking car?
03:00Are you surprised that it's a Hyundai like I was? Yeah, let me know what you think. Okay, we are inside the i30 sedan.
03:06Let's start off with the key. Here it is. So lock, unlock,
03:10you have a remote start function and then a button to push and hold for the boot release. On the back there,
03:15you have the Hyundai logo. This is a proximity sensing key,
03:19so you just leave that in your pocket. Once you're inside the car, you have a push-button start just along the top here.
03:24Now the styling, this is the bit that really intrigues me because this feels
03:29so different to the rest of the Hyundai range. I remember when we reviewed the i30 hatch,
03:33it still kind of feels like a previous generation of Hyundai product. This feels futuristic and really nice.
03:39Like check out this grab handle, you know, if you're doing racetrack driving, maybe you can hold on to that thing.
03:43You've got the big drive mode button over here.
03:45There is a lot of piano black around the outer edges there and then down the side here,
03:50but for the most part, this looks quite premium. Now in terms of the materials that they've used along the dashboard,
03:55it's all quite nice.
03:57It is a little scratchy along the top here,
03:59which is a real shame because the rest of it actually feels quite nice. In terms of the touch points, in the center there,
04:05that's firm but soft and then it is firm on the sides,
04:09but it's still enough to have your elbows nice and relaxed.
04:13How firm is it? Well, we have our durometer here.
04:16We've tested all the main surfaces in this car.
04:18If you want to see how this car compares to others that we've tested before,
04:21scroll down and have a look at the link in the description. Now, what about build quality? So,
04:27feels okay, but
04:29listen to that. This is all sort of creaking and if you drive over uneven sections of road,
04:35you can kind of hear it moving around a bit. So that is a little bit disappointing that this doesn't feel more well screwed together.
04:41Okay, let's talk about infotainment. So, ahead of the driver, you have these two screens. They are 10.25 inches each.
04:49Now, we do have a detailed review of this infotainment system. You can click up here to watch that,
04:54but today, let's give you a brief overview. So, you have satellite navigation built into the screen there.
04:59It's quite sharp and quick and easy to use. You have shortcut buttons down the bottom. In terms of radio,
05:04you have AM, FM and DAB plus digital radio. In addition to that,
05:09you have an 8-speaker Bose branded sound system. And then on the smartphone mirroring front,
05:14you have both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Both of those are cabled.
05:18I'll show you what Android Auto looks like to start with. So, there it is there.
05:22You can see it's not quite a full-screen integration. In some of these integrations,
05:27you can actually customize the right-hand side menu, but here you can't for some reason.
05:31But it is nice and sharp, quick and easy to use. And this is what Apple CarPlay looks like.
05:36Also, full-screen. You can see it tacks up the entire screen though. It is quick and easy to use as well.
05:42Now, I should also point out that in addition to all of those functions, you also have sounds of nature.
05:47We've seen this previously in Kia products before. And this basically plays serene music, so the kids can fall asleep.
05:53You also have a voice memo function there as well, and then a manual built into the screen.
05:57Then, moving on to the screen ahead of the driver. So, you can see speedometer on the left,
06:01tacho on the right that also brings you warnings.
06:04You can customize what appears on the screen here, and then the center section is for your trip computer.
06:09And then finally, when you do want to change drive modes, you can see the display changes with it, which I think is a really
06:16clever setup. I quite like the way they've done that. Now, what about safety?
06:19So, you have autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection. You've got rear cross-traffic alert.
06:25You've also got an exit assistant,
06:27so it'll tell you if there's pedestrians or cars coming and prevent you from getting outside.
06:31It'll also display a warning there ahead of the driver. You have blind spot monitoring built into the wing mirror.
06:36You have a lane departure warning and a lane keeping assistant.
06:40And you also have radar cruise control. And in terms of parking, you have front and rear parking sensors and a rearview camera.
06:47I'll show you what that looks like. There it is there. So, pretty decent quality. And then you've got this section here for your sonar.
06:53Okay, so I was just going to interrupt the video just for one second.
06:56Let me know what your thoughts are on this. Has Hyundai's N division changed your perception of the brand?
07:02So, things like i30N, this N line product. Do you think this has altered your opinion of the brand?
07:07Do you think higher of Hyundai now? Let me know what you reckon in the comments section. Moving on to practicality,
07:11and we'll start with your connectivity options. So, you've got two USB ports down the front here, a 12-volt outlet.
07:17You have a wireless charging pad. In the center console, you have another USB port.
07:21Then, in terms of storage, where are you going to put your phone?
07:24Well, the phone can really live anywhere. We've got really deep cup holders here.
07:28You can also put your phone down on the charge pad. In terms of your coffee,
07:33it's not going to fit in here. Well, it does fit in there,
07:35but it sort of disappears down the middle. But there is a solution. So, you can lift this up,
07:40turn it around, and then what it does is it raises the cup holder height.
07:44So, when you do put your coffee in, it sits perfectly there. So, I love that.
07:48That is a really clever solution, and I'm glad they've come up with something like that to save us from
07:53destroying our coffee cups. In terms of just standard bottles, you can see that sort of fits in there pretty easily.
07:58Now, what about our big bottle inside the door?
08:03No, no chance of that fitting, unfortunately. Other storage, you have a center console here that's a pretty decent size.
08:10You can see how deep it is there with the bottle. There is a glove box over here,
08:15reasonably sized. We can fit our bottle in there. And then finally, you have storage down the side here as well.
08:19Now, let's talk comfort. You have dual zone automatic climate control up the front here.
08:24You have heated and cooled seats for the front row. You have a heated steering wheel as well. The seats themselves,
08:31I reckon these look fantastic. So, perforations, they have these heavy side bolsters.
08:36You've got red stitching, and then the N logo in the center there.
08:40I think they look really high-end, and they look pretty fancy. So, very impressed with that.
08:45Steering wheel itself looks really nice as well. So, it sits great in the hand.
08:48You've got those paddle shifters there. The steering wheel has tilt and reach adjustment.
08:52The driver's seat is electrically adjustable with memory.
08:56The passenger's seat is manually adjustable. And then all of this is easy to reach while you're driving.
09:01Okay, back seat of the i30 sedan. So, my driver's seat is pretty far back,
09:06so you can see how much knee room I have there.
09:08I don't really have a great deal of toe room, and headroom is pretty compromised.
09:13You do have air vents back here, and one matte pocket, but no USB charging, unfortunately.
09:19Center armrest, you have two cup holders built into there.
09:22I'll show you what that looks like.
09:23Now, the question is, can our big bottle fit inside the doors? It couldn't in the front.
09:28These do look like bigger holes.
09:30It doesn't really fit in there either.
09:32You also have ISOFIX points for the two outboard seats as well.
09:36Okay, let's talk cargo space. So, being a sedan, it's actually not too bad.
09:39Crack it open using this button on the back.
09:42So, you've got 474 litres of cargo space available,
09:46and beneath the cargo floor, you have a space saver spare tyre plus a jack.
09:51I'll show you what it looks like with our bags in there.
09:53So, there's the laptop. I can suitcase in.
09:56There you go. It fits in nice and easily.
09:59It does have one more party trick, though.
10:00You can drop the second row from here, but it's a bit counterintuitive.
10:04When you pull this, it simply unlocks the second row.
10:06It doesn't fold it down, so you've then got to go in and manually do it all yourself.
10:12So, we've hit the road in the i30 N-Line sedan,
10:16and I'll run you through what is under the bonnet first.
10:18So, it's a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine.
10:22It makes 150 kilowatts of power and 265 newton metres of torque,
10:28and that's all mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
10:32Now, for the most part, these dual-clutch transmissions are getting better,
10:37and this one is pretty good once it's moving,
10:38but at slow speeds, it can be really jittery and, I don't know,
10:42it just feels like it's shivering for some reason.
10:44And I was stuck in traffic yesterday and noticed that as I was letting off the brake
10:49and rolling into the throttle on a slight uphill,
10:51it'd sort of stutter a little bit as it went.
10:53So, it is unfortunately one of those characteristics of a dual-clutch gearbox.
10:57Now, I mentioned earlier the build quality stuff when we were sitting inside the car.
11:00Well, I don't know if you can hear it, but there's something rattling inside this dashboard.
11:06If I hold that, it stops, and if I let go, it's there again,
11:11and it's really getting annoying while driving, so that's pretty frustrating.
11:16The other thing that I'm finding really frustrating is,
11:18you'll see it flashing on the screen there, it's the lane-keeping assistant.
11:22We're out on a country road at the moment, and it just keeps darting me off towards the gravel.
11:26It's just really not a very good system for driving out here on country roads,
11:30so I'm just going to switch that off entirely while we do this little bit.
11:34There we go.
11:35Now, what's it like to drive?
11:36So, let's give this a little punch here.
11:41That feels really nice.
11:42There's actually a little bark out of the exhaust as well.
11:44We're not even in sport mode, and you can hear a little...
11:53little crack from the exhaust, so that's pretty cool.
11:55Look, it's a fascinating engine because we've tested this engine before in other Hyundai products,
12:00and I don't know, depending on the car that you drive,
12:02it's either really fun and inspiring like it is here, or it's a little dull and boring.
12:06So, I like the fact that they've gone for a more interesting tune here.
12:10It's got a bit of character to it, and it feels fun to drive.
12:13In terms of our drive modes, if I hit that, you can see the gauges change.
12:17We've got normal, eco, sport, and smart.
12:20I'll dart over to sport mode, so immediately I can feel the steering has become heavier,
12:24and the throttle a little sharper.
12:26I'll just kick that down.
12:29Yeah, that feels really nice.
12:32I don't know, this is actually quite engaging and fun to drive.
12:35Hyundai doesn't have an official 0-100 time for the M-Line sedan,
12:39but we thought we'd put it up against our stopwatch.
12:51Now, let's talk fuel economy.
12:52So, Hyundai claims a combined average of 6.8 litres per 100km.
12:56Yesterday, when I was doing some highway driving, it was closer to that 7 litre per 100km mark.
13:01Now that we've been out in the country, giving it a bit of a fang,
13:03it's sitting around 8.5 litres per 100km, but as you can see there,
13:07it's climbed up to 9 after we've been doing a little bit more sporty driving.
13:11So, look, it's not terrible.
13:12It's just expected to use a little bit more fuel if you get stuck into it.
13:15Okay, so let me pop this back into normal mode.
13:19I think I did notice immediately as we started driving out here on these country roads,
13:23this amount of road noise inside the cabin.
13:25It seems to be coming through the tyres, and it's really translating through the cabin.
13:29It's quite boomy and noisy in here, which is a little bit disappointing.
13:33I would have liked something a little quieter,
13:34especially if you're doing a lot of highway driving.
13:36I think the amount of noise you're getting in here
13:39is probably going to get a little frustrating over time.
13:41Let's talk about the suspension.
13:42Much like a lot of Hyundai's other products,
13:45this benefits from an Australian ride and handling tune,
13:48and I have mentioned previously in other videos that,
13:50yes, Australian roads aren't any better or worse than roads in any other country in the world,
13:55but here we have some unique road conditions,
13:57and we have a bunch of varying road conditions as well that these cars have to cater for,
14:01and I think they've done a really good job here.
14:03So it is on the sportier side of comfortable,
14:05but I think you can get away with that because it does have that sporty intention to it,
14:09and when you're driving here behind the wheel,
14:11it just feels really nice and nimble and sharp,
14:13which is what you want from one of these sporty sedans.
14:16Let's talk handling.
14:17We've got a couple of these higher speed corners here.
14:19It's actually not too bad.
14:20It sits nice and flat through corners.
14:23There's a bucket load of response through the steering there,
14:26especially in sport mode.
14:26It gets nice and heavy, and it makes you feel like you're actually doing something.
14:30As the speed picks up, it actually feels really nice and planted.
14:34They've done a great job here with the body control and just making sure
14:37the car doesn't sort of move around too much through the corners.
14:40Even if you hit a bump mid-corner, it stays nice and settled and flat,
14:44and it's not sort of moving around the place.
14:45So, yeah, I think they've done a really good job here with the handling,
14:48and it's actually pretty surprising for what is, what, a 37 grand Hyundai,
14:53but you could have some serious fun with this.
14:55So, yeah, big tick from me on the fun factor.
14:58Now, what about visibility?
15:00Look, it's good.
15:00There's nothing to complain about.
15:01I can see clearly down the front of the car there.
15:03We've got front and rear parking sensors, which makes life easy.
15:06Decent size wing mirrors and blind spot monitoring built into those as well.
15:10Visibility at the rear is pretty good as well.
15:13It is a tiny bit narrow, but for the most part, it's fine.
15:16Finally, turning circle.
15:17So, it comes in at 10.8 metres, which is pretty reasonable for a sedan.
15:22It just means that you may have to do the occasional 3.2.
15:29So, the Hyundai i30 sedan N-Line.
15:32I tell you what, I wasn't expecting this to be anywhere near as fun as it is to drive.
15:35So, it's got those little snarly bits coming out of the exhaust,
15:38and when you really get up and you can hear it's doing things,
15:40and I don't think I was expecting that much enjoyment from the driving experience.
15:44Once the car's moving, it's actually really fun to drive and very punchy.
15:48It's just that low-speed jitteriness of the dual-clutch gearbox.
15:52I don't know.
15:52I'm sure you can get used to it, but I just don't find it really all that pleasant.
15:56And just a couple of the interior bits, it does look really nicely presented,
15:59but the creaks and stuff when you move it around aren't exactly fantastic.
16:02But if you put those things to one side, this is a really premium-looking vehicle.
16:06It feels nice inside.
16:08It's got a great sound system,
16:09and I think it's a good package in terms of the money that you're spending on it.
16:13Now, let me know in the comments section below, have you bought one of these?
16:16What do you think about it?
16:17I know the previous generation of the Elantra,
16:19the SR, was kind of like the N-line version,
16:21and they made that enjoyable to drive, but I think this takes it another step.
16:24I'm keen to get your feedback on it.
16:26If you have bought one, does it turn heads?
16:28Is it a good long-term proposition?
16:30Let me know in the comments section below.
16:32Now, if you did enjoy this video, make sure you like it,
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16:42But until next time, take it easy.