Hyundai i30 Elantra Hatchback 2013

We knew Hyundai was preparing a successor to its North American Elantra Touring based on the freshly revealed in Europe i30 series 2013, but we weren't entirely sure if the Korean company would go down the same path offering an estate version or if it would opt for the hatchback model.

To explain, in Europe, the current generation of the Elantra Touring is sold as the i30 CW (or Estate in the UK), which is the station wagon version of the outgoing i30 series.

We don’t know if Hyundai will retain the Touring moniker or introduce a new name for the hatchback model, but with the only possible exception of the tail lamp graphics, it's the same car as the i30 hatchback that left VW CEO Martin Winterkorn extremely impressed with its quality (skeptics can read our previous post here or check out the video below).

When the VW Golf-sized model reaches European showrooms next spring, it will be offered with a choice of four engines, including 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter units in both gasoline and turbo diesel flavors, as well as a greener and more fuel-efficient variant bearing Hyundai's 'Blue' nameplate.

All powerplants will be matched to a six-speed manual gearbox, while the 1.6-liter gasoline and diesel engines will be optionally available with a six-speed automatic transmission.

In North America, the i30's Elantra twin will likely be fitted with the Veloster's 1.6-liter GDI Gamma engine that delivers 138HP and 123 lb-ft of peak torque.

After months of speculation, Hyudai has finally confirmed the introduction of a Hyundai Elantra Hatchback to the U.S. market. The model will be similar, if not aesthetically identical, to the new Hyundai i30 have-door hatchback offered in Europe. The Elantra hatchback will not retain the i30 name, however. According to Hyundai, its name will be an add-on to the Elatran name. The “Elantra touring” is the first thing we think of.

Whatever it ends up being called, the Hyundai Elantra Hatchback will without a doubt be a looker. i30, which is Hyundai’s European C-segment competitor to the Ford Focus, the Renault Megane and the Volkswagen Golf.

The current Hyundai i30 is available in both 5-door hatchback and 5-door station wagon formats. The station wagon version of the i30 should be familiar to American shoppers as the Hyundai Elantra Touring. The hatchback version of the i30 is currently not sold here, although with this new generation and Hyundai/Kia’s hatchback onslaught in the US market, you can certainly expect this to change.

The exterior design of the new Hyundai i30 goes along with the rest of Hyundai’s ‘fluidic sculpture’ design lineup, and cuts an attractive, sporty look that looks, in my opinion, cleaner than the current Elantra which has, nevertheless, been a hot seller in the USA. The station wagon version will come over to the USA as the brand new Elantra Touring, but the real question is, will the 5-door hatchback come to America, For my money, expect the answer to that question to be a definitive “yes”, as Americans are buying more and more hatchbacks, as automakers put out better and better hatchbacks that aren’t associated with “cheap car”.

The interior will be familiar to anyone who knows anything about current Hyundai interior designs. Engine choices will also be no surprise, with 4-cylinder engines aplenty for both US and European buyers. Fuel economy will definitely increase compared to the previous generation of Hyundai i30/Elantra Touring.

If the current Elantra is anything to go by, expect the suspension to be tuned more for comfy cruising than corner carving, although this should definitely be no lazy slouch when it comes to taking a hard turn.