I tested the Hyundai i30 Active sedan, which is the base model of the range. The exterior of the Hyundai i30 sedan looks NOTHING like the hatch and has some bold shaping on the side panels that remind me of Harry Potter's scar.
In the interior is a statement handle in the central console to divide the passenger and driver compartments and apart from that it is fuss-free, like I loved in the i30 Elite Hatch. The i30 hatch is a favourite of mine for families of four so I am interested to see if the i30 Active sedan is also a practical option for families, in our BabyDrive testing.
Like all sedans, the boot space is where it excels. It fits fifteen shopping bags from empty, which is comparable to the Toyota Corolla and Kia Cerato which both hold fifteen bags too and the Honda Civic is slightly smaller holding fourteen shopping bags.
With a twin pram in the boot, the Hyundai i30 Active sedan beats its rivals by holding six shopping bags with it, where the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Kia Cerato all hold five shopping bags with a twin pram.
There is a lot of space for child seats in the back of the Hyundai i30 sedan. I could fit three child seats really nicely across and legroom was good too, with a rear-facing child seat on the driver's side a 180cm driver should sit in front of it and on the passenger side at least a 184cm passenger could sit in front of a rear-facing child seat or infant capsule.
The low roofline is always a consideration with sedans and the Hyundai i30 is no exception. What I have found is that it was more practical than I was expecting because there is so much interior space lengthways, which it made it much easier to reach in to put babies into rear-facing child seats and for an adult to reach in and do up the child seat harnesses.
The storage throughout the Hyundai i30 sedan is quite minimal, especially in the back, where only 600ml bottles fit in the small door pockets and there is a single net map pocket.
In the front it is slightly better except for the front door bins that are really small and only fit 600ml bottles too.
There are two clever cup holders in the central console…
…that are the right depth to hold reusable and disposable coffee cups and then you switch the holder insert around they are deep enough for a large refillable water bottle or a smoothie/milkshake cup.
There is a large handle that divides the front passengers at the central console, which I've heard people say they either love or hate. We found it wasn't even a consideration for us and didn't get in our way at all in our week spent with the i30 sedan.
There are two USB and a 12V socket as well as the wireless phone charging well…
…and a handy shelf on the side of the central console for the front passenger's phone.
The Hyundai i30 sedan is a low car so your seating position does affect visibility when driving, especially when you add three child seats to the mix. The good news is there is a rearview camera, with a clear image quality, which also gives you really good rear visibility while driving along.
The i30 sedan is a smooth car to drive, although I did find some of the gear changes felt quite clunky which would disturb little passengers in the back. Being a long vehicle, parking is a bit more tricky especially in tight school and supermarket car parks and I found it hard to judge where the extremities of the vehicle were.
The media system in the i30 sedan is very basic and easy to use.
It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which is fantastic and gives you access to your apps and navigation etc.
The reversing camera image is very clear, it fills the whole screen and makes reversing and manoeuvring much easier, with the reduced visibility out of the back.
The great boot space and interior space allowing three child seats in the back make the Hyundai i30 Active sedan a surprisingly more practical car for a family of five than I was expecting! The edition of the rearview camera makes visibility good too. I was disappointed by the drive with the i30 sedan and felt it was ruined for me by clumsy gear changes.
The i30 Active sedan has not been ANCAP tested and Hyundai is not planning on testing it in Australia. The i30 sedan has six airbags as standard.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How good is the storage in the 2021 Hyundai i30 Active Sedan?
The i30 sedan has two very clever cup holders in the central console, they will hold a large refillable water bottle or smoothie cup.
Then if you take the insert out and turn it around the holes are the right depth for a reusable or disposable coffee cup.
The central console box is quite a small size.
Unfortunately, there is no glasses case in the ceiling and both front visors have lit vanity mirrors.
There is a wireless phone charging well in front of the gear lever which has two USB and a 12V socket too.
In the side of the central console in the passenger footwell is a shelf for the passenger's phone.
The glovebox is a good size and will hold the manual, my wallet and an iPad.
The front door pockets will not hold much at all, I found I could just squeeze a 600ml bottle into them. All the doors have little storage wells in the handles too.
In the back, the door bins are also really small. I could just wedge a water bottle in the top of them but really only a 600ml bottle would fit properly.
There is a single net map pockets on the back of the front passenger seat that will hold but not conceal an iPad.
There are two cup holders in the rear central fold-down armrest, they would hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup.
How big is the boot of the 2021 Hyundai i30 Active Sedan?
Storage is good in the boot of the Hyundai i30 Active Sedan is fantastic!
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as bub’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
Like all sedans, the boot space is where this i30 excels. Fitting fifteen shopping bags from empty, it is the same as the Toyota Corolla sedan and Kia Cerato sedan whereas the Honda Civic sedan boot is slightly smaller holding fourteen shopping bags.
A twin pram fits nicely in the boot of the Hyundai i30 Active sedan and it beats its rivals by holding six shopping bags with it, where there Honda Civic sedan, Toyota Corolla sedan and Kia Cerato sedan all hold five shopping bags with a twin pram.
A tandem pram fits with eight shopping bags.
The single pram fits with seven shopping bags around it.
The compact stroller fits with twelve shopping bags.
The parcel shelf is fixed in the sedan so you can not transport a dog in the boot. The boot floor is carpeted and a good spot for an emergency nappy change.
The mouth of a sedan's boot can be tricky for lifting prams in and out of and the arms can knock on things in the boot if you load it too high near the areas they go in and out from.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2021 Hyundai i30 Active Sedan? How good is the media system in the 2021 Hyundai i30 Active Sedan?
The 2021 Hyundai i30 Active Sedan is not too beepy at all really!
The media system is basic in the Hyundai i30 Active sedan, making it really easy to use and navigate.
It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto too which is even better so you can access podcasts and ABC Kids Listen and do life admin with calls and messages etc while driving.
The reversing camera image is clear and it is a nice big image that fills the whole media screen.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
You can lock the windows and doors from the driver's door control panel.
The indicator is not too loud in the i30 sedan and would not disturb a sleeping baby.
The windows in the i30 sedan close with a bit of a thud but overall are not baby waking.
There is a rear seatbelt removal visual on the bottom right of the driver display screen, so you can see if a seatbelt has been removed.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2021 Hyundai i30 Active Sedan?
The 2021 Hyundai i30 Active Sedan has ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats, they are not within plastic guides and are relatively easy to connect to.
There are top tether anchorages behind all three rear headrests in the fixed parcel shelf. They are within plastic guides and are pretty easy to connect to, given the low roofline and reaching through the small space to connect them.
Three child seats fit nicely in the back of the Hyundai i30 Active sedan. It is spacious in the back which makes fitting them in easier.
Posting babies and kids into their child seats from outside the car is a little tricky with the low sedan roofline but the amount of interior space makes it much easier than in some competitors.
Australia being a country of weather extremes blazing sun and torrential rain means you may find it easier to put bub into their seat from inside the car. If it’s hot you can get the aircon going, cool the car down and not stand out in the heat with the door open while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether bub can be easily installed from either direction.
Legroom is good in the i30 sedan, with a rear-facing child seat installed we could fit a 184cm plus passenger in the front and on the other side of the car we could fit a 180cm driver in front of a rear-facing child seat or infant capsule.
The seats in the i30 Active sedan model we tested are black leather with perforated central panels which may get crumbs and spills trapped in them and make cleaning a little more tricky.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is a 2021 Hyundai i30 Active Sedan?
The front seats of the 2021 Hyundai i30 Active Sedan are quite shaped and comfortable.
I found I could not wear a ponytail while driving 🙁
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get it just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down and the cruise controls on the right side of the steering wheel are very easy to use.
The fuel distance to empty is clearly visible in the top right of the driver display in front of the steering wheel, meaning you can time your fuel stop for when bubs not with you if need be!
There are four thin air-con vents in the front dash. Two in the centre of the dashboard and one at either end.
There are also two air vents in the back of the central console box, which is great for keeping little rear passengers cool too. They are within reach of the driver too.
The controls for the air-con are centrally located on the dashboard and easy to reach and use while driving.
Visibility is quite compromised in the i30 sedan because of the low ride, low seating position, low roofline and low windows so when you add three child seats to that things get a little tricky! Luckily there is a rearview camera you can have on while driving if your mirror view is blocked by child seats or other rear seat passengers, it has a clear image that fills the whole screen.
As well as the reversing camera which makes visibility when reversing and parking easier too.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread when we drive big cars and utes as they tend to take longer to park in our tight apartment block carpark, the little i30 was really easy and enjoyable to drive and to park!
I found the 2021 Hyundai i30 Active sedan to be a predominantly smooth car to drive, road noise is quite loud and there are some gear changes that aren't as smooth as you would expect and we found them quite jarring for little rear passengers.
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
The Hyundai i30 sedan is not going to be ANCAP tested.
The Hyundai i30 sedan comes with a lot of standard safety gear including six airbags. This includes front and side airbags for both front passengers and curtain airbags for front and rear side passengers.
The Active version tested also has electronic stability control (ESC), anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake assist system (BAS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), hill-start assist control (HAC), traction control system (TCS), vehicle stability management (VSM), driver attention warning (DAW), forward collision-avoidance assist (FCA) – camera and radar type, including: Car/Pedestrian/Cyclist detection and City/Urban/Interurban operational speeds – Junction Turning (FCA-JT) functionality. Lane following assist (LFA), lane keeping assist – line/road-edge (LKA-L/R), rear occupant alert (ROA), smart cruise control with stop & go (SCC w/ S&G), emergency stop signal (ESS), manual speed limit assist (MSLA), parking distance warning – Reverse (PDW-R), rearview monitor with parking guidance (RVM w/ PG), tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), impact sensing auto door unlock and daytime running lights (DRL).
Blind-Spot collision warning (BCW), high beam assist (HBA), rear cross-traffic collision warning (RCCW) come as standard with the N Line and N Line Premium models and blind-spot collision-avoidance assist (BCA) comes with the N Line models and Elite model.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound.
I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when bub's asleep!
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About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
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