Geneva show: Hyundai teases i30 wagon

HYUNDAI has released a single teaser image for the wagon version of its third-generation i30 small car ahead of its reveal at the Geneva motor show in March, however an Australian debut is off the cards due to low take-up of the previous version.

The i30 wagon was dropped from the Australian line-up in June last year due to the increased costs associated with importing the vehicle from the Czech Republic. The i30 hatchback, however, are sourced from Hyundai’s native South Korea.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia public relations manager Guido Schenken said that Hyundai’s upcoming as-yet-unnamed small SUV, codenamed OS and due here in the third quarter, would take up the sales slack left by the wagon.

“It’s still highly unlikely that we’ll take the car (i30 wagon),” he said.

“The car is only built in Europe and it’s quite a small market for that vehicle, we think our small SUV which is coming this year will be a lot more relevant for this market.” The teaser image shows a profile shot of the new wagon which features a more angular, swooping shape around the D-pillar and the headlights of the new-gen hatchback, which was revealed at the Paris motor show in September last year.

Hyundai Design Centre Europe chief designer Thomas Burkle said the sloping roofline would give the wagon a sporty appearance.

“The tapering roofline and the dynamic proportions give the Wagon an almost coupe-like silhouette,” he said.

“The sleek and dynamic profile is further emphasised by a rich chrome frame surrounding the side windows.” The new-gen five-door hatch will arrive in Australian showrooms around the second quarter of this year, and will replace the second-generation model that achieved great sales success locally as the company’s best-selling model each year since 2009.

With the removal of the i30 wagon, the choice for a load-lugging small car has been reduced to two models – the Peugeot 308 and Volkswagen’s popular Golf. Renault will launch the wagon version of its new Megane at some point this year.

Before it was discontinued, the i30 wagon employed two different powertrains – a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit returning 98kW/163Nm for the entry-level variant, while higher-specced versions got a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder that made 100kW/300Nm, and will carry over into the new hatch range.

More information on the new-generation wagon will be made available nearer its debut at Geneva on March 7.