Hyundai hopes its i30 can push up and out of the budget hatchback sector to challenge the mainstream brands. It might just manage it. Steve Walker reports.

The launch period for a new car must be a nerve-wracking time for the manufacturer. After years of painstaking development and testing conducted within the cosy confines of the organisation, all that remains is to load up the transporters, throw open the showroom doors and see what happens. When there's millions, if not billions, in development budget riding on a product, the prospect of it standing or falling on the poison pens of a contrary press corps or the fickle whims of the motoring public must really concentrate the mind. Except, not in the case of Hyundai's i30.

When the launch of this family hatchback was announced, the team behind it were probably sunning themselves on the yachts they'd bought with next year's bonus or quaffing champagne in a penthouse somewhere. There was nothing to worry about because the i30 had already been through a highly successful dry run. It's just that then it was badged as the Kia Cee'd.

Thrill seekers may be inclined to look elsewhere but the well-built and comfortable i30 from Hyundai is a serious candidate in the family hatch sector. Buyers seduced by the long warranty and high equipment levels will overlook the non-descript design.

The i30 is Hyundai's version of the Cee'd which is sold by its subsidiary company Kia and was given a head start of six months or so on the UK market. The Cee'd received a glowing response from all quarters, setting standards in quality and sophistication never before approached by a Korean marque in the European marketplace. There was the slight caveat inserted by some that the Cee'd was good 'for a south east Asian product' but I'd say it was good full stop. And so is the i30.

The existence of its Cee'd forerunner removed some of the uncertainty from the i30's entry into the marketplace but now it's here the car must do battle with the established big guns of the family hatch sector for the affections of UK car buyers and just being good may not be good enough.

A full complement of engines is offered with the i30 and that includes a pair of CRDi common-rail diesels with variable geometry turbocharging for improved refinement. The entry-point into i30 ownership is the 1.4-litre petrol with a not inconsequential 107bhp and then you have the 124bhp 1.6. The diesels are 1.6-litres in capacity with outputs of 89 and 113bhp respectively. The engine range itself is a wide one then, even if none of the units on offer are particularly heart-stopping in their performance.

The more powerful diesel's 260Nm maximum torque helps it to a 0-62mph time of 11.5s and it will roll on to a 117mph top speed. All models get 5-speed manual transmission except this 113bhp diesel which is available with a four-speed automatic in the Comfort trim level.

As well as ABS braking with brakeforce distribution, all i30 models feature ESP stability control which is a laudable inclusion and emblematic of Hyundai's intention for the car to compete in the upper reaches of the family hatchback segment. Further safety provision comes in the form of twin front and side airbags plus full length curtain airbags.

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 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. 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 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. Independent springs give a suppler ride and more composed handling but the torsion beam is a more compact arrangement so it helps with packaging issues and interior space. The i30's set-up is a compromise between the two.

Hyundai has ascended the ranks of the UK car market with a succession of models based on the familiar 'high specification, low price' mantra. The i30's intended move into the family hatch mainstream has seen things change somewhat. Affordability will still form a big part of the i30's appeal but with the price tag, it's not cheap in the way its Accent predecessor was. Three trim levels are available - Classic, Comfort and Premium - and these are fairly self explanatory in that Classic keeps it simple, Comfort adds a little luxury and Premium shovels on more high-end features.

Two bodystyles are available - five-door hatch and Estate. The platform the Estate sits on is different to that of the hatchback, with a massive 235mm worked into the wheelbase, giving greater legroom in the rear and freeing up plenty of luggage space, giving 534 litres with the rear seats in position. Fold down the 60:40-split rear seats and this expands to a hefty 1,664 litres.

Road burning performance isn't the strong suit of the i30's engine range but these units are well capable of administering a mild kicking if challenged on grounds of economy. Official figures reveal a 46.3mpg showing for the 1.4-litre with the 1.6 returning 45.6. The 89bhp 1.6-litre diesel returns an impressive 64mpg with the 113bhp option not far behind. On emissions, the lesser oil-burner is once again the best of the bunch with as little as 115g/km of CO2 produced with the manual transmission and that could set the seal on this model as the pick of the engine range. If you want even better economy, Hyundai's ISG stop/start technology can be fitted as an option.

Hyundai and Kia seem to be doing their best to initiate some kind of warranty war with the UK car market as the main theatre of conflict. The major players have yet to take the bait but the i30's five-year unlimited mileage package with 10-year anti-perforation cover must be a source of some annoyance to the major brands when the best you'll get from them is three years protection. In fairness, a lengthy warranty is no good to anyone if you're constantly having to make claims on it but the peace of mind that accompanies the i30's extended deal is not to be underestimated. If the car proves to be reliable as well, the Koreans could really be onto a winner. Over to you JD Power.

If this was a budget hatchback in the mould of Hyundai's previous offerings in this sector, it would probably be marked down as a good-looking vehicle but Hyundai have pitched the i30 into the mainstream and it should be judged by those standards. It is, therefore, a tad dull to look at but it's genuinely difficult to strongly criticise the car on any other criteria.

Inoffensive rather than outstanding, the i30 isn't going to rocket to the top of the sales charts dislodging the Focus and sending Volkswagen's Golf back to the drawing board but it's more competitive than any Hyundai before it alongside comparatively priced models from the likes of Toyota, Citroen, Mazda and Renault. Strong points include build quality, comfort and interior space while an injection of performance and design flare wouldn't go amiss.

The i30 was designed specifically to raise the profile of Hyundai in the big European markets and it's a significant step in the right direction. Hyundai may lack the brand profile to compete with more established names head on but with a few more products of the i30's calibre, its upward progression could be swift.