Not really looking like a winner to me..

Interior and headlight cluster not bad..everything else looks un-”i”nspired

Although an econobox, Hyundai has come a long, long way, and is producing more than decent cars. The i30 will have no problem finding customers.

can you say VW “i”nspired for the speedo cluster?

quite impressive from the looks of it…but it’s still too safe and just on pal with others on its class…hyundai really need to leap forward and stay one step ahead of the game if they truly want to move up the ladder!

and i hate those ‘cut off circle’ speedometer and tachometer cluster. why can’t they use full ‘circle’????

Wow, that’s an interior from Hyundai? Impressive….. However, the exterior is quite bland.

Not a bad interior from Hyundai. I see that it’s not just Volvo that thinks those idiotic oversized taillights look good, though.

wenzor,
In Hyndai world, everyone inspires them. Before I clicked the link to this page I thought to myself, “who did they copy off of this time?”
Look at their model line up, you’ll see alittle bit of Infiniti, Honda, VW, etc.
I’ll admit though, they do make some pretty good cars now. Maybe the way they look at it is, “Let’s take this and improve it.”

Just remember… Honda and Toyota were not that great at first (in some cases crap). These guys have come a long way, though it has been about 20 years in the US market.

“Hyundai’s entire lineup will include: i10, i20, i30, i40, and i50.”
“i” think the anphanumeric scheme in all new cars sucks, what the hell is what. its getting hard to talk about cars with my friends (cadillac included, cts,sts,xlr,dts,srx)its like playing bingo. i20,g35,m3……BINGO I WIN.
another nice job for hyundai, they have come a long way since rodney king.

LoL^

Look out Porsche Cayman, there’s a new sheriff in town.

Look at MB. I think they started the trend.

honestly,i’ve never been a fan of Hyundai OR hatchback style cars.but this really doesnt look bad at all.id say its a pretty good,non-ugly look like a lot of the crazy new things out there (xA, Versa,Fit).The interior is bland??def. not. they did a really good job with it,and it looks pretty comfy too.and they said a 5spd gear box will be offered. look at the pic of the shifter…it says 6.possibly bc of different US and European versions?but overall,very nice car from Hyundai.

The back reminds me of the new Opel/Saturn Astra

looks like a golf and an accord mated

Doesn’t seem like that bad of a car – knowing Hyundai, it’s going to offer pretty good content for the money. The interior is something new for them: it actually looks good. I’m seeing the VW “i”nspiration in there, but then there’s only so many ways to design a set of controls and gauges. What has me scratching my head is the outside. What the hell happened to Hyundia’s new exterior styling language? The Sonata, the Azera, and the Santa Fe were supposed to be the vanguard of the company’s new era, one that united the models while keeping them distinctive. It’s as though Hyundai’s living in the matrix where the new Elentra received rave reviews for it’s 90’s retro-styling. Somebody better free that company’s mind, because now the i30 goes backward even further. Memo to Hyundai: the whole “Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” car company thing is played out and isn’t “in” this year; please leave the one-step-forward-two-steps-backward dance to the well-versed experts at Ford.

wait is this article about lincoln or hyundai

keep the names youve invested all your time and money in, like sonata, elantra, and santa fe. Screw this i-numerical horse ****.

this looks like an opel corsa to me, anyone else?

Like an i-series? Didn’t work well for Isuzu, but OK.
Anyway, for the chassis, I’m gonna guess…Kia Rondo?

The lights are a little big, but other wise, it looks good for a Hyundai and for its class.

@Kaptain75329 and A4 – I think that this new “i” design language is only for Hyundai’s Europe (or non-US) markets – the same goes for the new “i” name series. And yes: it does look like an Opol Corsa but then again, there’s so many ways you can design a hatchback… Anyway, we have to admit that they’ve come a long way since the Pony and Stellar in the 80’s. The interior of this i30 looks very good and high quality. The exterior design is too safe but I’m sure it will sell well in Europe and Asia and it would do well in the US too if it ever comes in our market.

There are so many companies Hyundai should thank for providing the “i” rear design. BMW 1 Series comes immediately to mind

How about icar… oops, maybe Apple has that one.

Why would Hyundai switch to an “i” naming scheme at this point? They’ve finally built up some brand equity in the US, and the Sonata and Elantra are recognized names several generations old. I just don’t get it.. oh, and this car doesn’t seem to stand out in any way.

This is so clearly for the European market, not USA.

the interior is nice, otherwise “i”pass

This is the Euro version. If it comes to the US, I’m pretty certain it will simply be the Elantra hatchback/wagon. Notice how the front/rear doors are virtually identical to the 07 Elantra.

How did someone take so many photos of such a dull subject?

the rear kinda reminds me of a BMW 1-series

Totally VW/Audi speedometers. They should just hire Pininfarina again instead of copying other brands.

wow hyundai is stepping their game up, especially compared to the domestics. that interior is nice.

Wow, this better come to the USA and soon. The styling reminds me of what Hyundai did for the Elantra GT from ‘01 to ‘06 in the US. Straight lines where needed, and a spacious 5 door design. I hope this is going to be branded as the new 5 door Elantra for the US, ’cause they dropped the GT (5 door) altogether when they introduced the UGLY ‘07 Elantra over here. The stupid wavey curves on the sides reminds me of the Hyundai of the ’90’s. . .YUCK. My ‘03 Elantra GT was totaled in a car accident back in April of ‘07 and when I checked Hyundai’s website to replace it with an ‘07 Elantra GT. . .well I was pissed to say the least. I ended up going with the next best styling currently available in the US from Hyundai that is still small but spacious inside. Check out the new 2007 Accent SE, complete with 16 inch wheels and Kumho VR tires. I also had the B&M sport shifter installed.

I had a 2003 Elantra GT REAL hatchback and I was very satisfied with it. Unfortuneately it got totaled.
I personally like REAL hatchback cars and I feel that a hatchback is a perfect design. The extra space is availble when needed. Unfortuneately, the i30 design is very similar to the VW Golf, Mazda3, Toyota Matrix etc, which to me are mini wagons. A REAL hatchback looks just like a car but with a sloping rear with a large rear window like the Mazda6 for excellent rear visibility which opens straight up, not out then up which is a liftgate.
I don’t understand why Hyundai discontinued the GT hatchback because it was one of their better selling cars. Here in New Jersey I see them everywhere.
The interior of the i30 looks nice with a little improvement over previous Elantra’s but I know this is the top of the line model. What the Elantra really needs is a more powerful and torquier engine or at least the option for one. I’m quite dissappointed with Hyundai, The new Elantra is bland, the Sonata is bland and the Accent is too small for me to consider. Come on Hyundai, stop copying other cars and come up with some of your own ideas and designs that look like they belong in the twenty first century.

This car looks nice… clearly for Europeans.