Hyundai i30 Three-door Revealed, No Australian Debut Planned

Hyundai has revealed what could be a precursor to the rumoured Golf GTI rival, in the form of the new i30 three-door. 

Revealed just five months on from the local debut of the new i30, the new three-door variant joins the existing five-door hatch and wagon - the latter not currently offered in Australia. 

For now, there are no plans to bring the i30 three-door to Australia. While the taller hatch could prove the more practical option for commuting, Hyundai's local arm will focus on the Veloster and i20 as its sole three-door options.

Setting the i30 three-door apart from its five-door stablemate is a more heavily tapered roofline and a fast-rising belt line.

Up front, the lifestyle-focused i30 gets a more sporting grille and foglight design, while the rear end remains largely unchanged.

Expect the three-door i30 to mirror the specifications of the five-door hatch and wagon models, with international variants getting 1.4 and 1.6 litre petrol and diesel engines, along with six-speed manual and auto transmissions.

Hyundai is also reportedly planning a new hot-hatch flagship for the i30 range.

Based on the all-new i30 revealed revealed back in September, the boosted three-door would likely draw power from the company's new turbocharged 1.6 litre petrol engine.

The same engine will soon debut in the Veloster sports hatch - something of a Scirocco challenger in its own right - delivering 150kW and 265Nm of torque.

Watch for more details on this new model as the 2012 Paris Motor Show opens later this month.

Australia

Speaking with TMR today, Hyundai Australia Director of Marketing Oliver Mann said that, for now, an Australian debut is not on the table.

“The new three-door i30 will be produced at Hyundai’s plant in the Czech Republic.  There are currently no plans to bring the three-door i30 to Australia," Mr Mann said.

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