New Models
New Models

2021 Hyundai i30 caught on camera ahead of update later this year

Australia’s top-selling hatchback is due for a mid-life facelift. Here’s what we know so far.


Australia’s top-selling hatchback, the Hyundai i30, is getting a mild makeover inside and out.

These spy photos of a camouflaged prototype testing in the European winter show the changes will be subtle but worthwhile.

The overall shape of the headlights and tail-lights appears to remain the same, but top end models will wear a new LED light signature front and rear, as these images show despite the masks.

Although it's not confirmed, we also hope the base model Hyundai i30 headlight beam improves, as their coverage and brightness are lacklustre versus most rivals.

Inside, the photos reveal the 2021 Hyundai i30 will adopt a wider touchscreen in the middle of the dash, similar to the one used in the Hyundai Ioniq electric car, though it's unclear if all models or only dearer models will get the new super-wide screen.

While price and exact details are yet to be released, CarAdvice understands the updated Hyundai i30 will arrive in Australian showrooms in late 2020 as a 2021 model year.

In the meantime, Hyundai continues to offer sharp deals on the current model, which starts from $22,990 drive-away with automatic transmission.

In the lead-up to the end of last year, Hyundai offered a seven-year warranty; since that offer expired on December 31 Hyundai has replaced it with a $500 bonus, dropping the price to $22,490 drive-away with auto.

However, CarAdvice understands some dealers will limbo a little lower than this with some polite arm twisting if they have the car in stock.

In an era of sleeker and smaller hatchbacks, Hyundai has kept the faith with the overall size and shape of the i30 hatch and retained its back seat roominess, tall roof profile, and generous cargo space. The new generation Volkswagen Golf has also resisted the urge to downsize, as the latest Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 hatches have done.

Furthermore, unlike most rivals that have adopted space-saver spare tyres, the Hyundai i30 is expected to retain the convenience of a full-size spare tyre and real-time individual tyre pressure monitors.

While the Hyundai i30 was ranked as the fourth best-selling vehicle outright in Australia in 2019 (behind the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Toyota Corolla), it was the nation’s favourite hatchback because the Corolla figures include hatch and sedan. 

Had the models been split between sedans and hatches, the Hyundai i30 would have been third outright and Australia’s top-selling passenger car.

The Hyundai i30 and its twin under the skin the Kia Cerato should continue to gain ground in 2020. Their Japanese rivals face the prospect of price rises – and an end to big discounts – after the Australian dollar fell by more than 18 per cent versus the Japanese Yen over the past two years. Our exchange rate with the Korean Won has only dipped by 8.7 per cent over the same period.

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Joshua Dowling

Joshua Dowling has been a motoring journalist for more than 20 years, spending most of that time working for The Sydney Morning Herald (as motoring editor and one of the early members of the Drive team) and News Corp Australia. He joined CarAdvice / Drive in 2018, and has been a World Car of the Year judge for more than 10 years.

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