AIMS: Hyundai backflips on i30 Tourer

Hyundai will introduce its new-generation i30 wagon to the Australian marketplace after all.

After repeated statements that the European sourcing of the replacement for the i30 CW was set to price the popular five-door wagon out of customers' reach, Hyundai Australia unveiled the car at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney today and said the display "previewed" its return Dow Under.

Designed at Rüsselsheim in Germany and manufactured in the Czech Republic for export to Australia, the i30 wagon will now wear the 'Tourer' nameplate – a la its larger i40 sibling.

Matching the i30 hatch's 2650 mm wheelbase, the i30 Tourer adds 185mm in total length and offers 528 litres of stowage capacity with rear the seats up. Hyundai says this is an increase of 150 litres over the hatch, while total capacity with seats folded is 1642 litres.

Says Hyundai Australia: "The flowing lines of the exterior, incorporating Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture design language, ensure the i30 Tourer stands out from traditional wagons".

Hyundai Motor Company Australia Marketing Director Oliver Mann said: “The previous i30 CW proved extremely popular, accounting for over 20 per cent of total i30 sales. The new-generation i30 Tourer will likewise hold strong appeal for both private and business buyers."

The i30 Tourer displayed at AIMS was a UK-spec model powered by a 1.6-litre GDI (direct-injection) petrol engine rated at 99kW/164Nm. Full details and specifications of Australian-market i30 Tourer will be released at the time of launch, which Hyundai says is planned for the second quarter of 2013.

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