When it comes to litres (albeit not per 100 km this time), you may find yourself challenged when time comes to travel somewhere further. The 378-litre trunk is quite capacious for standards of the compact segment, it's also practical due to the large rear hatch, but some of the space inside is occupied by the spare wheel in its protective cover. In fact, it's a "thin” emergency wheel, which can be displaced behind one of the front seats (unless you have a "full house” onboard) or – if you often need the trunk's full capacity and all the seats at the same time – replaced entirely with a tyre-saver kit. Anyhow, the wheel is a necessary compromise and it's not hard to live with it, after all.
While we are at the rear, let's have a look at the LPG refueling valve. Unlike in the previosly tested LPGTECH-converted estate version of the i30, this time the valve is located low in the bumper and to us it's a flaw. A valve placed under the petrol filler flap, even if it requires a screwed-in adapter for every fill-up, is a much more convenient solution, for it doesn't require bending over, crouching or kneeling to couple the nozzle. We assume Hyundai (after all this is a dedicated, manufacturer-approved conversion) wanted to avoid perforating metal parts of the body having their longevity at heart, but as much as we understand and respect that, but from a user standpoint we'd rather the valve was easier to access and operate.
The LPG/petrol switch on the dashboard could definitely use some better access and visibility, too. Has Hyundai placed it low on the left not to interfere with the console's modern look and curvaceous lines? In theory, it's possible to monitor the LED LPG level display's indications (between spokes of the steering wheel), but in practice you need to take your eyes off the road in order to do so. LPGTECH managed to put the switch higher, right (or, in fact, left) next to the steering column and it wasn't exactly a crime against aesthetics. Instead, it was way more in line with the rules of ergonomics. True, the way the switch is placed here is no major drawback (after a couple of refills you refer to the daily mileage meter rather than the LED display), but in a car officially available with an LPG system it should be done better, so that the LPG-skeptics have nothing to skepticise about.
Those who come second (not to mention those who come forth, pun intended) don't have an easy life, as they're always compared to those before them. Had we tested the "officially” converted i30 first, we could've been more forgiving about its minor imperfections, but since we first drove the one "by LPGTECH”, we can't help but compare. The i30 ecoLPG straight from the dealership is a good offer for anyone looking for a practical and economical car, but we keep our fingers crossed for Hyundai to start offering autogas systems for 120 PS 1,6-litre engines, too (or only, at the cost of the 100 PS 1,4-litre units). The cost of the conversion wouldn't probably be considerably higher (it's 4600 zlotys, or approx. 1095 euros today), but at least it wouldn't reinforce the stereotype of low power of cars running on LPG. Anyway, we declare the i30 a yay, but we only recommend it to those who don't expect or need a pocket rocket. The car does its job fine, but does nothing out of the ordinary.
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