Hyundai i20 and i30 replacements confirmed

Hyundai will continue to invest in future small cars despite other brands abandoning humble hatchbacks for bigger, more expensive and profitable SUVs.

Speaking to Autocar, Hyundai’s European boss Michael Cole confirmed replacements for the Hyundai i10 city car, Hyundai i20 supermini and the Hyundai i30 small hatch were all safe.

Cole addressed general fears over the fate of its small car range in the wake of Ford of Europe’s decision to pull the plug on the both the next-gen Ford Fiesta and Focus.

Instead of walking away, Cole said that as well as replacing all three small Hyundai cars the brand is studying an all-new entry-level EV.

The future of small cars is becoming increasingly uncertain with the huge challenges posed by evermore stringent emissions and safety regulations.

“We’re strategizing now about what comes beneath Kona long-term,” said Cole.

“For now, i10, i20, i30 are all still in our plan, even for the next generation. We’re looking at what we have. Exactly what we will have across those three lines, I can’t say today.”

As well as replacing the current line-up, Cole revealed Hyundai is currently evaluating a smaller, cheaper pure-electric car that will be positioned in the range beneath the Kona Electric.

“I believe there’s a market below Kona and maybe even in more traditional body styles, such as hatchback. It’s in our thinking, rather than necessarily in our long-term plan now, but for the European market we have to be thinking about that,” he said.

“We don’t want to lose any customers; I don’t want to walk away from any customer group. So we have to think about those i10, i20, i30 customers. What could the future with electrification look like for them? It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be Hyundai Kona or Hyundai IONIQ 5.

“We have to think about what could come sub-Kona.”

Admitting that the biggest issue with a small EV will be its relatively high purchase price, Cole said better resale values would help lower lease rates and ensure it would be competitive when bought via a PCP (personal contract purchase) or rented on a subscription-type basis.

Cole didn’t comment on whether the high-performance N versions of the i20 and i30 had a future, but former R&D boss (now technical adviser) Albert Biermann has already confirmed both the i20 N and i30 N will live on in the ages of Euro 7 emissions – although the latter will trade its turbocharged 2.0-litre for a larger 2.5 turbo.

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