This score is awarded by our team of expert reviewers after extensive testing of the car
What's good
Looks smart
Big boot
Cheap to buy
What's not so good
Thirsty petrol engines
Dull to drive
Basic entry-level models
Find out more about the Hyundai i30 Tourer (2017-2020)
Is the Hyundai i30 Tourer (2017-2020) a good car?
The Hyundai i30 Tourer is a more spacious estate version of the i30 hatchback – a stylish small family car that’s reviewed separately. This bigger tourer version offers a practical alternative to the likes of the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer and the Skoda Octavia Estate.
Besides its boxy rear end, the i30 Tourer looks identical to the standard hatchback, both inside and out. Materials in its cabin feel fairly solid and its minimalist design looks pretty slick, too.
All but entry-level S models come with an infotainment display that helps the interior look modern. It’s reasonably easy to use too, thanks to its bright screen and handy shortcut buttons. SE Nav models and above get a larger eight-inch screen with satellite navigation, although it doesn’t have the crystal-clear graphics you get in a VW Golf.
All models come with front-seat-height adjustment as standard and all but S versions come with lumbar support, too – which helps prevent backache on long journeys.
There’s a fair – if not all that generous – amount of headroom and legroom in the back, and enough shoulder room to carry three adults abreast – on short journeys at least. A Skoda Octavia estate is a better bet if you regularly carry four passengers, however.
You’ll be able to carry an impressive 602 litres of luggage with the i30 Tourer’s back seats and load cover in place – that’s only eight litres down on the cavernous Octavia Estate and easily big enough for a stroller or a set of golf clubs. Flip the rear seats down and you’ll open up a 1,650-litre load bay that’s large enough to carry a bike without removing either of its wheels.
There’s almost no boot lip to worry about either, so it’s dead simple to slide heavy items into the boot. The two-way folding split rear seats let you carry long items and a rear passenger at the same time too.
The Hyundai i30 Tourer’s a jack of all trades but a master of none – it’s fairly practical, quite comfortable and looks smart but it doesn’t really excel anywhere…
You can get the i30 Tourer with a choice of two petrol engines and one diesel. Pick the 120hp 1.0-litre petrol if you spend most time around town – it’s almost as nippy as the 1.4-litre model and returns around 40mpg in the real world against Hyundai’s claimed 48.7mpg. The 1.6-litre diesel model – that’ll return around 65mpg – is a better bet if you spend more time on the motorway.
You don’t get much wind or road noise at motorway speeds, but the light steering that’s so helpful manoeuvring around town does tend to feel a bit vague at 70mph. The i30 Tourer isn’t as fun to drive as a Ford Focus either.
It should be safer than the Ford, though. The i30 hatchback achieved an impressive five-star safety rating in the strict Euro NCAP 2017 tests. Expect the Tourer model to provide near identical protection in a collision – making it not only a practical and roomy family car, but a safe one too. Just don’t expect it to put a huge smile on your face.
To see what kind of savings you can expect on an i30 Tourer, click on our deals page.
How much is the Hyundai i30 Tourer (2017-2020)?
The Hyundai i30 Tourer (2017-2020) has a RRP range of £17,905 to £26,455. The price of a used Hyundai i30 Tourer (2017-2020) on Carwow starts at £11,495.
How practical is it?
Plenty of room in the front seats and boot, but things are a little tighter for anyone in the rear seats
If you want an idea of how big the i30's boot is, it's only slightly smaller than the Skoda Octavia's - and that's enormous
Boot (seats up)
602 litres
Boot (seats down)
1,650 litres
There’s plenty of room to get comfy in the i30 Tourer. All models come with a height-adjustable driver’s seat as standard, and SE models and above come with extra lumbar support – your back will thank you for it on long journeys.
High-spec Premium SE models have electric seat and steering wheel adjustment too. Lend your car to someone else, however, and you might struggle to return it to your ideal seating position because there’s no handy memory function.
Unfortunately, there’s slightly less space available in the back seats. Passengers over six-foot tall might struggle for knee room if you don’t slide your driver’s seat forward slightly, and headroom isn’t quite as generous as it is in the likes of the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer or Skoda Octavia Estate.
Thankfully, there’s enough shoulder room to carry three abreast – for short journeys at least – and the small lump in the rear floor doesn’t get in the way of your passenger’s feet. Three kids will have more than enough room to spread out in the back.
Speaking of kids, fitting a child seat is reasonably stress-free. The Tourer has a flatter roofline than the hatchback so you don’t have to stoop down quite so far to strap in a child. Getting the seat into the car isn’t tricky thanks to the Tourer’s wide door openings, but you do have to contend with some fiddly hidden Isofix anchor points.
All i30 Tourer models come with a wide range of handy cubbyholes inside. The door bins are large enough to hold a big bottle and the glovebox is reasonably generous, too.
There’s a storage tray in the centre console for your phone which, on Premium and Premium SE models, comes with a folding cover to keep valuables hidden out of sight. It also features a wireless smartphone charging pad in all but S and SE versions – freeing up the standard 12V socket in the centre console for other charging duties.
All models in SE guise and above come with a central front armrest with a handy storage bin that can slide forward on high-spec models to reveal a second 12V socket. All versions bar entry-level S models get a rear armrest with two built-in cupholders as standard.
The i30 Tourer’s 602-litre boot can easily carry a baby stroller and a few large soft bags with the rear seats and parcel shelf in place. It’s only slightly smaller than the capacious 610-litre Skoda Octavia Estate and a significant 62 litres larger than the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer.
You can fold the rear seats down in a two-way (60:40) split as standard so you’ll be able to carry long items and a rear passenger at the same time. All models in SE guise and above come with a handy ski hatch too, for especially long, thin loads.
With the rear seats folded down, you’ll have access to a huge 1,650-litre boot that’s only hindered by a slight step in the floor behind the rear seats. It’s a little smaller than the Octavia Estate’s 1,740-litre load bay but the Hyundai’s square shape and low load lip makes sliding heavy or bulky luggage on board a breeze.
It’s easily big enough to carry a bike without removing its wheels and an adjustable boot floor – fitted as standard on all models – means there’s room underneath to hide a few small items safely out of sight. This space is reduced considerably on SE models and above thanks to their standard-fit spare wheel, however.
All models come with a handy 12V socket in the boot – so you can charge a few gadgets or hoover the boot out easily – and a luggage cover to stop smaller items rolling around. A couple of tether points and a shopping hook help stop your groceries making a bid for freedom.
What's it like to drive?
The i30 Tourer prioritises comfort over driving fun and can deal with most bumps and potholes reasonably well. It does lean a little in tight corners, however
The i30 Tourer’s pretty relaxing to travel in, but in a forgettable sort of way
You can get the i30 Tourer with a choice of one diesel and two petrol engines and with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
The 1.0-litre petrol engine will be your best bet if you spend most time cruising around town. It’s very nearly as perky as the 1.4-litre petrol and will return around 40mpg in real-world conditions. It’s quieter than the diesel and feels slightly less rattly, too – especially at slow speeds. The 1.4-litre model is more powerful – and a touch smoother – but isn’t quite as efficient.
If you spend a lot of time on the motorway, pick the 1.6-litre diesel – it doesn’t feel quite as nippy as the petrol models but it’ll return around 65mpg in the real world. It’ll also be more suitable if you regularly carry heavy luggage or lots of passengers – its extra grunt will help it chug happily along where the smaller petrols might struggle.
The six-speed manual gearbox is reasonably slick but the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic will make much lighter work of long journeys or heavy traffic. It’s mostly smooth and responsive but can be a little jerky at slow speeds – making parking a tad tricky. It’s available on 1.4-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel models and will set you back between £1,000 and £1,970 depending on the model you pick.
The i30 Tourer’s light steering and pedals make it easy to drive around town. It’s a little larger than the hatchback model, so it’s not quite as manoeuverable, but rear visibility is actually slightly better thanks to the Tourer’s larger rear windows.
It’s longer and slightly trickier to park than the hatchback, but it’s no more difficult to thread into a tight space than an Astra Sports Tourer or Octavia Estate. SE models and above come with rear parking sensors as standard to help make parking as painless as possible.
You don’t need to worry about wind and tyre noise, either – very little finds its way into the i30 Tourer’s cabin, even on the motorway. The i30’s suspension does a good job of keeping the car steady over unexpected bumps at a variety of speeds.
It leans slightly in tight corners, so your passengers might feel slightly car sick after an hour or so of winding country roads, and it isn’t nearly as much fun to drive as a Ford Focus Estate. That said, there are no nasty surprises to be found in the way the i30 drives.
The i30 hatchback scored an impressive five-star safety rating in the strict 2017 Euro NCAP tests. Expect the Tourer versions to provide almost identical levels of protection. For a little extra peace of mind, pick an SE model or above. They come with Lane Keeping Assist – to prevent you from wandering out of lane on motorways – and an adaptive cruise control feature that’ll match your speed to that of other cars.
What's it like inside?
The new i30 Tourer’s interior looks swish and is easy to use, but a Volkswagen Golf Estate still feels more upmarket
