New 2023 Hyundai i30 sedan revealed
Mid-life update for Hyundai i30 small sedan to bring new looks and hybrid powertrain optionThe 2023 Hyundai i30 sedan – known as the Hyundai Avante in Korea – has debuted in its home market, providing Australian consumers with a preview of the updated model that’s heading this way in the second half of the year.
Details are thin on the ground but most changes appear to revolve around cosmetics, with no major cabin or mechanical updates.
That said, carsales understands the 104kW/265Nm 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid powertrain – as seen in the Kia Niro Hybrid – is tipped to join the local ranks as part of the mid-life update, along with a facelifted i30 N sedan flagship.
Other engines will carry over, namely the normally-aspirated 2.0-litre (117kW/191Nm) and turbocharged 1.6-litre (150kW/265Nm) and N-specific 2.0-litre (206kW/392Nm) four-cylinder petrol units.
The facelifted i30 sedan replaces the current model’s rounded front fascia with a blockier look with wider intakes, fewer curves, sharper headlights and a new full-width lighting signature.
The Volkswagen-like front-end design is matched at the rear by a chunkier and more aggressive bumper and crisper tail-light graphics.
Other tweaks include a new side-profile trim insert and refreshed alloy wheel designs.
Hyundai specifically describes the new look as “more dynamic and evolved”.
No changes have been made in the cabin save for the addition of ‘sage green’ interior trim and “new bio-friendly materials”.
At this stage only one trim level has been revealed, with no official sign of the sportier N-Line or N variants, however camouflaged prototypes of the latter have been spotted testing with similar, albeit more aggressive, styling tweaks.
There’s also speculation the raucous but hugely capable Hyundai i30 N sedan may also ship with a new – read quieter – exhaust system in some markets in the wake of a high-profile incident in California which saw an owner fined (and the car taken off the road) for driving it in N-mode.
Unlike the staggered original launch rollout, carsales understands the facelifted N will arrive in Australia at the same time as the rest of the i30 sedan range, including the hybrid.
Local pricing, specifications and launch timing are still to be confirmed.
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