After introducing the Hyundai i30 in March 2017 and the i30 Tourer this month, Hyundai Motor has unveiled the i30 Fastback – the latest addition to the new i30 range – which will be available by the beginning of next year.

“The i30 range represents the core of our Hyundai brand in Europe,” says Thomas A. Schmid, Chief Operating Officer at Hyundai Motor Europe. “The i30 Fastback is the newest in our range, bringing a unique new approach to this popular segment. The sophisticated design of this model incorporates the essence of our philosophy, making premium design accessible for everyone. The i30 Fastback is the first elegant five-door coupe to enter the compact segment, underlining our commitment to innovation and customer choice.”

“The i30 Fastback is a real game-changer. We are the first volume brand to enter the compact segment with a stylish and sophisticated 5-door coupé,” explains Thomas Bürkle, Chief Designer at Hyundai Design Centre Europe. “When designing the i30 Fastback we played with the proportions of the i30 range by reducing the height of the Cascading Grille and lowering the roof line. The elegant silhouette is further emphasised by the generously arched rear spoiler shape. Our team was able to achieve a pure design, which combines the sports car spirit with the comfort of a luxurious sedan. With this innovative approach to compact cars, we enable our customers to make an expressive statement when driving the Fastback.”

The roof has been lowered by 25 millimetres compared with the i30 five-door, enhancing the car’s wide stance on the road, improving aerodynamics and, according to Hyundai, creating a dramatic impression.

There are twelve exterior colours available for the i30 Fastback: three pearl choices – Stargazing Blue, Micron Grey and Phantom Black, and seven metallic choices – Clean Slate blue, Intense Copper, Moon Rock, Fiery Red, Platinum Silver, Ara Blue and White Sand, plus two solid choices – Engine Red and Polar White.  For the interior, customers can choose from three colour options: Oceanids black, Slate Grey or the new and unique Merlot Red interior.

The driving dynamics of the Hyundai i30 line-up are tested and refined by engineers at Hyundai Motor’s European Testing Centre at the famous Nürburgring “Nordschleife” circuit.

The i30 Fastback has some significant differences compared with the other body types of the i30 range. By comparison to the i30 five-door version, the chassis of the i30 Fastback has been lowered by 5mm and the stiffness of the suspension has been increased by 15 per cent.

Thanks to the lowered roof and chassis leading to an overall height of 1,425 mm, the i30 Fastback is 30 mm lower than the five-door body type. With an elongated silhouette, the car has an overall length of 4,455 mm – 115 mm longer than the five-door.

Hyundai says that with Autonomous Emergency Braking, Driver Attention Alert, High Beam Assist and Lane Keeping Assist System always on board, the i30 offers best-in-class standard active safety.

The Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) fitted in the i30 operates in three stages using camera sensors. First, it warns the driver visually and audibly. In a second step, it controls the brake according to the collision danger stage, and in a third stage applies maximum braking force to avoid a collision or to minimise damage if a collision is unavoidable. The optional pedestrian recognition uses front radar and avoids or mitigates the consequences of impact with a pedestrian.

With the Driver Attention Alert (DAA), the i30 features a driver protection system: this monitors driving patterns in order to detect reckless or fatigued driving and prevent potential accidents.

Advanced Smart Cruise Control (ASCC) keeps a constant speed and distance from the vehicle in front by automatically accelerating and braking up to 180 km/h. If the traffic comes to a halt, the system applies the brakes until the car comes to a standstill and accelerates to the desired speed as soon as the road is clear.

The rear corners are monitored by a Blind Spot Detector (BSD). If another vehicle is detected, a visual alert appears in the exterior mirrors.

The Rear-Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) system reduces the risk of collision with approaching traffic when reversing out of narrow areas with low visibility by alerting the driver both visually and audibly.

The Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) senses the car’s position and alerts the driver about unsafe movements at speeds over 60 km/h. By audibly and visually warning the driver before inducing corrective steering, it guides the driver back to a safe position.

Road speed signs are immediately recognised by the Speed Limit Information Function (SLIF), which displays the speed limit in real time. The navigation system display and the TFT cluster both show the information.

A High Beam Assist (HBA) detects both oncoming vehicles and vehicles ahead in the same lane at night and changes to low-beam lights as appropriate, thereby reducing blinding effects on other drivers. HBA automatically re-activates the high beams and therefore maximises the driver’s range of vision as soon as no vehicles are detected.

The i30 Fastback offers customers an optional eight-inch touch screen of the new-generation navigation system including connectivity features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Both systems enable users to connect their devices to deliver and control music, telephone or navigation functions on-screen. The navigation system moreover comes with a free seven-year subscription to LIVE Services, offering updated information about weather, traffic, speed cameras and online searches for points of interest in real time. The i30 Fastback is also available with a wireless charging system for smartphones with the Qi standard.

Customers can choose between different audio options: the standard monochrome five-inch display radio with Bluetooth connectivity or the optional audio system with a five-inch capacitive LCD touch screen and an integrated dynamic rear-view camera.

The powertrain line-up of the i30 Fastback currently consists of two downsized turbocharged petrol engines but will be further expanded with the addition of a newly developed 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine available with two power outputs: a version with 108 bhp and a ‘high power’ version with 134 bhp. Both versions will be available with the six-speed manual transmission or seven-speed dual clutch transmission.