Hyundai i30 N Line sedan confirmed for Australia
Warmed-up Elantra replacement gets 150kW and green light for Oz this yearHyundai's N hot shop is cranking out new models thick and fast, and the Hyundai i30 N Line sedan is the latest to join the pack.
Bringing more power, sharper handling and a sporty exterior design, the Hyundai i30 N Line sedan will join the all-new i30 sedan range in Australia in the second half of 2020.
The Korean car-maker today confirmed it will have a hero model to top the new i30 sedan range, which replaces the current Hyundai Elantra sedan.
Tipped to be priced at around $28,000 – roughly $1500 more than the equivalent i30 N Line hatch ($26,740) – the new model will rival the Kia Cerato GT and Mazda3 G25.
The new i30 N Line sedan will get the same powertrain as the Hyundai i30 N Line hatch -- a relatively potent 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine (150kW/265Nm) hooked up to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Likely be the most potent model in the sedan range (until the full-biscuit Hyundai i30 N sedan arrives sometime in 2021 with a 2.0-litre turbo worth at least 202kW/378Nm), the new N-Line sedan will also get a sports body kit and upgraded suspension along with 18-inch allow wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres.
Hyundai spokesperson Guido Schenken told carsales.com.au that the new i30 N Line sedan would be "… put through Hyundai's comprehensive local tuning program, to develop a bespoke set-up suiting our unique road conditions while infusing a sporty handling character trait worthy of its N Line badge."
Equipment levels of the Hyundai i30 N Line sedan are expected to mirror the hatch, which means leather upholstered N Line front sports seats with embossed N logos, plus an N sports steering wheel and gear shifter.
It's also likely to get a few tech upgrades over the current i30 hatch.
"We're excited to introduce our first N Line sedan, which joins our ever-expanding range of award-winning N models," said Schenken.
While the new turbocharged N Line model will sit atop the Hyundai i30 sedan range, regular sedan models will get a new 2.0-litre non-turbo petrol engine (109kW/179Nm) with a 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid to follow (103kW/264Nm).
'Spy' shots of the new i30 N Line sedan confirm it will be a more aggressive, ground-hugging machine than regular models. Its beefed-up big brother, the i30 N sedan, is tipped to get a much bolder look and will eventually eclipse the N Line sedan as the flagship model in the i30 range when it lobs in 2021.
While the Hyundai i30 sedan will help flesh out the i30 range, it will continue to play second fiddle to the hatchback in terms of sales, given the five-door sells in much higher numbers.
In 2019, the Hyundai i30 hatch found 28,378 homes, while the Elantra sedan found just 2644. That trend is expected to continue in 2020 and 2021 as Australians continue to favour hatchbacks over sedans in the small car class.
Of the more than 28,000 Hyundai i30 sales in 2019, regular models accounted for 23,436 sales, while the N Line found 3010 buyers and the i30 N and i30 Fastback N notched up 1121 sales.
An upgraded, new-look 2020 Hyundai i30 hatch will also arrive in the second half of 2020 as the Korean brand shores up its small car attack on the league-leading Toyota Corolla and Mazda3.
As the Hyundai N juggernaut rolls on, expect to see the stove-hot Kona N compact SUV add more high-performance inertia from mid-2021.
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