[Heady]

Dashmats are quite popular in Australia but don't seem to be popular in the UK.

Does anyone know of any suppliers in the UK? Or is my best option to purchase from OZ and ship it over?

This is the type of thing:
* dashmat i30 | eBay

[Dazzler]

This one seems like good value (cheap freight and all) The genuine one is only half a dash mat! We always get them... (pity about your current exchange rates!) 

Sunland Black Dashmat for HYUNDAI i30/i30cw FD 10/07-4/12 Dash Mat K36 | eBay

[Heady]

Thanks Dazzer - I was eyeing this one:  Sunland Coal Dashmat for HYUNDAI i30 GD 5/12 On Dash Mat K45 | eBay

A bit more but not so much.  I may ask friends&family to wait and collect everything and ship it all together by sea - might bring shipping costs down a bit.

[Dazzler]

No Worries. Combined sea freight sounds like a plan! 

[CraigB]

GD dash mat's only $40 here Black Dash MAT FOR 05 2012 2016 Hyundai GD I30 Hatch Active Active X Premium | eBay , use the postage and handling calculator to see how much for postage to the UK...about $5 AU is what I'm seeing for UK economy postage.

Another Korean seller with UK postage listed Black Dashboard Mats Dash Mat for 2012 2013 2014 Hyundai i30 3dr 5dr Tourer RHD | eBay

[Heady]

Thanks for that CraigB - they are definitely cheaper.

What I notice is that the cheaper ones fully cover the location of the passenger airbag. 
The more expensive ones either have a flap or a cut-out at the location of the passenger airbag.

Anyone have any comments regarding whether the airbag cut-out or flap is truly needed?
Pointless paying more for something that won't make one bit of difference.  Likewise, its not wise to intentionally handicap the airbag if it ever deploys.

I'm unsure which way?

[Dazzler]

The ones without the cut out look better and are more practical in my opinion.

They only sit on the dash located by a couple of velcro tabs, so don't feel they would impede the passenger airbag. 

[Enzoi30]

Hi Heady how did you get on with the dash Matt,did you go ahead or leave it.

[beerman]

I would be careful. I remember when passenger airbags first came out it was impossible to get one for a car with passenger airbags, then they developed the cut out for them. I would be very careful of anything that covers the airbag deployment area.

From the below link:

As mentioned above, air bag deployment is carefully managed. Any objects that are in the
way of deployment will either be:
projected forwards with great force into the occupant or
hinder the proper deployment of the airbag so that the timing of inflation is altered
and contact with the occupant does not occur correctly or at the correct time.

What can affect airbag deployment?
4. Dash mats
Dash mats can interfere with deployment of front airbags. Check with the vehicle
manufacturer that the mats you are using are suitable for your vehicle and for use
with airbags. Some manufacturers do not approve of dash mats for their vehicles.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web

[Dazzler]

Thanks for that. I think?

[Heady]

Hi Heady how did you get on with the dash Matt,did you go ahead or leave it.

Enzoi30, in the end - I got a ultra cheap dashmat off ebay from S.Korea.  I think it was about £24 total.

Hyundai Australia has a photo of a dashmat in an i30 and it has a stylish cutout for the airbag.  Mine doesn't have the cutout.

That material (like the price) is ultra thin black felt.  It has either not been cut properly or has stretched and deformed.
The instructions talk about sticking velcro to the dash and then pushing the felt into the velcro to hold in-place.  I didn't want to stick anything permanent to the dash.  Because not wanting to use velcro and the stretch/deformation it doesn't fit properly and I've had to use bread-ties to afix the dashmat to the airvents.  This stops the dashmat from moving around and landing in my lap during cornering & accelerating.

For the moment it will do - the ultra cheap dashmat does the two main jobs I wanted it for:
1) To provide some protection to the dash plastic regarding scratches from things like GPS etc...
2) To absorb light and stop reflections of the dash onto the sloping windscreen especially at night.

I don't often carry passengers - if I do I'll get a better one with the cutout.

PS: I'll try to get photos of it sometime in the near future.