To keep up with the competition, car manufacturers have to build very durable vehicles – but it’s a fine art. Creating something that’s durable yet manages to remain plush and luxurious is far from easy – and it’s harder still to prove to buyers that something brand new and shiny will stand the test of time and look good in years to come.

It’s fair to say that we’ve been a little bit unfriendly to our i30 long termer– it wasn’t washed between April and July but it did manage to shine like new after a quick buff. But how will you know just how durable the paint finish and interior upholstery is if you’re looking a spotless, brand new car in the showroom?

Well Hyundai has thought of that – by letting a classroom of school kids loose on an i30 Tourer. You might not expect a manufacturer to be so daring with one of its cars, but obviously the company was confident it’d withstand paint, sand, yoghurt and whatever else could be chucked at it.

25 kids spent the day testing how durable the i30 really is, smearing mud on the exterior panels, bouncing on the seats in muddy wellies, fiddling with windows, mashing bananas into the seats and spilling juice all over the place. They also had the chance to make the boot floor into a ‘beach,’ complete with sand castles.

Generally they made the most of their time doing things they’d otherwise get a thorough telling off for – but this time around they got away with it. After ‘testing’ was completed the car  was washed inside out and polished – surviving with just a few scratches.  Watch the video below to see just how much of a beating the i30 survived.