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Spyshots: Hyundai i30/Elantra GT Mule Spotted in Action, Is This the New Model?

The year was 2014 when the South-Koreans decided to reward their second-gen Hyundai i30 with a facelift. So, why are we seeing test mules looking like heavily-camoed i30 hatchbacks?
Hyundai i30/Elantra GT test mule 21 photos
Photo: CarPix
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Well, one answer is that we could soon see an i30 N Series hot hatch from Hyundai, featuring a more aggressive spoiler, larger brakes with red calipers and bigger rotors and two big final exhausts.

But that's not the case now, as our carparazzi sent in a batch of pictures that show a mysterious Hyundai hatchback - presumably the i30 - spotted during pre-production testing sessions.

But isn't it too early for a new Hyundai i30, you might ask? It is, but there's a reasoning behind these sightings, at least from where we're standing.

For starters, we know that the all-new 2017 Hyundai Elantra sedan is due for a debut pretty soon. Secondly, the Hyundai i30 model is sold as the Elantra GT in the US, so this could really be the all-new i30 / Elantra GT that’s out testing for the first time.

Visually speaking, the styling resembles some of the lines found in the upmarket Genesis with a big hexagonal grille paired with slim and sporty looking headlights, but again, we're not sure all these features will make it into production.

Also, our spy photographers told us at first sight, the prototype looks slightly higher than the average hatchback, resembling the VW Golf Sportsvan in this respect, but this might be due to the camouflage.

If this truly is the new Hyundai i30, then expect an array of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, including the 1.6-liter T-GDI turbo four-pot mill with 186 PS (183 hp) and 265 Nm (195 lb-ft).

The new i30/Elantra GT could debut next year, which we doubt, but a launch in late 2017, for example, is not too far-fetched.
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