Hyundai i30 Fastback review

It may be hard to imagine, but the Hyundai i30 Fastback owes its very existence to cars with far higher price tags.

Cars like the Mercedes CLS, which took the novel approach of blending coupé styling with saloon levels of practicality, arguably kick-starting one of the most influential automotive design movements of the 21st century. From the Volkswagen Arteon to Kia Stinger, seemingly every manufacturer now has a model that caters to this niche yet widely popular class, and the i30 Fastback aims to give you the same sleek looks at an affordable price.

When you think about rivals, there’s nothing that’s quite at this price – the Mercedes A-Class saloon is similar in idea, but more expensive. Compared with the five-door i30 hatch, the Fastback has received cosmetic surgery that extends from a redesigned nose to a roofline that has been lowered by roughly an inch – tapering gently into a small ducktail at the rear. It has its own wheel designs, too.

But have these changes been enough to give the i30 Fastback real premium appeal? Read on to find out. And if you decide to buy an i30 Fastback – or any other car for that matter – head over to our New Car Buying pages to see how much you could save without haggling.