2025 Hyundai i30 (Facelift) Review: Some Good, Some WTF?!

What the heck, Hyundai…

Hyundai has launched the 2025 i30 Facelift into Australia, but prices have shot up - because the new Mild-Hybrid is no longer built in Korea. We now get the Czech built i30, with a new exterior, interior design and totally new 1.5L turbo petrol engine with a mild-hybrid setup.

Competition is also FIERCE, with the Toyota Corolla and upcoming Kia K4 about to launch too.

Now starting ~$40,000 - should you buy this, or just buy the full-fat i30 N? Let’s talk about that in today’s review!

--

--

⚠️ Watch me next ⚠️
What about the old Ford Mustang GT Convertible?
How does the Toyota Supra Compare?
Buy a Nissan Z instead?

--

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Coming Up!
00:00:21 Intro
00:01:48 Exterior Looks
00:05:06 Exhaust Sounds
00:05:15 Practicality
00:06:33 Interior (Front Seats)
00:10:40 Back Seats
00:12:00 0-100km/h Launch
00:12:44 Driving Impressions
00:17:06 Final Thoughts

--

Here at CarSauce, we review every new car on the market. We are a community of sauce givers and we'd love for you to subscribe and join our community!

We give every car "the sauce", test their 0-100km/h, and see whether or not they are worth purchasing and spending your hard-earned cash on.

From time to time, we'll also buy a weird and wacky car and take you on the journey with me! We release videos every Sunday 5pm AEST / AEDT with the latest new car reviews!

Your feedback is important, so if you want to see us do something new or something you would like me to change let me know! Got a question for me? Leave it in the comments! I try and respond to them all!

[aryanjatyan]

Honestly kinda disappointing considering how well Hyundai have been doing lately. This just feels the same as Apple launching a “new” phone every year

[claudiadavies]

I'm really sad that the range of i30 is now so limited, always loved the Nline as a warm hatch, adored the i20n and i30n, but felt the standard i30 gave us a brilliant A to B option, especially if you're not at all interested in SUVs. Sad too that the Nline is not quite the entry level hottie it used to be. Excellent review guys 😊

[qbii]

pros: more agressive look, fuel efficiency
cons: seats ventilation removed, downgraded powertrain, sound subwoofer removed, price goes up

[mattandhisnikon]

I was considering one of these, but then when the Subaru Impreza gave me pretty much all the same features - plus some more, and a bigger hatch - for 14k less it was a no brainer.

Everyone complains about the Impreza engine but honestly for day to day it's fine, just a bit thirsty.

[aniketdesai]

Unexpected collaboration with carversel bro 😎

[JonathanMurphy]

This feels like same car it was back in 2019 when I considered buying one. I bought a Holden Astra RSV instead for about $6k less than the N-Line was at the time, although not quite as nice an interior as the i30. Just before Holden stopped existing….. Anyway a very mild facelift for a mild hybrid.

[shannonrussell]

I paid 5k more for a Kona N Line Premium AWD 1.6L (drive away) and it appears to be so much nicer for not much more price wise. Very strange to have this package with some omissions that make you scratch your head in wonder. Great review as always gentlemen.

[seegee]

the stop start is the first button you push to turn the thing off, so what's the point of the hybrid system?

[WildDanHibiki]

Would rather a near new full fat i30 N at this RRP.

[MK]

Even though I absolutely hate halogen indicators also, it’s almost worth it just to see vision of you swearing at them during reviews 😂

[HippiMikki]

Would the Toyota Corolla or Golf also come with the sunroof ?

[Accretion-Ranch]

Wow, money doesn’t buy much these days

[spiritblossoms]

looks the same old i30s from 2021. Would rather get a Cupra leon, more unique, not common and a headturner hatch

[brycegardiner]

Im torn between the i30 sr premium or the n line base model or the Toyota corolla sx?? Not sure if I want the hybrid or not in the Daddy matt or daddy jacob can you help me?
Cheers thanks

[mrevoix]

I wonder why they haven’t updated it to match the i30 sedan? It’s been what, 5 years since the sedan has been face lifted twice?

[rw]

Will you have a @CarSauce water bottle for sale?

[rodneym]

Facelift?? 😂😂 Looks the same and way overpriced!

[brettmcdonald]

Sorry, they lost me when I saw the 48v battery where the spare should be. Next……

[danieltaylor]

I’ve got the 2019 N Line and it’s brilliant with plenty of power and picked it up for 31K. Such a pity they’ve dropped the specs and pushed it out of “warm hatch” territory and bumped up the price so much.

[MetalPhreakAU]

I've never been one for worrying about fuel economy but it's kind of wild how good modern hybrids are. 6L/100km out of a 2.3 ton BYD SL6 with a flat battery vs 11L/100km out of a much lighter v8 10speed mustang in the most favourable conditions. But in this case, the performance of the BYD isn't that far off. We've come a long way from 2000 where mid-teen numbers were the norm for a family car where now 8-9L/100 is laughable.