Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

The Hyundai i30 will expand into a whole range of cars, including a fastback

Miles Branman
By

2017-hyundai-i30
2017 Hyundai i30 Image used with permission by copyright holder
Hyundai of Europe has confirmed that the i30 model will grow into a family of vehicles, including some rather unique shapes. Taking to Twitter, the Korean automaker snapped and shared a picture that timelines the car’s release in alternate body styles than the current five-door hatchback. Motor1 was first to share the news.

We’ve been expecting additional i30 models, including the Nurburgring-honed Hyundai i30 N that will battle Volkswagen’s Golf GTI/R and Ford’s Focus ST/RS, but the final figure shown in this product presentation is a bit of a surprise. Hyundai is calling it a Fastback, but the automotive world might be more familiar with the term “four-door coupe.” BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and other premium manufacturers have explored the four-door coupe profile, and now it appears mainstream automakers are trying their hand with the stylish design.

Recommended Videos
Related

Hyundai’s production schedule puts the Fastback intro at just a year from now, in early 2018, meaning the wagon and i30 N are due before then. Other details are scarce, but you can be sure Hyundai will peg the Fastback as its most premium i30 model (in price and features). There’s also a chance that Hyundai’s luxury brand, Genesis, will create its own version of the four-door-coupe shape.

Before we see the wagon debut in Geneva and the i30 N in Frankfurt (most likely), Hyundai’s updated Elantra GT will bow at the Chicago Auto Show next month. The five-door model is expected to borrow a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the Veloster Turbo, detuned to about 130 horsepower.

It’s worth noting that Hyundai has yet to reveal a new Santa Fe, which competes in the booming midsize crossover field. Small car development is certainly important, but Hyundai’s timeline might cost it some market share to automakers that are putting a rush on new or updated crossovers.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Miles Branman
Miles Branman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Miles Branman doesn't need sustenance; he needs cars. While the gearhead gene wasn't strong in his own family, Miles…
2021 Hyundai Elantra goes hybrid, adds wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
2021 Hyundai Elantra

The current Hyundai Elantra is a solid compact car, but with the redesigned, seventh-generation model, the Korean automaker is going for broke. The 2021 Hyundai Elantra packs more tech, as well as its first hybrid powertrain, in effort to break the stranglehold the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla have on the market.

Hyundai said its goal for exterior styling is "longer, lower, wider," -- generally considered the three ingredients for a great-looking car. Though it's a four-door sedan (no word yet on whether the Elantra GT hatchback will return), the 2021 Elantra adopts the lower coupe roofline of the larger Sonata for a sleeker look.

Read more
Hyundai will use Canoo’s ‘skateboard’ chassis for future electric cars
Canoo electric car chassis

To develop future electric cars, Hyundai is leaning on Canoo, a Los Angeles-based startup developing a subscription-only vehicle. The two companies have signed an agreement to jointly develop a new electric car platform based on Canoo's existing chassis. That platform will underpin electric cars for both Hyundai and sibling brand Kia.

The Canoo chassis is called a skateboard because it's essentially a flat rectangle with four wheels attached. All mechanical components are housed within the chassis, making it easy to attach different bodies to create new models. Hyundai also expects this design to streamline the development and manufacturing processes for electric cars, according to a Canoo press release.

Read more
Additional driving range makes the Hyundai Ioniq Electric a more competitive EV
2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric

Previous

Next

Read more