Name change for unloved Elantra

Hyundai has taken the wraps off a new Elantra, except it’s no longer called the Elantra — it’s now the i30 Sedan.

The name is more of a mouthful, but Hyundai believes it will give the car more of a chance in the highly competitive Aussie market.

To put this in perspective, the i30 hatch is one of the best selling cars in Australia, with more than 28,000 sales here last year.

In the same period, the Elantra could muster only 2644 sales — despite the fact they are the same car under the skin.

Commenting on the change of name, Hyundai spokesman Guido Schenken said the company wanted to align the two body styles under a single model line name.

“i30 is our strongest single car line brand — our biggest seller and the foundation for Hyundai in Australia — and giving the sedan version of the car the same name makes sense from a sales and marketing perspective,” he said.

With a dramatic new face, the re-styled i30 sedan will launch here in second half of 2020, with pricing to be revealed nearer the date.

At present, i30 is priced from $20,240 plus on-roads, Elantra from $20,240 — another $2000.

Helping to boost the car’s appeal will be the option of an economical hybrid, petrol-electric powertrain for the first time.

Buyers will have the choice of a traditional 2.0-litre four cylinder, multi-point injection engine with 109kW of power and 179Nm of torque, combined with a new CVT-style Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT).

Or, for the first time ever, a hybrid powertrain with a 1.6-litre GDI Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine that combined with the electric motor delivers a total output of 103kW and up to 264Nm torque.

And, in contrast, the hybrid will be offered with a 6-speed twin-clutch transmission — designed to make it more exciting to drive and to create a point of difference with competitors.

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In another first, the sedan will also feature ‘wireless’ Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity (current systems require mobile phones to be connected via cable).

i30 Sedan highlights:

An all-new seventh-generation compact sedan with new vehicle platform
Longer wheelbase, wider stance, lower roofline
Second Hyundai vehicle with Sensuous Sportiness design identity
An everyday exotic four-door-coupe look with innovative moulding and engineering technology
First-ever i30 Sedan Hybrid
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make connecting easy
Hyundai’s optional Digital Key allows i30 Sedan to be unlocked, started and driven without a physical key via a smartphone or NFC card
Production to begin at Ulsan, Korea in Spring
An enhanced natural-language voice-recognition system with Speech-to-Meaning and Deep Meaning Understanding technologies and lots of feature controls
Standard SmartSense safety and convenience technologies
Two available 10.25-inch multimedia screens under one piece of glass