IT’S goodbye to the Hyundai Elantra and hello to the new look i30 sedan, and with it, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Set to launch in Australia in the second half of this year, the 2021 model range will even feature its first hybrid variant.
The 2021 i30 sedan features what the brand calls its ‘sensuous sportiness’ design identity, improved driving dynamics, and the most progressive in-car experience in its class, with the seventh generation compact sedan being built on a new vehicle platform.
The change allows for a longer wheelbase and wider stance, as well as a lower roof line, ensuring there’s a hint of four door coupe styling thanks to innovating moulding and engineering technology.
Hyundai’s optional digital key also allows the i30 sedan to be unlocked, started and driven without a physical key via a smartphone or NFC card, while an enhanced natural language voice recognition system will improve vehicle communications.
Standard Hyundai SmartSense safety and convenience technologies feature, while an additional touchscreen and digital instrument cluster will make for a more encapsulated driving experience.
“While some manufacturers no longer see the value in the car side of the business, we’re doubling down by offering an all-new model with both petrol and hybrid power trains,” said Brian Smith, Hyundai’s US COO, speaking at the launch in Hollywood.
“We’ve sold more than 13.8 million [Elantras] worldwide, and the new, captivating look [of the i30 sedan] is going to bring excitement to a whole new generation of buyers. Then once inside, they’re going to love all of the progressive features.”
To transform the 2021 i30 sedan into its new four-door-coupe look, Hyundai engineers and designers had to make it longer, lower, and wider compared to the sixth-generation model, and in doing so made it larger than the Corolla, Jetta, Mazda3 and Civic.
Technology has evolved under the bonnet too, and the hybrid i30 sedan sits at the forefront of those changes, with 103kW of power and 264Nm of torque delivered from a 1.6-litre GDI Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine and a permanent-magnet electric motor.
The rest of the range is powered 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which generates 109kW of power and 179Nm of torque. The engine is mated to an intelligent variable transmission, designed to simulate gear shifts like a traditional automatic.
Final Australian specifications and local pricing will be announced closer to the launch of the 2021 Hyundai i30 sedan.
