The Hyundai i30 Fastback is currently getting a bit of coverage as it is launched to the UK press. I’m delighted that Hyundai is bringing it to these shores, but something has caught my eye.
Overall, I rather like the look of this car. It provides a touch more elegance and panache than the standard 5-door hatch. Arguably, it can be said to rival the Audi A3 and, perhaps more credibly, the Mazda3 Fastback (albeit both of those are 4-door saloons, this is a 5-door), and Skoda Octavia. It also extends choice to the market, and with my basic grounding in economics, I’ve been conditioned to think that more choice is a good thing. So, thumbs up thus far.
Then I noticed a small glitch, which is probably also there on the other i30 body-shapes, and this has since become the first, if not the only, detail that I notice on this car – it’s like I am subconsciously asking myself if it is still there. It relates to the oft-struggled with base of the A-pillar.
In this case, the lower edge of said A-pillar is out of line with the lower edge of the bonnet shut line as it abuts the front wing. It creates a small step, which is a bit ugly and, well, unnecessary, don’t you think? I can’t help thinking that Audi would not have let it through its QA process.
Hmm. I agree it isn’t ideal but it isn’t the worst I’ve seen. I find something like the A-pillar on a Giulietta much more irritating – a similar issue, just shifted backwards a foot or so so that it can be obscured – poorly – within the blended mirror trim.
It is not great, for sure, but to be honest these kind of issues crop up on all sorts of cars. A little more care and refinement in the design would be welcome, but production decisions often seem to mitigate against beauty.
Overall, I feel quite well disposed towards the i30, having seen all previous Hyundais as commodity cars. The estate, in particular, seems to want to be a cut-price A4 Avant, which is not a bad aspiration to have.
Tbh, I don’t see Hyundai as quite there yet, but it’s not far off and like, wow, has it come a long way. They do make some interesting models now though – I like the ioniq, for example, and the quirky Veloster (do they still sell that in the UK?).
I would respectfully suggest that there is a bit more stylistic refinement on display amid Kia’s offerings. They seem a good deal less ‘shouty’ than that of Hyundai. The Stonic/Kona crossover-y twins being a notable case in point.
The comparison you give does make the point well, although I care for neither of those small SUVs. I tend to agree that Kia is still doing it better than Hyundai, but the latter is catching up.(partly because in one or two cases, Kia has gone backwards (Rio, Optima, Sportage) as models have been replaced).
There seems to be a Hyundai i20 around every corner in sunny Devon at the moment – or perhaps I have only recently started noticing them. They are quite neat little things to my eyes and I have to confess that they remind me rather of the once ubiquitous and now sadly departed 5 door 205 in many ways.