Used Hyundai i30 Fastback for sale: everything you need to know

Premium manufacturers like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz might have been first to get in on the four-door coupe act, and it was inevitable that others would follow. So a few years after the third-generation Hyundai i30 made its debut in 2016, the brand launched the i30 Fastback - effectively the same car underneath, but with a longer profile and lower, more sloping roofline.

It gives the i30 a little more style than the regular hatchback for only a small penalty in terms of usability - the boot is actually bigger than that of the hatch, but the sloped roofline does restrict rear seat headroom.

Not many other carmakers have launched a four-door coupe-style car like this with a car this compact, but if you’re prepared to pay a little more (or look for a slightly older model to even out the pricing), then the BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLA are both similarly swoopy. Neither has a proper hatchback like the Hyundai though, making the Korean car more practical.

Should you buy a Hyundai i30 Fastback?

If you’ve been eyeing up a regular Hyundai i30 but feel it isn’t quite stylish enough, then the i30 Fastback was probably designed for someone like you. The first half of the car looks pretty similar to the hatchback but after that point, it’s longer, a little lower, and a little more rakish - and while it doesn’t turn the i30 into a true beauty, it helps it stand out among the dozens of other family car options on the road.

The great thing about the Fastback though is that being based on the i30 it’s still a thoroughly sensible, head-over-heart family car too. It’s even got a little more boot space than the regular hatchback, though the lower roofline is less dog-friendly and less rear-seat friendly too.

A relatively wide engine lineup means most buyers should find a combination of performance and economy that works for their needs, and that includes hot hatchback buyers, as Hyundai offered the Fastback in i30 N Performance form - like the conventional five-door, it’s one of the most entertaining modern hot hatches you can buy.

The regular cars aren’t quite as joyful to drive but they’re not bad, and do feel a little sharper than the hatch. The ride is firm but not to an uncomfortable degree, but all the engines are pretty refined and the straightforward cabin design is well-built and pretty comfortable, the caveat about slightly less rear headroom aside. Hyundai’s infotainment system is pretty easy to use, too.

The two closest alternatives to the i30 Fastback are actually from premium brands, with the BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe, and the Mercedes-Benz CLA. The Merc is the most stylish of the pair (and more so than the Hyundai too), but both German options have two drawbacks: they’re more expensive, and they’re also not hatchbacks, meaning the i30 remains more practical. While both have performance options too, neither can match the fun factor of the i30 N Performance Fastback.

A Hyundai i30 Fastback not for you? We've got 1000s of used cars for sale to suit all budgets and needs

What’s the best used Hyundai i30 Fastback model to buy?

There’s no bad selection as such in the i30 Fastback range, though we think the slightly better performance of the 1.4 and 1.5 T-GDi models suits the car’s rakish shape better than the relatively modest performance of the 1-litre car. In terms of specification, your hands are tied with later cars since only N Line trim and the full i30 N were available, but among earlier models, we’d look for Premium and above, thanks to their heated seats, LED headlights, and parking sensors at both ends of the car.

Used Hyundai i30 Fastback fuel economy and performance

• Hyundai i30 Fastback 1.0 T-GDi: The i30 Fastback’s entry-level 1-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine makes 120PS, and with the standard six-speed manual gearbox gets from 0-62mph in 11.5 seconds. Economy is up to 51.4mpg combined, depending on trim level.
• Hyundai i30 Fastback 1.4 T-GDi: Offered with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, the 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol makes 140PS. 0-62mph is 9.2 seconds for the manual and 9.5sec for the auto, with 48.7mpg and 51.4mpg economy respectively.
• Hyundai i30 Fastback 1.5 T-GDi: Arriving later in the Fastback’s run the 1.5 T-GDi made 159PS and came with either manual or dual-clutch auto transmissions. The manual got from 0-62mph in 8.3 seconds, two tenths quicker than the auto, but the auto was more fuel-efficient at 47.1mpg to the manual’s 45.6mpg.
• Hyundai i30 N Performance Fastback: Powered by a 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, the N Performance develops 280PS and gets from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds in manual form, and 5.4 with the launch control-assisted dual-clutch.

What used Hyundai i30 Fastback trim levels are available?

Early on the i30 Fastback was offered in three trim levels, SE Nav, Premium, and Premium SE. an N Line model was introduced later and the previous trim lines disappeared, while in 2018, Hyundai added a high-performance i30 N Fastback to the range, with a specification similar to that of the conventional hatchback i30 N. Later models are distinguished by a slightly higher standard of specification, but the most obvious change is a 10.25-inch touchscreen rather than the 8-inch unit of earlier cars.

• The Hyundai i30 Fastback SE Nav got 17-inch alloy wheels, manual seat height adjustment, fabric trim, air conditioning, auto headlights, rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera, an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and safety features including lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking.
• The Hyundai i30 Fastback Premium upgraded to 18-inch alloys, electric driver seat height adjustment, heated front seats, fabric and artificial leather trim, dual-zone climate control, auto wipers, LED headlights, privacy glass, an electric handbrake, front and rear parking sensors, and rear cross traffic alert.
• The Hyundai i30 Fastback Premium SE went further with leather trim, a panoramic electric tilt and slide sunroof, and a heated steering wheel.
• The Hyundai i30 Fastback N Line came later in the i30 Fastback’s production and was offered only with the 1.5 T-GDi engine. Standard kit included the later 10.25-inch touchscreen system, 18-inch alloy wheels, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, and N Line fabric sports seats.
• The Hyundai i30 N Performance Fastback gets a unique N body kit as well as 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero tyres, sports front seats, a limited-slip differential, extra stiffening braces for the body, uprated brakes, and a range of colours specific to the model.

Used Hyundai i30 Fastback dimensions and boot size

The Hyundai i30 Fastback’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4455mm 
• Width: 1795mm (without mirrors)
• Height: 1425mm

The Hyundai i30 Fastback’s boot size is:

• 450 litres
• 1351 litres with the rear seats folded

Used Hyundai i30 Fastback road tax

As it was launched in 2018, all i30 Fastback models attract the same flat rate of VED or ‘road tax’, of £180 a year. That includes the N Performance, which thankfully cost under £40,000 brand new so avoids the surcharge for vehicles over this point.

How much is it to insure a Hyundai i30 Fastback?

The bulk of the i30 Fastback range sits between groups 8 and 18, which is pretty standard for a hatchback from a mainstream manufacturer, and means the Fastback should be a fair bit cheaper to insure than premium alternatives like the BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes CLA. The i30 N Performance Fastback leaps up to group 29, but this again is level with other hot hatchbacks like the Ford Focus ST and Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Read our full Hyundai i30 Fastback review