Hyundai I30 vs Mazda 3

What's the difference?

Obviously we’ll reserve definitive judgement on the Elantra/i30 Sedan Hybrid until we drive it in Australia but our early preview was very promising. Adding the i30 Sedan Hybrid to the local line-up is a smart move from Hyundai. It gives the i30 Sedan range a wider appeal and will allow the company to try and lure customers away from Toyota and its popular Corolla Sedan, even if it can’t quite match it for fuel savings (at least on paper).

As you, the Australian new car consumer, look for more fuel efficient options the i30 Sedan Hybrid should be arriving just in time.

Given how effortlessly it traverses the mainstream and premium small car classes, the Mazda 3 might be the best value small car on the planet.

With racy styling, sports car handling, classy interior presentation and impressive, intelligent efficiency, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into here.

Poor rear vision, a dark back-seat area and smallish boot aside, it doesn’t have any glaring faults.

In a world overrun with SUVs, props to Mazda for evolving the small car so brilliantly to mask a half-decade of existence. Continuous improvements have made the 2024 G25 Evolve SP Vision an essential small car shortlist proposition, regardless of price.

One of the reasons Hyundai Australia has decided to introduce the new hybrid at this stage is the i30 Sedan is due for a mid-life upgrade and facelift.

The company has already previewed the design out of South Korea, with a more dramatic front-end appearance, including a larger, more embellished upper grille and wraparound light bar across the front end.

What’s notable about the Elantra Hybrid we drove in the US is the fact it didn’t look any different from the rest of the Elantra range.

The concept of a hybrid has become normalised these days, so much so that there’s no need for a unique design as customers don’t want something different that stands out - like the Toyota Prius - and instead just want the fuel-saving benefits in a standard-looking car.

How is it that the current Mazda 3 is already five years old? This hatchback is still stunning, the sort of car you look back at when walking away.

The shape is sleek and almost coupe-like, with a shark-like nose, cab-backward-style long bonnet, upswept shoulder line and a fastback silhouette.

More importantly, it’s the way the light dances across the sculptured sides that draw the eyes in. Bereft of clutter, it makes you wish all mainstream manufacturers had the courage to be so daring.

We’ve said it before – the 'BP'-generation Mazda 3 (Axela in Japan) is the brand’s boldest C-segment hatch since the 1993 'BA' 323 (Astina/Lantis/323F).

But there’s a price to pay for such timeless beauty…

Like the design, the interior of the i30 Sedan Hybrid is the same as the non-hybrid model, highlighting how far we’ve come in terms of normalising the technology.

That means there’s no downside of buying a hybrid, in terms of batteries or electric motors eating into cabin space.

Instead, you’re greeted with the same well laid out cockpit you find in the rest of the i30 Sedan range.

In the rear the space is good and there’s a fold down arm-rest with a pair of cupholders. 

Importantly, the boot is the same 400 litres as the petrol-powered Elantra models in the US, once again proving there’s no practical penalties for the different powertrain.

There is a price to pay for all this quasi-coupe styling flair, and that’s a comparatively snug-feeling interior, though you’d never call it cramped.

Actually, the Mazda 3 is no less spacious than most of its competition in all but one area, with enough room even for 200cm drivers, along with sufficient shoulder width and ceiling height to match.

If you’re really tall, maybe that missing sunroof isn’t such a bad thing, after all.

Sat so low-down on cushy, enveloping front seats that offer plenty of comfort and support, this is the anti-SUV. Maybe Mazda should have called this the MX-3.

Sporty and spot-on, the driving position is a laid-back affair, with an emphasis on better ergonomics, as emphasised by the thoughtful placement of switchgear that’s all within easy reach, ahead of a beautifully flowing and layered dash. Proudly Japanese in flavour, it brings to mind functional minimalism.

Drilling into some of the 3’s finer interior details, the analogue-look digital instrumentation is super-legible, ultra-classy and gorgeously lit at night. As previously mentioned, the dials and surrounding air vents are reminiscent of the later Porsche 944 and 968.

It’s not just all for the sake of aesthetics, either.

Yes, it’s lovely, but the thinned-rim three-spoke steering wheel feels great to grip, with nifty little paddle shifters that are a delight to prod.

Same goes for the physical volume knob and climate-control buttons, sidestepping the need to get distracted and frustrated by virtual sub-menus.

And having a conventional gear lever with old-school Tiptronic-style shifts suits the 3’s athletic vibe.

Plus, forward vision is A-OK, ventilation is faultless, storage is better than you might expect, and the fit and finish is as good if not better than any of this 3’s German premium opponents.

Out back, the split-fold rear backrest is set at a comfortable angle, the cushion is well padded, and you’re provided with USB ports, air vents, and an armrest with two cupholders. More thoughtfulness.

But while knee room is fair, rear headroom isn’t great if you’re tall or wear a beehive, as the falling ceiling line reveals.

Vision out is limited by that rising window line and fat pillars. Getting in and out of the back requires some contortionist moves. And the small windows mean it can be gloomier in the back than a Smiths album.

Finally, at just 295 litres, the 3’s cargo capacity is disappointing. Sure, it eclipses the Corolla hatch’s 217L cubby, but other rivals are far larger back there.

At least the floor is wide and flat and there are 60/40-split backrests for cabin access for longer items.

Note that a space-saver spare wheel lurks underneath. Mazda argues there’s always the closely-related CX-30 if you need (slightly) more space (317L).

Meanwhile, at the other end of the 3…

Mazda has rationalised the MY24 3 range, with fewer grades and no more manuals, sadly.

The pretty little piece of automotive industrial design you see here is the mid-range Evolve SP Vision, which sounds less like a car and more like a posh hairdryer from Vidal Sassoon.

Priced from $36,520 before on-road costs (or about $41K drive-away before you start haggling), this Mazda 3 is a sporty and well-equipped alternative to the likes of the speedy Hyundai i30 N-Line Premium, spacious Kia Cerato GT Turbo, new Subaru Impreza AWD 2.0R and evergreen Toyota Corolla ZR. All cost roughly the same money.

Oh, and for 2023, an upgraded version introduces a smartphone charger and wireless for the Apple CarPlay/Android Auto function, along with USB-C port access front and rear.

What’s missing at the Evolve SP Vision’s price point? Some mainstream rivals offer leather and a sunroof, available respectively in the more-expensive GT Vision, from $40,000, and flagship Astina grades, from nearly $42,500.

Still, that’s quite a lot of small car for the money, given the quality of the presentation and design. Speaking of which…

In the US the Elantra Hybrid is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor coupled to a 240-volt lithium-ion battery.

The electric motor generates 32kW and helps the non-turbocharged engine produce 103kW and 265Nm of total performance.

This compares to 150kW/265Nm from the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine in the N Line model.

The engine is paired to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission and sends its power to the road via the front wheels.

This is expected to be the same powertrain in the facelifted model that arrives in Australian showrooms in the not-too-distant future.

When you think about it, shoehorning a big torquey engine in a light and agile small car is a recipe for fun. Ford did just that with the Escort RS2000 in the 1970s… and Mazda’s now an expert at it, too.

The engine in question is the G25, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated twin-cam petrol engine, delivering 139kW of power at 6000rpm and 252Nm of torque at 4000rpm.

As this Evolve SP Vision hatch tips the scales at 1415kg, it makes for a healthy, and consequently very lively, power-to-weight ratio of over 98kW/tonne.

That’s if you decide to use all the available revs, which the six-speed torque-converter auto makes great use of.

Driving the front wheels, it offers a 'Sport' mode to extend the revs even more, which is keeping in line with this Mazda’s sporty character.

Less so is the company’s decision to ditch the old multi-link independent rear suspension system a few years back for a more prosaic torsion beam arrangement. We’ll get to how that affects ride and handling in a moment.

This is the bit that really matters with the i30 Sedan Hybrid and while we drove a US model there’s a lot we can learn for the cars we’ll get in Australia.

The US Environmental Protection Agency official fuel economy rating for the US-spec Elantra Hybrid is 4.3 litres per 100km for the Blue model and 4.7L/100km for the Limited.

Combined with the 41-litre fuel tank the Blue model has a range of approximately 950km and the Limited roughly 870km.

For comparison, Hyundai Australia’s current i30 Sedan line-up manages 6.8L/100km for the 1.6-litre turbo models and 7.0L/100km for those powered by the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, so adding the Hybrid would be a big step forward in terms of efficiency.

But it can’t match the on-paper claims of the Toyota Corolla Sedan Hybrid, which uses just 3.9L/100km on the combined cycle.

In the real world the Elantra Limited we drove in the US started with a claimed 750km range on the car’s trip computer and returned a figure of 5.0L/100km on the dash after our two-day test drive.

That’s impressively close to the claim over such a short period and one that bodes well for long-term ownership, particularly for those who primarily have an urban commute that is best suited to the advantages of the hybrid.

Mazda claims the G25 averages 6.6L/100km on the combined cycle… for a carbon-dioxide emissions rating of 154g/km. On a 51L tank, that gives a potential distance of over 940km!

Driven good and hard in our hands, we managed 7.5L/100km, which isn’t bad given the speed and conditions it was subjected to.

Plus, the Mazda’s happy on 91 RON 'standard' unleaded petrol.

We’ll ignore the ride and handling aspect of the Elantra Hybrid, as the US suspension and steering tune is different to the Korean-sourced models we receive in Australia.

Instead, we’ll focus our assessment on the powertrain as it’s the key differentiator.

In effect, the electric motor replaces the turbocharger on the 1.6-litre engine, but while it does provide a power boost it also changes the dynamic of the driving experience - focusing on efficiency rather than performance.

The extra boost from the electric motor isn’t overwhelming but it does provide a noticeable kick when you keep your right foot hard on the accelerator.

The regenerative braking is very subtle, too, much harder to notice than what you find in a full battery electric vehicle.

The decision to opt for the six-speed dual-clutch transmission means the Elantra Hybrid does feel sporty at times, shifting quickly and with only an occasional clunk that’s a trait of this type of gearbox.

Ask yourself. What do you want from a new small car?

Since the first Familia of the early 1960s, Mazda’s been at it constantly, through the 1300 and 323 eras and into the modern age of the 3.

The Hiroshima brand knows its stuff. Space, practicality, comfort, ease, reliability and affordability. But a small car has to offer more, specifically in the way it makes the owner feel.

That’s why, while the Focuses, Lancers, Astras and Pulsars are gone, the 3’s still here. And it isn’t just the lush visuals inside and out that are, well, sensory-rich.

As older Alfa Romeo owners know, there’s something special about an engine that sounds alive, and the moment you push the 3’s starter, it purrs into life. That’s the first clue.

Slot the refreshingly old-school lever into Drive, and the G25 leaps into action, and, if you need it to, will keep pulling forward strongly, engine buzzing, like it’s on a mission.

There is a consistent and unifying control to the 3’s linear and forgiving dynamics, reminiscent of past masters like the Focus (and today’s brilliant Peugeot 308) that makes it a joy to drive enthusiastically through fast corners, with the knowledge that it won’t suddenly snap-oversteer and bite an unalert driver back.

For a Mazda, the ride is quiet enough, but there is still some droning transmitted through the cabin, via the Bridgestone Turanza (215/45) tyres, on coarse-chip bitumen surfaces.

And while suspension comfort is pretty impressive for the most part, larger bumps reveal the torsion beam’s limitations, as the car can occasionally thud over them in a way that we remember the multi-link rear end wouldn’t.

Anyway, what we’re saying is that, overall, the 3 Evolve SP Vision is an immersive and interactive driving experience that is right up there with the best of them.

Brawny performance, exquisite agility and a refinement that, collectively, have eluded every small Mazda in living memory until this generation’s 2019 debut. This 3’s right on the money. Still.

Tested way back when this generation was new in early 2019, the Mazda 3 scored a maximum five-star ANCAP crash-test rating.

On the driver-assist front you’ll find front and rear AEB (with a working range of 40km/h to 200km/h) with pedestrian and cycle detection available between 10-80km/h, while the 'Forward Collision Warning' operates from 40-200km/h.

Blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, 'Forward Obstruction Warning', rear and front 'Cross-Traffic Alert', 'Secondary Collision', auto high beams, breakaway pedals, adaptive cruise control (with full stop/go functionality and cruising/traffic support), parking sensors front/rear, 360-degree round-view monitor, reverse camera, traffic sign recognition, driver monitor and tyre-pressure monitors are also included.

The lane-keep support systems work between 55-200km/h.

Seven airbags – front, side, curtain and a driver’s knee bag – are fitted, along with anti-lock brakes with 'Electronic Brake-force Distribution', 'Emergency Brake Assist', stability control, traction control, hill-start assist are also fitted, seat-belt pretensioners, and two rear-seat ISOFIX points as well as three top tethers for child seat straps.

Hyundai offers lifetime servicing and pre-paid servicing plans that are transferable from one owner to the next, so you can know how much you’ll be paying up front to keep your car maintained.

Again, we don’t know precise details for the i30 Sedan Hybrid, but using the new Kona as a reference we can see that Hyundai’s hybrid models cost the same under the pre-paid program.

Mazda offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with five-years roadside assistance… and that’s nothing special nowadays.

Service intervals are at 12 months or every 15,000km.

A fixed-price service scheme is available, averaging out to $434 annually over the first five years. Mazda shows pricing right up to 16 years and 240,000km on its website.