The competition for the European compact hatch market is heating up. Volkswagen's Golf 7 is still going strong, but has stiff competition from the Peugeot 308, recently named car of the year, and Ford's revamped Focus. Hyundai has not given the fight either, and it's thus started development of an updated i30.
When launched at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, the i30 turned a lot of heads. Quite famously, VW group chairman Martin Winterkorn checked it out and was amazed at the build quality and the rewarding sound of the trunk closing. A mid-life update is now planned and could be ready in Early 2015.
Cosmetically, not that much has changed. The i30's facelift is for now limited to a new front bumper design. Just like the i40 facelift we saw yesterday, a new type of grille with straight horizontal chrome bars is used. This gives the compact a look quite similar to some Audis.
Under the bonnet, Hyundai could be following the downsizing trend with its own small petrol engines. A 1.2-liter T-GDI has already been announced as part of the Kappa family, but never fully detailed. For now, all we can tell you is that it displaces 1,248cc, is a 4-cylinder with 16 valves, direct fuel injection and emits less than 110 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
Power should be somewhere in the region of 120 hp, matching Renault's 1.2 TCe, while torque will be higher than on the naturally aspirated 1.6 due to forced induction. Designed for compact family cars, it can replace the 1.6-liter naturally aspirated engine and offer better fuel consumption and lower emissions without a drop in performance.
On the tech side of things, we can see that the more heavily camouflaged i30 prototype features parking sensors all-round and probably uses them in combination with a park assist system. There's also a camera mounted at the top of the windshield, currently not fitted to to the Korean car, which could be used for lane keeping safety systems.
While crucial for the company, the i30 is just one of many new Hyundai coming. Top priority has to be given to development of the next ix35 small SUV and the i20 supermini, both of which we expect will come out before the facelifted hatchback. Knowing Hyundai's usual modus operandi, the i30 should debut at next year's Geneva Motor Show in March 2015.
Cosmetically, not that much has changed. The i30's facelift is for now limited to a new front bumper design. Just like the i40 facelift we saw yesterday, a new type of grille with straight horizontal chrome bars is used. This gives the compact a look quite similar to some Audis.
Under the bonnet, Hyundai could be following the downsizing trend with its own small petrol engines. A 1.2-liter T-GDI has already been announced as part of the Kappa family, but never fully detailed. For now, all we can tell you is that it displaces 1,248cc, is a 4-cylinder with 16 valves, direct fuel injection and emits less than 110 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
Power should be somewhere in the region of 120 hp, matching Renault's 1.2 TCe, while torque will be higher than on the naturally aspirated 1.6 due to forced induction. Designed for compact family cars, it can replace the 1.6-liter naturally aspirated engine and offer better fuel consumption and lower emissions without a drop in performance.
On the tech side of things, we can see that the more heavily camouflaged i30 prototype features parking sensors all-round and probably uses them in combination with a park assist system. There's also a camera mounted at the top of the windshield, currently not fitted to to the Korean car, which could be used for lane keeping safety systems.
While crucial for the company, the i30 is just one of many new Hyundai coming. Top priority has to be given to development of the next ix35 small SUV and the i20 supermini, both of which we expect will come out before the facelifted hatchback. Knowing Hyundai's usual modus operandi, the i30 should debut at next year's Geneva Motor Show in March 2015.