Hyundai i30 – next-gen teased ahead of Paris debut

Four years after the current Hyundai i30 was unveiled, Hyundai has now released the first teaser images and video of the next-generation model ahead of its debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.

Coming after the sleek one-box shape of the outgoing model, the new car marks a return to a more traditional two-box hatchback profile, with a long bonnet that is reminiscent of the Peugeot 308. It seems to be a trend among European hatchbacks, as the new Renault Megane also exhibits such proportions.

At the front, the i30 takes after Hyundai’s hybrid Ioniq, with slit-like headlights, a low-set, six-point grille (in a redeveloped design that tapers towards the bottom, which Hyundai calls a cascading grille) and LED daytime running lights pushed to the corners of the front bumper.

Not much can be seen along the sides, but the video does show an unbroken horizontal shoulder line that stretches from the headlights to the tail lights, whereas the current i30 has a pronounced front fender curve that is then picked up by a rising character line. At the rear, there are slim LED tail lights, while lines coming out of the high-set reflectors and fog lights meet the tailgate handle in the centre.

Expect the new i30 to come with a range of downsized turbocharged and direct-injected engines, including a 1.0 litre Kappa T-GDI three-cylinder petrol engine from the i20, a 1.6 litre Gamma T-GDI four-cylinder petrol from the current i30 Turbo and a 1.7 litre CRDi turbodiesel.

There will also be an i30 N hot hatch with a 2.0 litre turbo engine producing around 260 hp to take on the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Peugeot 308 GTi and Ford Focus ST, while on the other end of the spectrum, a hybrid version utilising the Ioniq’s 1.6 GDI engine, electric motor and six-speed dual-clutch transmission combination should also make it to market.

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