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2017 Hyundai i30:: five-door only for Australia, wagon not a “viable option”

Hyundai Australia has confirmed that when the all-new 2017 Hyundai i30 range launches locally in the second quarter of 2017, only the five-door hatchback body style will be offered.


Speaking exclusively to CarAdvice at this weekend's 2016 World Rally Championship (WRC) Rally Australia event in Coffs Harbour, Hyundai Australia public relations manager Guido Schenken said although there’s some chance the i30 wagon (or Tourer as it was known) could make a return, the five-door hatch will likely take on the small-car segment - and the Volkswagen Golf - alone.

“For the Australian market, there'll only be a five-door,” Schenken told CarAdvice.

“At this stage, we’re only looking at the five-door at launch.

“We always keep the door open for potentially bringing the wagon back, but it’s currently sourced out of Europe, and the numbers just don’t make it a viable option.”

Dropped from the local line-up in June this year, due largely to costs related to importing the vehicle, the wagon variant of the i30 is exclusively built in the Czech Republic, while the hatch is produced in Hyundai’s native South Korea.

With the outgoing second-generation i30 hatch not only being Hyundai Australia’s biggest seller, but also the second-best-selling car in the country, the local division knows how much is riding on the success of the all-new third-generation i30.

“The first-generation i30 really put Hyundai on the map in Australia,” Schenken said.

“It was a car that really lifted our profile and showed what Hyundai could do on a global scale, and it was loved and adopted by Australians. So, the next car is very, very important for us.

“The first generation to the second generation was a huge leap, and it’s the same thing again – the second generation to the third generation will be a huge leap for this car.”

Although final Aussie specifications aren’t due to be locked in until next year, the engine line-up – as previously reported – has been decided upon.

Spearheaded by a new i30 SR, teaming the same 150kW/265Nm turbocharged 1.6-litre engine from the Veloster and Elantra SR Turbo models with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), the range will further consist of an entry-level naturally aspirated 2.0-litre and an updated version of the current 1.6-litre diesel.

From here, the halo model will then be the i30 N (pictured testing above) – somewhat ironically made in the brand’s Czech manufacturing plant.

Speculatively tipped to draw power from a suitably wicked-up 2.0-litre turbo, Schenken said an announcement on a transmission (or transmissions) is still pending.

“We haven’t confirmed yet what transmissions it will get, [because] we don’t know yet what will be offered,” the local PR said.

“A DCT has been talked about, but it’s to be confirmed whether that will appear in the car.”

Although more details are yet to be finalised and revealed, expect the new Hyundai i30 range to be impressively specified and competitively priced.

Do you think Hyundai Australia should bring back the i30 Tourer? Let us know in the comments section below.

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