Update - Reader Prince Winfred emailed a snap of the i30 mule from near the HMIL plant in Chennai. Hyundai appears to be testing the car, with launching it locally not as one of the goals.
April 23, 2018
A fresh set of spy shots of the 2018 Hyundai i30 have come our way courtesy IAB reader, Arvind Ramanathan. The test mule, which is the same one that has been spotted on multiple occasions since March, was seen plying on public roads near Chennai.
As evident from spy shots here and those published over the last couple of months, Hyundai is running the i30 in India sans-camouflage. In all probability, Hyundai is carrying out component testing components using the i30 as a mule.
The white Hyundai i30 bears a 1.6D badge, which indicates that it employs a 1.6-litre CRDi diesel engine. It is available in multiple states of tune worldwide - 95 PS/280 Nm, 110 PS/280 Nm, 136 PS/280 Nm and 136 PS/300 Nm versions.
The prospect of the Hyundai i30 coming to India is exciting but a highly unlikely one. Globally, the hatchback is positioned above the Hyundai i20 and competes with the VW Golf, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, and the Renault Megane. Price-wise, the i30 will fall in the INR 10-13 lakhs (ex-showroom) bracket making it a bit too expensive for our price-sensitive market.
Hyundai had showcased the second generation model at the Auto Expo 2016. Following the debut of the third-gen model at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, IAB reported that the i30 is not India-bound with our source citing pricing as the major deterrent.
