The stunning wagon Hyundai won’t build

This is the breathtaking but disappointingly imaginary next-generation Hyundai i30 wagon, rendered in both standard and hot N forms for those looking to reject the unflappable SUV norm.

Mocked up by popular industry creator Nikita Chuicko – via their kelsonik Instagram account – the renders showcase what the upcoming Elantra/Avante/i30 Sedan would look like as a long-roof five-door, with the short answer being: better than the sedan.

Even in standard trim, the wagon is classier and more elegant than the production-bound sedan, and while we’re yet to see anything official to do with the eventual N, the rendered example has us longing for an angry, cut-price RS6.

We asked Hyundai Australia if such a product – standard or N – was feasible locally or even at a global level, and just how much consumer interest it would take to spur serious consideration.

The response was largely crickets, but we understand previous wagon sales both here and abroad simply aren’t strong enough to justify the additional development costs over the already-confirmed sedan – especially here.

That trend seemingly applies to Genesis too, seeing as the G70 Shooting Brake, which is offered here as a singular four-cylinder variant, has only accounted for 11.5 per cent of all G70 sales since 2023.

The last traditional wagon Hyundai offered in our market was the i40 which was shown the door in 2019, however Europe has had access to stretched versions of the PD i30 for years, not to mention the now-retired Fastback body which came here exclusively in N guise.

But while Hyundai keeps its back turned to wagons, other brands are embracing them, especially in the performance realm.

Skoda and Audi have long been a safe haven stretched five-doors while Subaru has famously dabbled on and off locally for years, but more recently Cupra, BMW and even BYD have come to the party in place of brands like Mazda, VW and Ford.

Kia confirmed in January it wouldn’t be offering its K4 Sportswagon Down Under without an official explanation as to why, however carsales understands the huge local appetite for small and medium SUVs offsets the wagon’s supposedly niche appeal.

Anecdotal evidence from social media and other avenues suggest there is plenty of demand for a hot Hyundai wagon – via either i30 N or Sonata – but there’s no better indication of demand than sales data, so for now, let’s see how the newcomers go.

Digital image credit: kelsonik

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