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Cleaning up your conscience – and your
exhaust emissions – can be a costly affair, with most manufacturers
charging extra for the technology to cut tail pipe emissions.
But Hyundai has just launched a new
range of cars – branded i-Blue - which will offer emissions
below the crucial 120g/km barrier but which are priced at the highly
competitive level buyers expect from Hyundai.
The first car in the range will be an
i30 hatchback powered by the familiar and acclaimed 1.6-litre CRDi
engine. With prices starting at £13,155, it is substantially better
value than low emission rivals, including the offerings from Ford and
Volkswagen.
The i30’s advanced engine design means
there has been no need to resort to measures such as skinny tyres,
expensive stop-start systems or lowered suspension to achieve the low CO2
figure. All that has been necessary to achieve the 6g/km drop over the
existing model is a minor change to the gear ratios. As the revisions
are so minor, the i30’s acclaimed roadholding, drivability, ride and
equipment levels are unaffected.
Savings for owners could be substantial
though, with the i-Blue falling into VED Group B, cutting the
cost of an annual tax disc from £120 to £35.
But it’s business users who will see
the really impressive savings. The new company car tax band for diesels
producing less than 120g/km has dropped from 18 to just 13 percent,
saving higher rate tax payers hundreds every year.
The new model remains affordable too,
with prices starting at £13,155 despite an enviable equipment list that
includes ESP, air conditioning and alloy wheels as standard on all
versions. As with all new Hyundai models, the i30 is also covered by a
five year, unlimited mileage warranty.
In addition the i-Blue badge
will also be used on all i10 models which produce less than 120g/km. The
introduction of the new 1.2-litre Kappa petrol engine, available from
September, means this will apply to every i10 with a manual
transmission.
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