KEY POINTS:
The i30 hatchback Hyundai just launched in New Zealand will almost certainly be joined next year by the station wagon variant, giving the Korean carmaker a small segment carry-all it hasn't had since the Lantra, last sold here in 2002.
The wagon version of the i30 was released in Britain the other day. Hyundai executives in New Zealand liked the look of it so much they flew one in for a closer peek. It is under wraps in Auckland, at the head office of Hyundai Automotive NZ.
Its presence will not be lost on fleet buyers.
For the moment, however, the carmaker is talking up the European-styled merits of the five-door i30 hatchback, a seven-model range priced between $27,490 and $37,490.
The i30 was designed in Germany to spearhead Hyundai's growth in Europe. New Zealand and Australian models, says Hyundai, have been optimised for Down Under driving conditions.
In a nutshell, the i30 and its mix of petrol and diesel engines slots into a small car segment growing in volume every year.
It comes with a host of features not always available in the class, including iPod music connection. Safety equipment runs to six airbags and electronic stability control, although the stability system isn't on the two entry-level models.
Engines comprise four-cylinder 1.6- and 2-litre petrol units and a 1.6-litre turbodiesel. The 1.6 CRDi turbodiesel earned its Down Under stripes in last year's Panasonic World Solar Challenge, an Australian economy run from Darwin to Adelaide, out-performing Toyota's Prius hybrid and diesels from Peugeot and Audi.
