Hyundai will debut the latest generation of its i30 hatchback at the Paris motor show 2016 prior to its launch in international markets.
The Volkswagen Golf rival is set to be offered in three body styles – a five-door hatch, an estate, and a four-door coupé targeted at the European market, but the three-door body style will be dropped because of poor sales figures.
Test mules of the upcoming hatchback were spotted in the Arctic and Swiss Alps, and have been seen undergoing performance tests at the Nürburgring race track in Germany, where Hyundai has a dedicated development centre.
While the camouflage on the early-stage mules covers up most of the styling features, we can see that the new i30 comes with a revised grille similar to that on other new Hyundais.
The interior could borrow from the new Elantra with a minimalist and clutter-free design and fewer control surfaces.
The next-gen i30 will also get a range-topping N performance model from Hyundai’s N division. The model will rival the VW Golf GTI when it goes on sale and will also be the first performance road car from the carmaker's performance division. It will get a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and will share technology with Hyundai’s current i20-based WRC rally car.
Hyundai could also develop a hybrid iteration of the i30 with tech borrowed from the company’s new Ioniq hybrid sedan.
The current i30 was showcased at the Auto Expo earlier this year with the large hatchback being part of the company’s display of its international models. The hatchback is positioned above the i20 in international markets, but the carmaker has not revealed any plans to bring the car to India. Hyundai, however, has confirmed the launch of the new Elantra and Tucson for later this year.