The facelifted Hyundai i30 Sedan – known elsewhere in the world as the Avante and Elantra – has debuted in Korea ahead of an Australian launch during the second half of 2023
A trio of images have trickled out online today following a domestic announcement for South Korea, showing subtle design changes that seem to sharpen up the rather angular sedan’s front and rear fascias.
There appears to be a greater focus on horizontal lines and motifs, echoing the trend set by the company’s latest models, with new headlights, updated bumpers, and a new grille insert. A revised wheel design is pictured here too.
Unlike the all-new Kona, however, there’s no full-width LED light bar between the headlights, though the current model’s LED tail light bar carries over for this revised version.
Inside, not a lot has changed, with the same overall driver-centric cockpit layout and available dual-10.25-inch displays for the instrument cluster and centre touchscreen.
The updated i30 Sedan’s displays don’t appear to be running the brand’s new software that will be coming shortly with the latest Kona, but local market details are still to be confirmed at this early stage.
Korean media does, however, mention the new Sage Green interior available in South Korea which features a new eco-friendly material. It’s unclear whether this option will be made available in the Australian market.
Changes to the existing powertrain line-up are likewise not detailed anywhere, though it’s believed the i30 Sedan, as well as its Avante and Elantra equivalents overseas, will feature carryover powertrains.
Of note are Australia’s entry-level 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol and 1.6-litre turbo petrol motors for the core range, which will likely carry over for the 2024 model year.
CarExpert also understands the 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain is firming for an Australian release, likely with the updated range, before the end of this year. Hyundai Australia has indicated its plans to release two hybrids during the course of 2023, including the already-confirmed new Kona Hybrid.
Hyundai’s head office is yet to reveal the facelifted i30 Sedan N (Avante N, Elantra N) as yet, but surely it won’t be too far behind this announcement. Prototypes have already been spied in Korea.
Like the core range, expect the existing model’s 206kW/392Nm 2.0-litre turbo four to carry over, with the updates likely to be largely cosmetic and perhaps aerodynamically skewed.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest.
