This new model in Hyundai’s lineup could help the brand claim even more sales.

HYUNDAI’S NEW i30 sedan will deliver a sharp new competitor to the Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3 sedans in Australia.

Making its digital debut online from the US, the seventh-generation Hyundai Elantra will land in Australia in the second half of 2020 as the i30 Sedan, touting a huge leap forward in design and technology for the model which will also offer a hybrid drivetrain.

Ready to rattle the segment will be equipment such as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – the current reserve of Porches, Audis and BMWs – and a large twin-screen display setup and aggressive new styling.

At the front, we see Hyundai’s latest Sensuous Sportiness design language, with a large “parametric-jewel-pattern grille with turn-signal integration” as the centrepiece, flanked by LED headlights and a slanted bonnet over the nose.

“Like the first generation, the seventh-generation Elantra (i30 Sedan) has a bold character,” says Luc Donckerwolke, executive vice president and chief design officer at Hyundai Motor Group.

“The fresh esthetic was completed through unconventional lines and a face that broke a taboo in automotive design. The i30 Sedan is highlighted by its stance that looks like geometric crystals and divided body surfaces to get a strong emotional response from the customers.”

Inside is an “immersive cocoon” interior layout that “envelops the driver like an airplane cockpit,” according to Hyundai.

It features a twin 10.25-inch display screen system inside one piece of glass for the infotainment and driver’s instrument cluster, though standard in the US is a smaller 8.0-inch screen. It also offers wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, enhanced natural-language voice-recognition system with Speech-to-Meaning and Deep Meaning Understanding systems, door-to-door “slim high-tech vents” across the dash and 64-color mood lighting. Other conveniences include opening and turning the car on wirelessly with a smartphone or an NFC card, rather than key fob.

It will land in Australia with a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol MPI engine, mated to what Hyundai calls IVT – essentially like CVT, using a chain-design belt rather than the usual conventional rubber belt which the company says improves fuel efficiency. Power produced by the 2.0L powerplant will be 109kW at 6200rpm and 179Nm at 4500rpm.

A hybrid drivetrain has also been announced, using a 1.6-litre GDI four-cylinder petrol mated to a 32kW electric motor and 1.32kWh lithium-ion battery. That result is 103kW of power and 264Nm of torque through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The new Hyundai i30 sedan will be available in Australia later this year, with pricing and specification details to be announced closer to its arrival.

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