My car was at the dealers today because the direction indicator beeper they fitted last month had developed an intermittent fault. The loan car was a 2013 i30 CRDi 110PS Active blue drive.
During the day I did just over 80 miles in the car - 30% urban and 70% motorway/main roads after setting the trip recorders to zero. It averaged 57.3 mpg (5.0 l/100km) and 48 mph whilst in my hands and felt little different to my present car which has the 128PS engine.
I concluded - subjectively - that it performed as well as my car and my previous one (both 2012/2013 i30 CRDi Style 128PS) - with plenty of grunt - and it leaves me wondering whether there is all that much difference between the two engines. In the UK if you want the Style model to obtain the extra bells and whistles like climate control, auto headlights, auto wipers etc you get the 128PS engine - the Active model which is £1000 cheaper gets the 110PS engine.
My message to forum members is that you are not missing out on anything obvious if you have a 110PS engine - rather than the 128PS one - other than perhaps bragging rights.