• Quality comparable to main rivals
• Simple and well-organised controls
• Slick infotainment system

How is the quality and layout?

Hyundai’s 2020 facelift didn’t change the look and feel of the i30’s cabin, but that’s not such a bad thing. It’s still solid and comfortable, albeit a little dull. But we can forgive that because, unlike Volkswagen with the latest Golf, Hyundai championed function over form. Volkswagen’s touch-sensitive climate controls and infotainment screens are great to look at, but nightmarish to operate.

Hyundai kept it simple. There are rotary dials for the climate controls and proper buttons for items like the heated seats and heated steering wheel – and the i30 is all the better for it. You don’t need to take your eyes off the road to use them, which we think is far safer.

Quality is good, too. The i30 doesn’t feel worse than any of its main rivals – the plastics aren’t particularly flimsy and all the common touchpoints are finished in padded materials. Sure, you’ll find better cabin finish in premium hatchbacks like the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes A-Class, but you’ll pay a premium of around £7,000 for the privilege.

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Infotainment and technology

The biggest interior change for the i30’s facelift was a new 10.25-inch infotainment system, which is much better than the old car’s smaller screen. It’s fitted as standard to mid-range Premium models and up and offers support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – but the menus are only displayed across two thirds of the screen, which is a shame.

The new touchscreen is also compatible with Hyundai’s Bluelink connected car services. This is a system that allows you to connect to your i30 via an app on your phone. It can alert you if the alarm is going off, tell you whether your car is due any maintenance and remembers where you parked too. You can also lock/unlock the car from the app. It’s an intuitive system overall.

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Comfort

• Quiet and refined interior
• Comfortable seats and good ride
• N Line and N versions are harsher

The Hyundai i30 is a comfortable car on all roads. The front seats are good, offering enough padding to keep the aches at bay, yet enough bolstering to keep you secure when cornering.

There’s quite a lot of adjustment in the seats and steering column, which means it should be easy to find a comfortable driving position. Taller drivers may wish for a little more vertical adjustment in the seats, though – our six-foot tester certainly wanted to sit lower to the floor.

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Overall, the i30 is every bit as refined as the Volkswagen Golf. Engine noise is well-suppressed and the ride quality is excellent on all surfaces, if not a fraction firm than the Ford Focus. Impressively, even the i30 N hot hatchback is a comfortable daily driver despite its stiffer suspension.