2017 Hyundai i30

The New Generation Hyundai i30 is the DNA car for Hyundai Motor representing the core of the Hyundai brand in Europe. Hyundai Motor sets a new milestone and shifts customer perception of Hyundai as a brand that is European at heart. Available in early 2017, the New Generation i30 is Hyundai Motor's answer to changing contemporary values and customer attitudes on technology driven solutions, individuality in style and flexibility.

"We have listened closely to customer needs in redefining our offer to create a car for everyone. It's the new people's car: Accessible, appealing in design and great to drive," comments Jochen Sengpiehl, Vice President Marketing at Hyundai Motor Europe. "With up-to-date infotainment and connectivity features we offer everything today's digital natives and modern customers expect."

The New Generation Hyundai i30 is a smart choice for those seeking an appealing design, high build quality, an efficient and dynamic ride and a state-of-the-art safety package. The new i30 comes with more active safety features than any other Hyundai vehicle and its long-term reliability is guaranteed by the unique and industry-leading 5-year unlimited mileage warranty.

"To create a car for everyone, we focused on a wide range of different people," explains Peter Schreyer, President and Chief Design Officer of Hyundai Motor Group, "So the design is an evolution of Hyundai Motor's design language with natural flowing lines, refined surfaces and a sculpted body to create a timeless appearance."

A comfortable and dynamic driving experience with a large choice of efficient and dynamic powertrains, the New Generation i30 supports very agile and responsive handling and is the first Hyundai car to feature the new turbo-charged petrol engine, the 1.4 T-GDI with 140 PS.

A Family of Cars

The New Generation Hyundai i30 is more than just one model. It will become a family of unique products united by a timeless and balanced design perfectly harmonised and coherent for every body type. The New Generation i30 family will feature the first high performance model under Hyundai Motor's N brand which will go into production in 2017.

The European Success Story: Hyundai Motor's DNA Car for Europe

Hyundai Motor is still a young brand in Europe. About 25 years ago, in the 1990s the company entered the European market with affordable and practical cars that customers mainly bought for their price. Those days are over. Adapting to customer demands quickly, leading to fast sales growth, Hyundai Motor now aims to become the number one Asian car brand in Europe.

This strategy began when Hyundai Motor built up its European operations in order to fully adapt its business to the European market by opening production facilities in Turkey in 1997 and the Czech Republic in 2008. These two factories alone have a total production capacity of more than 500,000 cars per year. They fulfil the highest quality standards to meet European customers' expectations, enabling Hyundai Motor to deliver an industry-leading peace of mind package: a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty.

Further evidence of Hyundai Motor's commitment to the European market and the company's focus on European customers in terms of style, technology and driving performance is the European R&D and Design Centre. It began in 1995 with two people tuning cars and giving feedback on the preferences of European customers to the global headquarters in Korea. In 2003, a new centre for design and engineering was opened in Rüsselsheim which strengthened operations and now employs more than 300 employees.

Ten years later, in 2013, Hyundai Motor took the next step in opening the largest testing centre on the Nürburgring to fully assess the quality, durability and performance of Hyundai vehicles. Accelerated and outstanding durability testing with the new 1.4 T-GDI alone over a distance of 10,000 km at 95% of limit on the Nürburgring corresponded to 150,000 kilometres on public roads in regular usage. Since its opening, Hyundai Motor has tested 40 cars over 20,000 laps on the Nordschleife, resulting in 416,000 kilometres and equalling 6.25 million kilometres of customer usage.

The stronger focus on European preferences has paid off. Design is the number one buying reason for the second-generation i30 (about 400,000 cars sold in Europe up to now) and is consistently the top reason why European customers choose to buy Hyundai.

Today, Hyundai Motor sells cars in 31 European countries through 2,500 outlets. 90% of the vehicles Hyundai Motor sells in Europe are models designed, engineered, tested and manufactured in Europe to meet the needs of European customers.

Coherent and Timeless Design

The New Generation i30 further evolves Hyundai's design language with natural flowing lines, refined surfaces and a sculpted body to create a timeless and confident appearance. Hyundai Motor is introducing a new design element: the Cascading Grille, which will become the new family identity for Hyundai models in the future. The New Generation i30 features a balanced and coherent design emphasised through the horizontal character line on the exterior combined with the horizontal layout in the interior.

Exterior Design

The front of the New Generation Hyundai i30 is confident and expressive, creating a recognisable presence on the road. The new Cascading Grille has a powerful downward tapering gesture inspired by the momentous flow of poured molten steel. The grille features chrome-plated dots for a sophisticated appearance enhancing the satin chrome surrounding of the standard version. In combination with the three-projector full LED (low and high beam) headlamps and the LED vertical daytime running lights with indicator function, the New Generation i30 has a strong visual presence. To further enhance this projector-type front, fog lamps are integrated into the air curtains.

With its harmonious proportions, short front and rear overhangs, a long bonnet with a moved back A pillar, the car has a dynamic and compact stance on the road. The New Generation i30 features a sophisticated sleek character line that flows very naturally from the headlamp along the almost horizontal belt line to connect with LED rear lamps and further wraps around the rear for a timeless and dynamic appearance. The slightly sloping roofline and the black rear spoiler make the New Generation i30 look even more dynamic and compact. The sleek design is also reflected in the aerodynamics of the New Generation i30 with a Coefficient of Drag of only 0.30. Aerodynamics are enhanced through several measures including an Active Air Flap in front to optimise cooling and and improve aerodynamics.

Its strong rear end design with a sculpted and 3-dimensional appearance featuring a signature light graphic incorporating the high-positioned reflectors and fog lamps sets the car apart on the road. The New Generation Hyundai i30 is available with 17-inch two tone 10-spoke alloy wheels, 16-inch two-tone 10-spoke alloy wheels or 15-inch steel and alloy wheels.

It will be available in twelve exterior colours consisting of three pearl choices: Stargazing Blue, Micron Gray, Phantom Black; and seven metallic choices: Demitasse Brown, Intense Copper, Moon Rock, Fiery Red, Platinum Sliver, Ara Blue and White Sand plus two solid choices: Engine Red and Polar White. (Subject to market specification)

Interior Design

The interior is clear and intuitive with a horizontal layout that conveys an impression of elegance and a feeling of roominess. The floating screen of the optional eight-inch navigation touch screen on the dashboard integrates all navigation, media and connectivity features and allows drivers to stay always tuned to the traffic ahead thanks to its ergonomic position. The new multifunction three-spoke steering wheel allows easy and intuitive operation of all functions through an ergonomically positioned operation controls and can be heated for enhanced comfort. The climate and temperature control is positioned conveniently in the centre console and can be easily operated through the dials without distracting the driver.

The New Generation Hyundai i30 offers plenty of space for passengers and luggage alike and does not compromise on interior roominess for its sporty exterior design. The i30 makes driving comfortable for all passengers with segment-leading roominess. The feeling of space is enhanced by the optional panoramic glass sunroof which allows to tilt or to slide open. While driving the armrest can slides forward for the most comfortable position and may also be opened to access additional storage possibilities underneath. To enable customers to carry everything they need, the New Generation i30 offers generous luggage capacity of up to 395 litres (VDA 211) with a practical two-stage luggage board and a ski hatch in the rear centre seat.

For the interior, customers can choose from three colour options: Oceanids black with two different cloth seat options or black leather seats, a two tone combination of Slate Grey and Oceanids black with cloth or leather seats featuring diamond pattern or the two tone combination of elegant Indigo Blue and Oceanids Black with leather seats.

The driver's seat comes with a memory seat function with two programmable seat positions.

Choice of Powertrains

The New Generation Hyundai i30 is powered by a range of small-displacement turbo charged petrol and diesel engines delivering a dynamic and efficient driving experience. There are three petrol engines and one diesel engine. Customers can choose between the new 1.4 T-GDI turbocharged four cylinder engine - a Hyundai first - with 140 PS, the 1.0 T-GDI turbocharged three cylinder engine with 120 PS or the 1.4 MPI four cylinder with 100 PS and one diesel engine: the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine, available with three power outputs: 95, 110 and 133 PS. CO2 emissions starting from as low as 89g CO2/km (target values). Mated to the engines is either the six-speed manual transmission (6MT) or Hyundai's efficient and direct-responding seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (7DCT).

New 1.4 T-GDI - Light, Frugal and Fun to Drive

The 1,353 cc four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine is significantly lighter than its predecessor, the Gamma 1.4-litre engine. The unit's base weight has been reduced by 14 kg and it also boasts greater efficiency and power, delivering 140 PS and 242 Nm of torque.

The new engine incorporates a high-pressure single-scroll turbocharger integrated in the exhaust manifold to improve operational efficiency. The relocated and re-engineered turbo means throttle response time and low-end torque have improved. The new design injects fuel directly inside the cylinder, improving combustion rates for better power and fuel efficiency.

The new, turbocharged 1.4-litre T-GDI petrol engine is offered with the 6MT or the 7DCT, which gives a choice of fully automatic operation or manual gear changes.

The 1.0 T-GDI - Three-Cylinder Dynamism

The 1.0 T-GDI engine, developed by the Namyang Technical Centre in Korea in collaboration with the European Technical Centre in Germany, with 120 PS and 170 Nm provides a perfect combination of dynamism and efficiency.

A turbocharger with an electronically-controlled waste-gate actuator improves fuel efficiency by lowering pumping losses as well as improving throttle response and low-end torque. The unit features a six-hole GDI injector, pressured to a higher-than-average 200 bar, securing a clean combustion and improving fuel economy and emissions.

To keep the engine unit as small as possible, the exhaust manifold is integrated in the cylinder head and can therefore be cooled efficiently using the cylinder head water-cooling system. These efforts result in faster warm-up of the catalyst and ultimately in improved real-world fuel consumption and emissions.

The 1.0 T-GDI is offered with the 6MT.

1.6-litre Turbo Diesel: One Engine, Three Outputs

For customers looking for a diesel engine, the New Generation Hyundai i30 is offered with a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder turbo engine with three outputs: the 'standard power' version with 95 PS, the 'mid power' version with 110 PS and the 'high power' version with 133 PS, delivering a maximum torque of 275 Nm. Both the mid power and high power version can be selected with the 6MT or 7DCT.

The Seven-Speed Dual-Clutch Transmission

Hyundai Motor introduced its first seven-speed double-clutch transmission in 2015, combining the benefits of automated and manual transmissions. The 7DCT provides an improvement in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of up to 20% compared to a conventional six-gear automated transmission, while acceleration performance could be increased by up to 10%.

The 7DCT consists of two dry clutches and an actuator for each clutch. Engine power is transferred independently into the odd and even gear train to always be ready to shift into the next gear without any torque interruption. For optimised responsiveness the electric motor-driven actuator is applied, while external dampers improve the noise, vibration and harshness during driving

Ride and Handling

The New Generation Hyundai i30 has been developed and tested in Europe performing accelerated durability tests and dynamic testing on the most demanding race track in the world, the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife, as well as undergoing rigorous public-road testing throughout Europe from the coldest winter testing conditions in Sweden to trailer testing in the Alps and hot weather testing in the south of Spain to ensure that the high expectations of European customers are met.

The development engineers have defined the characteristics of the New Generation i30; precise, natural and connected steering; agile, responsive and predictable handling; a dynamic ride without compromising comfort with good body control. Compared to its predecessor the steering is 10% more direct and the vehicle response is 15 milliseconds faster.

The new chassis of the New Generation i30 has been completely reworked to provide a dynamic and compliant driving experience with high levels of ride comfort. Contributing to this is the standard multi-link rear suspension for all versions with a dual lower arm and the performance-oriented shock absorbers.

Braking performance is optimised by an increased brake diameter size to 288 mm in the front allowing the driver to apply a stronger braking force especially in hot wheel conditions.