2012 Hyundai i30: VW Golf Rival Spied Inside and Out

There's been a lot of confusion lately about the spy pictures of the next Hyundai i30. To elaborate, many readers on various websites and forums supported that the scoops may be showing a Kia. Thanks to some additional work from our spy photographers, we can now put the brand speculations to rest. What you see here is indeed a Hyundai, with this being proved by the brand's logo on the alloy wheels as well as the typical Hyundai styling of the interior.

Okay, so we've established it's a Hyundai, but could it be the new five-door Accent? Well, we doubt it because we saw the new Accent hatch at last month's Montreal Auto Show in Canada and it looks quite different inside and out. So that leaves us with the i30 (and yes, our spy photographer assured us it was larger than the...i20).

With that out of the way, let's see what we can find out from these spy photos. Although the prototype is carefully bagged up, it's pretty clear that the new i30 will be a sleeker proposal to look at with an edgier exterior design than the current model.

As mentioned previously, our scoopers also managed to snap the first photos of the i30's interior and as you can see, the styling is very close to the Veloster coupe. The dashboard has swoopy lines darting to and fro, a pronounced center console and a pair of deeply set instrument gauges. However, instead of the Veloster's three-spoke steering wheel, the five-door hatchback gets a more conventional four-spoke version.

What lies under the hood remains a mystery for now, but buyers should expect a choice of four-cylinder diesel and gasoline engines including the new 1.6-liter petrol with direct-injection and around 140-ponies.

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New Hyundai i40 is the European Market Sonata, Sedan Model to Follow Later in the Year

Hyundai had shared the first photos of its all-new i40 ahead of the car's world premiere at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show on March 1. Revealed here in station wagon form, the estate is the first i40 body style to be introduced to Europe, with a four-door sedan model to follow later this year. The i40 essentially replaces the older generation Sonata in Europe eyeing the highly competitive D-segment with rivals such as the Ford Mondeo, Peugeot 508, Mazda6 and Volkswagen Passat.

Designed and engineered at Hyundai’s R&D headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany, Hyundai says the i40 is the company's "first D-segment vehicle to be developed specifically for the European market, with a package of powertrains, equipment and technology tailored for European tastes."

The exterior styling of the i40 is much closer to that of the North American Elantra than it is to the latest Sonata, and encompasses design cues from Hyundai’s ‘fluidic sculpture’ design language. The flowing roofline and accentuated profile line help to visually lighten the design of the estate model.

Inside, the i40 gets a sculpted dashboard with a prominent screen display mounted high up and flanked by a pair of small air vents, underneath which nestle a bank of push buttons for ventilation and minor controls.

Hyundai says the i40 will come with a high level of standard equipment, including three segment ‘firsts’: heated and reclining front and rear seats; a heated steering wheel; and an active de-mist system that automatically detects and clears mist on the windscreen.

The mid-size model will be offered with a variety of modern powertrains including Hyundai's new 1.7-liter four-cylinder turbo diesel engine that emits just 113 g/km of CO2 emissions. The Korean automaker did not release any other details on the engine lineup, but it is believed that the Veloster's 1.6-liter gasoline engine and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with direct injection and an output of around 170-horsepower, will also be on offer.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, commented, “Offering more for less has always been a fundamental principle at Hyundai, and now we are advancing this with our new brand direction under the ‘New Thinking. New Possibilities.’ slogan. The i40 is a perfect example of how we are offering the best and making it accessible to everyone. From stunning design and specification, to industry-leading technology and aftersales care – the i40 sets itself apart from its competitors.”

Along with the i40, Hyundai's Geneva motor show stand will also host the European specification Veloster Coupe and the Curb small crossover concept.

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Hyundai Preparing New Elantra Coupe, Azera and Genesis R-Spec with 429HP V8

After registering record sales in 2010, Hyundai seems committed to an all-out offensive with the company reportedly planning to launch a coupe version of the 2011 Elantra and the new Azera sedan in the U.S. within the next year or so. According to an Autoweek report, the news was broken at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in San Francisco, where the Korean automaker also showed its dealers a photo of the upcoming coupe.

“They showed us a photo of it and it's gorgeous,” said Doug Fox, a Hyundai dealer from Ann Arbor, Michigan. “We weren't expecting that.”

It is said that the two-door model will go on sale this spring, however Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the car, simply stating that the alleged launch date is inaccurate.

Hyundai previewed the redesigned Azera as well, which will get a new 3.3-liter direct-injected V6 gasoline engine, estimated to deliver about 260HP and better fuel economy compared to the current model.

“It'll give us that step-up car from the Sonata for when Sonata owners come back and want something a little bit larger”, Fox said.

Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai's U.S. sales boss, told reporters that the new Azera is due in January 2012, with projected U.S. sales of 18,000-20,000 units per year.

The last item on the manufacturer’s list was the announcement of a new trim level for the imminent 2012MY Genesis, dubbed R-Spec. Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik said that the new model, featuring a new 429HP 5.0-liter V8 engine and in-house-developed 8-speed automatic gearbox, would make its debut at this week’s Chicago Auto Show. Base price is expected to be between $45,000-$50,000.