The new Hyundai i30 SR has been launched and it’s definitely looking interesting.
All too often car makers stick a sporty badge and some sporty bling on a basic model and call it a sports sedan but that doesn’t seem to be the way Hyundai have gone with the i30 SR. Hyundai have started with the i30 Elite and built from there.
Sure there’s the sports equivalent of bling in the form of 17-inch machine-face alloy wheels, a special front grille and alloy-faced pedals but there’s more to the i30 SR than just that.
The engine
There’s a new, more powerful naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder engine that delivers 129kW of power and 209Nm of torque. That’s an increase of 19kW of power and 31Nm of torque compared to the previous 1.8-litre engine.
Hyundai have coupled that engine to a 6-speed manual transmission (a 6-speed auto is available as a $2200 option) and that delivers acceleration figures of 0-100km/h in 7.7 seconds … 1.4 seconds faster than the i30 Elite fitted with the 1.8-litre petrol engine
Acceleration figures for the Hyundai i30 SR fitted with the optional auto transmission are a little slower although still faster than an auto-equipped 1.8-litre Elite.
Combined fuel economy for the manual is 7.2L/100km and 7.5L/100km for the auto.
Suspension
Hyundai Australia’s engineers have worked with Sachs … a leading shock absorber manufacturer … to develop special front dampers for the i30 SR and these have been combined with unique front springs to provide responsive steering and good ride qualities over most surfaces.
The front springs that now come with the new Hyundai i30 SR are four percent stiffer than those on the rest of the i30 petrol models.
Interior
The interior of the new i30SR features alloy sports pedals, black leather/leatherette upholstery and a power-operated driver’s seat with electric lumbar support. A sunroof is available as a $2000 option.
Price
The price for the new Hyundai i30SR starts at $27,990 for the manual version. The auto transmission and the sunroof are extra, metallic paint is also extra and you need to add delivery and government charges to that figure too.
