Hyundai has released images of the upcoming N-Line version of its new i30 Sedan.
The i30 Sedan is the name under which the upcoming, seventh generation Elantra will be sold in Australia. That makes the N-Line a replacement for the current Elantra Sport.
The N-Line features more aggressive front and rear bumpers than those of the regular i30 Sedan (above and below, right). At the rear, there’s a similar trapezoidal cut-out in the bumper which frames the licence plate. However, this effect now spans the entire width of the bumper. There’s also a rear diffuser and visible dual exhaust outlets.
Up front, the grille is a little shorter and there’s a revised front air dam and more horizontally-oriented air intakes.
The i30 Sedan N-Line also features side skirts and 18-inch alloy wheels with larger brakes. The skirts, along with the exterior mirrors and window accents, are finished in gloss black.
While Hyundai hasn’t yet confirmed what will be under the bonnet of the i30 Sedan N-Line, we expect it’ll be the turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine of the current i30 N-Line hatch and Elantra Sport. Mated to either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the turbo four currently produces 150kW of power and 265Nm of torque.
In contrast, the base powertrain in the new i30 Sedan range is a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 109kW of power and 179Nm of torque and mated to Hyundai’s new Intelligent Variable Transmission.
Hyundai hasn’t revealed the interior of the N-Line but expect some sportier trim. Like the regular i30 Sedan, it’ll feature a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.
The i30 Sedan range, including the N-Line, will touch down in Australia in the fourth quarter of this year alongside the updated i30 hatchback range. It’s part of an onslaught of fresh product for the range which includes a redesigned Sonata that’ll also pick up a sporty N-Line variant.
By moving the Elantra sedan under the i30 nameplate, Hyundai can focus its marketing on one small model range. It can also combine sales tallies of the hatch and sedan, which could pose a threat to the Toyota Corolla’s dominance of the segment.
The N-Line won’t even be the spiciest i30 Sedan. Hyundai is launching an N version of the sedan which spy photographers have captured in the i30 N’s trademark Performance Blue. It’ll pack the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine as the hatchback N, which in the current model produces 202kW of power and 353Nm of torque.
Expect the N sedan to offer both a six-speed manual and the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic that’ll arrive in the updated i30 N early next year.
It’ll give Hyundai a rather unique offering for the segment as rivals like the Ford Focus ST and Honda Civic Type-R are available exclusively as hatchbacks even though they offer a sedan body style here or overseas.
Below: the current Elantra Sport and Sport Premium, soon to be replaced by the i30 Sedan N-Line.
