Hyundai i30 CW LPGTECH - car in the back seat

© gazeo.comIn place of one four-section rail, we have four separate injectors, grouped in pairs

Another interesting thing is automatic calibration of the gas level indicator. The procedure is carried out by the driver when the LPG tank is empty, just before refueling. When the engine is running, you just need to push and hold the button on the switch, turn off the engine (still holding the button), and wait for the sound signal. Then you need to refuel and that’s it. This way you can quickly and easily set the display to the correct level and you won’t have to remember when to refuel, relying on indications of the daily run counter that needs to be reset after each refueling. A small thing, but a nice one.

One thing we didn’t really like was the way the gas tank was mounted. The 35-liter torus manufactured by GZWM was placed in the spare wheel space (the wheel itself is packed in a bag and moved to the trunk), but the problem is that the said wheel is an access route only wheel, so the space is shallow. But the tank is conventional and full-size which forced the manufacturer to cut a hole in a useful little shelf for small things that’s located under the floor covering in the trunk. OK, maybe we don’t use that double floor too often and so in terms of utility, the loss is virtually nil, but the whole operation could have been performed a bit more accurately. And while we’re criticizing things, the petrol/gas switch could have been fitted up better and in a place where it wouldn’t be obscured by the steering wheel. But this doesn’t change the fact that all the elements under the hood (the TECH 224 controller, the TECH-Dragon injectors, the KME Silver reducer, the filters – including the Perfect Blue vapour state filter – and accessories) were fitted very carefully and aesthetically, and LPGTECH surely deserves some praise for that.

© gazeo.comWe can live with the hole cut in the dual boot floor, but the aesthetic outcome of this operation could be better

Let’s note one more interesting feature of the TECH system. It’s possible to connect a wireless Bluetooth module to its diagnostic joint, which is not really a new thing, but it’s important that the calibration can be carried out not only through a computer, but also through any portable device based on Android systems, including a smartphone or a tablet. Just install a special Gasdroid app and you can easily and quickly work on your gas system settings while you’re on your way (as long as you do it from the passenger seat, not when you’re behind the wheel!).

We’ve already mentioned that this new TECHnology Hyundai is not too thirsty. Steady, easy ride outside the city (along trunk roads) lets us go below 6 liters/100 km (according to the trip computer). Driving through the city and on highways increases this number to still quite respectable 9,6 l/100 km. We’re talking about petrol here, and what about gas? At a 136-kilometer stretch, with route leading us through the city, county roads and expressways, we used 12,8 liters of LPG, which gives us an average of 9,4 liters per 100 kilometers (the tank holds up to 35 liters, so we should be able to go for 370 km without refueling). The computer showed 9,2 l/100 km, so the convergence of the petrol and alternative fuel consumption is quite astonishing and shows that the injection map and calibration precision were well done. The same with savings: 9,2 liters of petrol for every 100 km will cost 48,7 PLN (€12), 9,4 liters of LPG costs only 25 PLN (€6). If fleet owners are still not convinced, what else may change their mind? Maybe this short simulation: over a distance of 60000 km – a typical annual distance for a fleet vehicle – the i30 will allow you to save (on fuel only) 14400 PLN (almost 3500 EUR)! For more detailed calculations please refer to our LPG Payback Simulator.

© gazeo.comCalibration with a Smartphone? Why not?

The most important thing is to be sure that the cars, after being adapted to the TECH system, still had a warranty on the same terms as their petrol and diesel counterparts. It’s especially important with Hyundais, as the Korean manufacturer offers a 5-year warranty. But if all TECH systems work just like the one installed in our test car, we don’t really anticipate any problems in communication between the dealers and fleet owners who would be willing to convert their cars. Let’s just hope that the latter will change their way of thinking and will drop diesels in favor of autogas-powered models that are cheaper in operation, maintenance and servicing.