Hyundai i30 2014

It says something about the progress Hyundai has made over the last few years that many will come to this car expecting dynamic standards that match the Family Hatchback class-leaders. Cars like the Ford Focus and the Volkswagen Golf that have spent decades perfecting themselves in this area. Of the two, it’s clearly the Volkswagen that has been Hyundai’s benchmark in development, for in terms of ride and refinement, this i30 remains very close to the high standard set by its pricier German rival.

The sophisticated multi-link rear suspension that made the original first generation version of this Korean design so surprisingly good in this respect was retained for this second generation model – and improved to the point where on a poor surface, you really do feel like you’re riding in something far more expensive. Few other cars in this class are better at soothing away tarmac imperfections.