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Hyundai opened the European facility at the end of 2008. It produces the i30, i30cw, and newly launched ix20 and exports to 50 countries across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Looks can be greatly deceiving as Hyundai proves with its new special edition i30 Sport versions that were launched in Germany today. Despite their sporty appearance and promising name, the i30 Sport Hatchback and Crossover Wagon (sold in the U.S. as the Elantra Touring) only differ visually from their normal siblings as there aren't any mechanical changes. To be produced in a limited run of just 200 units, the hatchback is offered with a 126HP 1.6-liter petrol engine while the Crossover Wagon with a 140HP 2.0-liter turbo diesel.
Both i30 Sport models are offered exclusively in a Crystal White paint finish and come equipped with a design package that includes a faux carbon-fiber grille cover, black inserts around the fog lights (sedan only), a discreet front spoiler, side skirts, roof wing, a rear apron with an integrated diffuser and two chromed exhaust tailpipes plus a set of rather neat looking 18-inch alloy wheels finished in Anthracite.
Inside, the Sport insignia adds leather seats, leather steering wheel and shift knob, an automatic air conditioning with cooled glove box, cruise control, steering wheel audio controls, USB and iPod connection as well as electric windows.
Prices in Germany are set at €20,990 for the i30 Sport hatchback and at €24,490 for the station-wagon variant.
The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), South Korea's premium public broadcaster, recently aired a program that focused on Hyundai's R&D facility located in Namyang, Korea. Among other things, the show revealed a prototype model of the next-generation Hyundai Sonata undergoing testing as well as a camouflaged 2010 Hyundai Tuscon and a designers sketch depicting what appears to be a proposal for facelifted i30 hatchback. The new Sonata that will be called i40 in Europe and other international markets, is due to arrive in Hyundai's dealerships by early-2010.
Based on a newly developed platform, the 2010 Sonata will be offered with an array of engines including Hyundai's new 2.0- and 2.2-liter turbo diesels with outputs of 184HP and 200HP respectively, as well as a 2.0-litre petrol engine available in naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions.
The first ever special edition version of the i30 promises to bring a little colour to Hyundai’s All of the i30 SE (Special Edition) models are powered by Hyundai’s 1.4-litre, 107 HP petrol engine which returns 46.3 mpg
Every car manufacture that respects itself nowadays needs to have a unique logo for its cleanest and most environmentally friendly vehicles. Hyundai on its behalf is introducing the i-Blue insignia that will appear on every car in its range that manages to offer emissions below the 120g/km barrier. The first production model to bear the i-Blue logo will be an i30 hatchback powered by the company’s 1.6-litre CRDi turbo diesel engine and it will make its debut at the British Motor Show in London (July 22 to Aug 3). -Continued So what’s so special about the i30 i-Blue? Well, Hyundai’s engineers managed to achieve a 6g/km drop in CO2 emissions over the standard i30 1.6-litre CRDi model thanks to a minor change to the gear ratios. There are no other changes whatsoever – we’re not kidding. Don’t you just love marketing?
Hyundai has launched a limited version of its i30 subcompact hatch in 
