What's the news?
The second part of the four-piece MkIII Hyundai i30 jigsaw is being revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, as the Tourer estate is unveiled to the world - it follows on from the hatchback we drove just a few weeks ago.
Exterior
In terms of its width and wheelbase, the Tourer is the same size as the five-door hatch - it measures 1,795- and 2,650mm respectively for those dimensions. It's a bit taller, at 1,475mm with roof rails, and longer, by a sizeable 245mm. The Tourer is therefore 4,585mm from tip to tail, which leads to plenty of boot space, as we shall come to see in a moment. Otherwise, with its full-LED headlamps and LED daytime running lights, the i30 Tourer is very similar in appearance to the hatch. Which means handsome, if not jaw-dropping.
Interior
The reason you buy an estate is for practicality, of course, and the i30 Tourer has that front covered. The boot is a mighty 602 litres with all the seats in place and 1,650 litres with them folded away, while there's a storage space beneath the cargo area's floor housing several useful compartments. Like the hatch, the Tourer comes with a long list of standard active safety kit, including Autonomous Emergency Braking, Driver Attention Alert, High Beam Assist and Lane Keeping Assist System. Options include Advanced Smart Cruise Control, Blind Spot Detector, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Speed Limit Information Function.
Mechanicals
Hyundai is offering the same three engines in the Tourer as found in the hatchback, so choose from a three-cylinder, 1.0-litre T-GDi petrol with 120hp, a four-cylinder, 1.4-litre T-GDi with 140hp, or the solitary turbodiesel (which will be the most popular unit here in Ireland), a four-pot 1.6-litre CRDi with 110hp.
Anything else?
Thomas Schmid, chief operating officer at Hyundai Motor Europe, said: "Designed, developed, tested and manufactured in Europe, the i30 is Hyundai's DNA car in Europe. The i30 is more than just a model - it is a family of cars, consisting of four body types with unique characters united by a coherent, timeless design. With the new i30 Tourer we are now introducing the next body type, offering elegance and versatility for everyone."