Hyundai i30 Estate (2007): First official pictures

By Ben Whitworth

First Official Pictures

11 May 2007 02:48

Hmm, a Hyundai that looks like a Peugeot

Yes, as expected, Hyundai has pulled the wraps off the estate version of its new i30 hatch. Styled at the Korean giant’s European Design Centre in Frankfurt, the estate will be built at a new production plant in the Czech republic. 'Designed and built in Europe for Europeans," as the Koreans are bound to say at its official debut at the Frankfurt motorshow later this year. Interestingly, the estate is not simply a hatch version with a bulbous end grafted on the back – Hyundai’s engineers have extended the estate’s wheelbase by 90mm to boost the cargo bay, helped by a 230mm growth in overall length and a 50mm higher roofline. Start saving, Ikea lovers... Design highlights include a USB ported sound system for iPod players, integrated roof rack and indicator lights housed in the wing mirrors. When it arrives early next year, there will be a choice of both petrol and diesel power, both from 1.6-litre engines hooked up to six-speed manual and five-speed auto boxes..

Drawing inspiration from the Arnejs concept car shown at Paris last autumn, the i30 ushers in a new numeric based badging system for Hyundai’s future models. With the i30 aimed at the small family hatch sector, the i20 will be an urban-oriented supermini, while the i40 will be a larger Mondeo-sized family car. A coupe-convertible and mini-MPV are also on the cards.

By Ben Whitworth