Hyundai has lifted the veil off of the all-new i30, a compact hatchback that’s known as the Elantra GT in the United States. The i30 is being shown to the public for the first time at the Paris Auto Show. <br /> <br />Developed and penned in Europe, the i30 ushers in the next evolution of Hyundai’s design language. Its front end is characterized by a hexagonal grille — called a cascading grille in Hyundai-speak — with a thick chrome frame, swept-back headlights, and slanted LED daytime running lights integrated into the bumper. All told, it wears a much more refined design than the current model. <br /> <br />The refined look continues with an interior that’s noticeably more upscale than before. The bulk of the switches, knobs, and dials have been tossed out and replaced by an eight-inch touch screen. It’s programmed to run Hyundai’s newest infotainment system, but it’s also compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. <br /> <br />Buyers in Europe will be able to choose between three gasoline-burning engines with outputs ranging from 100 to 140 horsepower, and a single turbodiesel unit available with either 95, 110 or 136 horses. Front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission will come standard, and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox will be offered at an extra cost on select trim levels. <br /> <br /> <br />For enthusiasts, the most interesting member of the lineup is undoubtedly a hot hatch called i30 N that will fight in the same arena as the Volkswagen GTI and the Ford Focus ST when it goes on sale. Power will be provided by a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine rated at about 255 horsepower and 228 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission will come standard, and a dual-clutch automatic transmission will be added to the lineup a little later in the production run. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />The 2017 Hyundai i30 will go on sale in the months following its debut in the French capital. The model displayed in Paris will be Euro-spec, but it’s not too unreasonable to assume that the Elantra GT will debut shortly after at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The i30 N isn’t expected to debut until next year, however.
