Hyundai's design sketch of the new i30.
If you want to buy a Hyundai Elantra today, your choice is limited to a four-door sedan or a five-door hatchback. The sedan is all-new for 2011, and it’s selling faster than Hyundai can build them. The 5-door hatchback, however, is still based on the previous generation Elantra, so it’s a bit of a tough sell. It’s not as sexy or content-rich as the updated Elantra sedan, and the rest of the world is scheduled to see the new Elantra 5-door at the upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show. Dubbed the i30, the Elantra Hatchback carries the same “fluidic sculpture” styling as the rest of the restyled Hyundai lineup, and on looks alone it trumps the competition.
Hyundai America has been oddly silent on when or even if we’ll see the i30 here, but demand for hatchbacks among American car-buyers is up. Not having a competitive product in the segment puts Hyundai at a disadvantage to competitors like the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf, both of which have been updated in recent years. It stands to reason that we’ll get a form of the i30 here, likely called the Elantra Touring, simply because it doesn’t make financial sense for Hyundai to continue production of the older model.
As for when, Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson provided Inside Line with the clearest answer to date, saying, “I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a version of the i30 sometime next year in the U.S. market.”
We hope so, and while we’re making requests, how about an R-Spec version to compete with the Golf GTI and the upcoming Focus ST?
Source: Inside Line via Left Lane News
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
