Hyundai i30 hatch to get a third facelift

Hyundai has confirmed the box fresh IONIQ 3 EV will not replace the venerable but immensely popular i30 and is instead tipped to give the European-built small car another (third) facelift in late 2026. The i30 N hot hatch is included in these plans and could even lob with an all-new hybrid powertrain in 2027.

Speaking with carsales at the premiere of the IONIQ 3, Hyundai Europe product vice president Raf van Nuffel confirmed the i30’s lifespan would be extended.

“i30 is not going to disappear immediately, let’s put it like that – it’s going to be around for a while,” he said. 

“We like to have the i30 as a combustion engine. The i30 is mainly successful in markets like Poland and Spain … we are targeting slightly different areas of Europe with different powertrains.”

Rising costs of sourcing the i30 hatch from Europe saw Hyundai Australia make the call to discontinue most versions in December 2025, save for the hot Ns.

The more modern and Korean-built i30 Sedan, by contrast, has been left to graze as a core part of Hyundai’s Australian lineup as it is more profitable – both due to profitability and the fact it already offers an economical hybrid powertrain.

Against that backdrop, the Australian launch of the IONIQ 3 in early 2027 will provide buyers with a fully electric option in a similar segment, meaning small car buyers will have the option of petrol, hybrid, electric and high-performance all in the same showroom.

“From a manufacturing point of view, it is very hard to forecast regulation [which] triggers taxation on a national level, so it is important to have this flexibility,” van Nuffel said.

With the new Free Trade Agreement with Europe, it’s possible the i30 hatch could return if Hyundai Australia can source it cheaply enough, however insiders suggest the i30 N hatch will keep its place in the local lineup by adopting a hybrid engine as soon as next year.

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