Hyundai i30 i-BLUE : FOR BLUE, READ GREEN

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Hyundai is going green with its i30 i-Blue. Steve Walker takes a look.

Hyundai's i30 i-Blue is a green special that isn't really very special at all. The manufacturer simply fits longer gear ratios to the standard i30 CRDi. The good news it that the i-Blue is priced at the same level as the standard car but can deliver real cost savings through its lower emissions and improved fuel economy.

Hyundai is following the rest of the automotive industry in its headlong rush toward a greener future. At least, that's the message behind it's i-Blue initiative which was dreamt up to form a promotional blanket around the cleanest, most fuel efficient vehicles in the manufacturer's range. i-Blue means green and for buyers that means cash savings as well as the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from doing the right thing for the planet. But just how green is i-Blue? A look at the i30 i-Blue model should reveal all. First, a problem. Hyundai proudly announce that the 1.6-litre CRDi engine that's offered in its i30 is so advanced that there's no need to resort to the low rolling resistance tyres, stop start systems and aerodynamic modifications that rival manufacturers have utilised in order to dip their vehicles under the 120g/km emissions barrier. As a result, the i30 i-Blue does look affordable next to other efficiency-branded vehicles from rival manufacturers that employ such technology - but this also raises questions about the purpose of i-Blue. If this is an environmentally-driven programme to lower vehicle emissions and conserve fuel for the greater good, you'd have thought some relatively inexpensive aerodynamic modifications, low rolling resistance tyres and weight saving measures would have further improved the i30's green credentials. But then that would have meant the kind of price increase that Hyundai is anxious to avoid. Just as well the basic i-30 is so clean then. The 1.6-litre CRDi engine in the i-Blue is a common-rail injection unit with 114bhp. There's torque of 255Nm between 1,900rpm and 2,500rpm which gives the i30 a hefty pull through the mid range. Spark up the engine and you'll be pleasantly surprised at its lack of diesel clatter at idle and on the move it stays relatively refined. The powerplant is available in the standard i30 in exactly the same guise but in the i-Blue model, it's mated to a longer ratio gearbox. This allows the engine to work less hard to attain a given speed, improving economy and emissions as a consequence.

"Can the i-Blue save motorists money by helping them duck some tax and spend a little less at the filling station? Yes it canâ€¦"

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. 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 kind of 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. At £13,155, Hyundai is pricing this i30 at identical levels to its entry level Comfort model with the same 1.6 CRDi engine. This gives the car a significant advantage over other efficiency-brand family hatchbacks which can cost around £1,000 more than the equivalent conventional car. Such a price differential takes quite a while to recoup in fuel and taxation savings but with the i-Blue, buyers will be in the black straight away. Every Hyundai i30 comes well-appointed with air conditioning, alloy wheels and integrated steering wheel audio controls as standard. You'll also find a single CD stereo with six speakers and MP3 compatibility as well as USB/iPod and auxiliary connections in the centre console. By the standards of the wider family hatchback class, it's a decent haul and proof that there's still life in the old policy of offering lots of equipment for the money that Hyundai relied upon before its products were quite so competitive. So to the nitty-gritty of the i30 i-Blue - economy and emissions. To start, let's just confirm that the standard i30 1.6 CRDi can return a very creditable 60.1mpg with CO2 emissions of 125g/km. With its longer gear ratios, the i-Blue manages to deliver 119g/km which puts it under the all important cut-off point for a number of emissions-based taxation schemes. This drop has been achieved with the sole addition of a new gearbox which does beg the question, how low could Hyundai go with a full set of efficiency modifications? 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. There's also talk of the latest efficiency branded models such as the i-Blue holding their value a little better as used car buyers try to cut their outgoings. Hyundai came from a solid starting point with its i30 i-Blue, its 1.6-litre CRDi engine was already one of the cleanest around and the simple addition of a longer ratio gearbox has cut the i-Blue's emissions to a level that will yield significant taxation advantages for buyers. There's little doubt that Hyundai could have done more to further lower the car's emissions but by keeping things simple, the marque has kept the i-Blue's asking price at a modest level, making it one of the most cost-effective green-specials around. Is the Hyundai i-Blue the green crusader that the marketing department might have us believe it is? No. It's a diesel i30 with longer gear ratios. Can the i-Blue save motorists money in these cash-strapped times by helping them duck some tax and spend a little less at the filling station? Yes it can. The jury may be out on the ethics but you can't really argue with the i30 i-Blue's value proposition and who can really blame a car maker for trying to sell cars?

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Hyundai i30 i-Blue
PRICES: £13,155 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 119g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 11.6s / Max Speed 117mph [est]
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 49.6mpg / (extra urban) 68.9mpg / (combined) 60.1mpg [est]
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags / ABS with EBD, ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4245/1775/1480mm