Review of the new Hyundai i30 ES

Cricket fans will understand the Hyundai i30 a lot better if they think of it as the family hatchback equivalent of a Geoffrey Boycott century innings. It's steadfast, resolute, possibly lacking a little flair not always particularly exciting but certainly admirable and ultimately successful. Those who can't abide cricket had better read on as we take a look at the i30 ES special edition model.

Hyundai is a manufacturer with its eyes fixed on the top tier of global car brands but rather than reaching for the stars and landing in the gutter, cars like the i30 show it sensibly investing in a good quality stepladder. The i30 gets the basics right and in special edition ES trim, its already keen value for money offering is enhanced considerably.

A single engine is available in the i30 ES model and it's the entry-level 1.4-litre petrol unit. With four cylinders, sixteen valves, 108bhp, a 12.6s time for the sprint to 60mph and a 116mph top speed, it doesn't stand out in any particular area from a driver's perspective but it does a good enough job in an affordable hatch like the i30 ES. Reasonably refined and with performance that won't leave you floundering in the wake of other traffic, it's a safe pair of hands.

The i30's manual five-speed gearchange is a little clunky to use and there's a fair amount of wind and tyre noise at motorway speeds but other than that, it generates a very favourable report card. The steering is very good, body control through corners is exemplary and the pedals are nicely weighted. Hyundai's engineers appear to have surpassed themselves.

"Go back a few years and Hyundai products had to be cheap because they couldn't match the mainstream in other areas. The i30 can"

The i30 has been designed specifically for the European market and benchmarked against class leaders like the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus. Like those two cars but unlike many of the other established names in the sector, the i30 has fully-independent suspension all round or at least a version of it. In fact, the rear suspension is a kind of independently suspended torsion beam, a halfway house solution between proper independently sprung models and those that settle for an old fashioned torsion beam.

If there's one area where the i30 comes up conspicuously short of the top family hatchbacks, it's styling. The car is neat and inoffensive on the eye but there's little to excite about its shape or detailing. A certain measured blandness never hindered the MK2 Ford Focus or the most recent Toyota Corolla however, and inside the i30 fares better. It's still hardly what you would call avant-garde design-wise but the quality of the materials and the construction is convincing. Nice touches include blue illumination for the dials that also extends to steering wheel controls and ignition key slot so you won't be fumbling around at night. Dim the illumination and the wheel-mounted controls dim too, which is very slick. Space is plentiful for the rear seat occupants and the huge boot suggested by the car's bulging rear end is only a mild disappointment. It's a good size for the class rather than enormous, with 340 litres available. Fold the rear bench and this rises to 1,250 litres.

The i30 makes reasonable sense but why should you forgo the others and choose this ES special edition version. The answer lies in an equipment list that includes features like electronic climate control, 16" alloy wheels and reversing sensors. The ES is based on the Comfort trim level (which already includes electric windows, a trip computer, iPod compatibility and ESP stability control) but it's only £300 more expensive. Considering the extra features, that looks a decent deal and the ES also benefits from a silver front grille and a silver fascia to set it apart from the standard models.

For a 1.4-litre petrol engine, the i30's is very economical. On the combined cycle, it returns 46.3mpg economy and emits a tax-friendly 145g/km of CO2. It's one of the most efficient petrol engines in any family hatch.

Depreciation has been a dirty word at Hyundai in the past put the improvements in quality and desirability the i30 makes should go a little way towards addressing this. Hyundai's industry-leading 5-year warranty will also help, until it expires.

Hyundai's modus operandi always used to involve combining a low price with a lot of equipment. Like most special editions, the i30 ES works on a similar principal but the difference lies in the quality of the basic i30 package. Go back a few years and Hyundai products had to be cheap because they couldn't match the mainstream in other areas. The i30 can.