Back from the brink: 2024 Hyundai i30 hatch facelift coming to Australia

The Hyundai i30 hatchback will live-on in Australia for a few more years – despite industry speculation it would not be replaced once the current model reaches the end of the line.

This generation Hyundai i30 hatchback went on sale locally in 2017 and received a facelift in 2020.

It was expected to bow out at the end of this year due to declining sales amid the global shift to SUVs.

However, the Hyundai i30 has been given a stay of execution with a second facelift due by the middle of next year.

When the updated model arrives in Australian showrooms it will likely be dearer than today's model because it is expected to be sourced from the Czech Republic rather than South Korea, as it is today.

MORE: 2024 Hyundai i30 hatch’s second facelift spied again

In addition to the extra shipping costs, Australia does not have a Free Trade Agreement with Europe, which means cars imported from there are hit with a 5 per cent import tariff.

Today's Hyundai i30 – sourced from South Korea – does not attract a 5 per cent import tariff because Australia signed a Free Trade deal with South Korea in December 2014.

“We see a future for i30 hatch in Australia,” said Hyundai Australia product specialist Jonathan Lam.

When asked if the number of model variants will be reduced, Mr Lam said: "Obviously we can't comment (about vehicles) too far into the future. Who knows what's going to happen five, 10 years from now, but there are no immediate plans to shrink i30 (model range).

"We look at buyer preferences between small SUVs and smaller passenger cars, it's obvious that buyers are looking for small SUVs. Having said that, for basically the foreseeable future, the i30 nameplate will continue to feature in our line-up."