Hyundai i30 fastback spied testing

A sleek new body style for the upcoming and all-important second-generation Hyundai i30 has been spotted testing in Europe.

The coupe-styled i30 fastback is the third body style of the PD i30 to be seen, and likely to be the final according to Hyundai chief designer Peter Schreyer.

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At the 2016 Frankfurt motor show, Schreyer hinted there will be three body styles for the all-new i30, and showed silhouettes of the various configurations.

This fastback testing mule, which will effectively replace the previous-gen three-door i30 that was sold very briefly in Australia, will join the core five-door hatch and the i30 wagon, which was shown at the recent Geneva motor show.

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Australia also has an i30 sedan in the form of the Hyundai Elantra, which shares its platform with the popular hatch.

Underneath its camouflage, the sporty looking fastback i30 variant is expected to incorporate the same styling features as the other body types, including a prominent ‘cascading’ grille design and Hyundai’s latest lighting graphics. Drivetrain options are also expected to carry over from other i30 models, and include 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre four-cylinders.

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Whether or not this i30 style will come to Australia is still under consideration by Hyundai’s local division. So too is the wagon body style. The big question mark sits around production, and whether or not the fastback will be built outside Europe.

Australia will source all of its next-generation i30s from Korea, though it’s possible the fastback and wagon will only be built at Hyundai’s facility in the Czech Republic. Exchange rate pressure may put paid to any hope we have of seeing it Down Under.