Hyundai i30N and Genesis G70 pushed back

Hyundai has delayed the Australian launch of the i30 N hot hatch and Genesis G70 until next year.

Previously, the Korean car-maker’s first hot hatch and first mid-size luxury sedan had both been due on sale here in November.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia now says the Genesis G70 (its first direct rival for the BMW 3 Series) and the i30 N (its first competitor for Volkswagen’s iconic Golf GTI) will now be released here by February and March respectively.

“We have been working with HMC and the N high-performance division for some time on this, but the [i30 N] car now won’t be available for launch in Australia this year,” said HMCA spokesman Bill Thomas.

“Please plan on a February or March 2018 local introduction [for the i30 N].

“We hope to clarify Genesis plans very soon, including plans for G80, but we are working toward a January or February 2018 introduction for G70, to coincide with the brand launch.”

Thomas confirmed the Genesis G70’s global reveal and launch remains scheduled for September 15 in Seoul, Korea, before the i30 N’s international launch in Rome, Italy later next month.

Stand by for our first drives of both models immediately afterwards.

Thomas would not reveal the precise reason for the later local arrivals of both models, saying only that they were related to “technical” issues, but we understand the Australian releases of both cars have been pushed back due to development and production delays.

Our sources also indicate the facelifted version of Hyundai Australia’s original Genesis model, the large G80 sedan, will still be released this year.

Both the G70 and G80 have undergone extensive local chassis tuning programs and stocks of the old Genesis are almost exhausted, with just 12 sold last month and 95 so far this year – down 63 per cent on the same period in 2017.