Geneva Sneak Peek: Hyundai i30
click above image to view a high-resolution gallery of the Hyundai i30
Apparently Hyundai has had a hard time keeping its new European C-segment "Focus killer" under wraps, as official shots of the car that we now know will be called the i30 have sprung up all over the interweb. When we hear "i30", we think first-generation entry-level luxury sedan from Infiniti, but the name as it applies to Hyundai's new small car is supposed to invoke the hipness of the iPod, iMac and iPotatoPeeler. Unfortunately, adding an i to your product's name will not make it sell like an iPod, but at least the Hyundai i30 has some safe if not pleasing lines to partake. It does share a passing resemblence to the newish Kia cee'd, which isn't suprising since the cars are based on the same platform and will offer the same engine lineup that includes 1.4L, 1.6L and 2.0L gas engines and a 1.6L and 2.0L CRDi diesel engine. What do you think, should we be start complaining now that we won't get the i30 over here or is the Elantra good enough? Yeah, we don't think it is, either.
[Source: Carscoop]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jay 3:47PM (2/22/2007)
Regardless of anything, i30 > Arnejs.
And it would be quite nice to have that in the States.
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Colin Smith 3:50PM (2/22/2007)
This is almost identical to the Cee'd, but prettier.
Here in Britain the Cee'd has a seven year warranty, whereas Hyundai offer 'only' five years.
European manufacturers give only three, so watch the Cee'd take off. Both are considered very good cars, although not 'cool', which is irrelevant if you are paying with your own money.
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Tal 4:13PM (2/22/2007)
want it in U.S. with diesel.
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RC 4:15PM (2/22/2007)
does hyundai even have designers, or do they just copy all the time. That front grill with the H is a pure rip off of the honda accord grill. Another example would be the sonatas tail lights compared to the accord of a few years back.
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Kowell 4:19PM (2/22/2007)
NICE.... this would really compensate for my sadness of the non-existent 2007 Elantra hatchback.... just PLEASE don't stick the underpowered 2.0L in it...
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incognito 4:44PM (2/22/2007)
It's like a Mazda3 with a Honda front end.
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Bob-o 5:09PM (2/22/2007)
So who wants to take guesses on when Infiniti files a lawsuit?
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Aetius 5:14PM (2/22/2007)
So basically, its a Honda front end on a Mazda3 hatch with a Fiat back end.
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elleff 5:19PM (2/22/2007)
Personally I see BMW 1 Series in the back end
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shimman 5:35PM (2/22/2007)
not bad; however, i would like to see 3 door version & performance version with sonata's i4 petro engines not the old "beta" engines
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Kowell 6:12PM (2/22/2007)
"10. not bad; however, i would like to see 3 door version & performance version with sonata's i4 petro engines not the old "beta" engines"
Hyundai really needs to dump the old 2.0L and start using the World engines it coproduced with DXC and Mitsubishi...
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Nowhere 6:28PM (2/22/2007)
#11,
By what I know Hyundai alone produced it and sell it's engines to DaimlerChrysler and Mitsubishi.
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Tyson 6:35PM (2/22/2007)
very interesting design.... for a hyundai.
do i see a hint of "bangle" in it as well??
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Howard Kerr 7:47PM (2/22/2007)
Well, if it were to come here, as #7 pointed out, the name might need to change. For that matter, I don't understand where the 30 part comes from, as many car companies would use the numeric part of a name to indicate engine displacement and or horsepower.
And finally, at the suggestion of someone on another website, I went and looked at the Hyundai Accent...the new one. It looked pretty good until I noticed that even with all the available options and a subsequent $16,500 price...I didn't have and could not get cruise control. To get an '07 Hyundai with cruise you must start at near $17,000 with either the Elantra or Tiburon and adding it to a Tib takes the price to near 19 grand....sorry Hyundai, no matter how good the cars look, you won't get my business anytime soon.
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NoNameDenton 7:57PM (2/22/2007)
I do not see this doing damage to the Euro Focus, but I bet it can steal sales from many of the other comapies
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beat 10:52PM (2/22/2007)
honda?
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Brian 3:55AM (2/23/2007)
I love how just because the front grill looks slightly like the accord, everyone is screaming honda copy. Read my lips, this DOES NOT look like ANY honda. It looks better. Secondly, the accord was only launched last year, meanwhile this was already almost production ready.
Btw, this is a really gorgeous car and really high quality if the ceed reviews are any indication. Does anyone know if it will come here as the Elantra hatchback? I hope so!
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mj 9:56AM (2/23/2007)
Anyone notice how both Hyundai AND Toyota have "borrowed" the Mazda grille? What happened here?
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White Goodman 10:11AM (2/23/2007)
Gross. The name sucks, the engines suck, the styling sucks, and I bet the interior sucks too (I personally don't care about interiors too much - I'm not faggy like that - but I know lots of people on Autoblog do care about things like "soft touch materials" haha that just sounds gay). If this had a Bowtie or Blue Oval on the front people would be screaming about how it's POS and the companies are going to go under by putting out cars like this that are 10 years past due and just copy other cars.
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GS 11:58AM (2/23/2007)
Uh, Mr. goodman, the author of post 19, why don't you check your homophpbia at the door. Those that must closely align every description to a sexual orientation are generally insecure and ignorant.
Also, you wouldn't use the "N" word in here (hopefully), so what gives you the right to use deragatory laguage towards another group? Apparantly some people deserve dignity and others do not.
I hope both of my kids grow up to love cars as much as everyone else does on this board, but hope they aspire to respect people even more. All of them.
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