Unofficially, Hyundai has long dominated Australia’s small-car segment if you combine the sales of its popular i30 hatch with those of the Elantra sedan.
Expect that dominance to become official when the first i30 sedan replaces the Elantra later this year, at which point the all-new small sedan and facelifted i30 hatch will likely outsell perennial top-sellers like the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3.
Built on Hyundai’s new K3 compact vehicle platform, the new i30 sedan is longer, wider, safer, higher-tech and more flamboyantly styled than the Elantra it replaces.
It’s also lighter, more efficient and should not only deliver appreciable improvements in ride and handling but could also bring a performance sedan sibling for the upgraded i30 N hot hatch and Fastback.