LIVE: the Hyundai i30 Double World Premiere
We're LIVE in Düsseldorf for a double world premiere. Today, Hyundai Motor will unveil two new members of the i30 range: the i30 Fastback and i30 N. Check throughout the day for exclusive updates.
11.00 AM
Willkommen in Düsseldorf! We’re in the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia by the river Rhine in Germany for the official launch of the two newest additions to the i30 range. Members of the media have flown in to Germany from all over Europe to be at this i30 event. The i30 range is designed, developed, tested and manufactured in Europe. It consists of the five-door New Generation i30, the i30 Wagon and will soon include the i30 Fastback and i30 N. Each member has a unique bodytype and character.
The first of the two launches is the eye-catching i30 Fastback. As its name suggests, this special model boasts a fastback body type, and features the same DNA of a timeless and coherent design demonstrated by the entire i30 range, which consists of the New Generation i30, the i30 Wagon and the soon-to-be-revealed i30 N. Guests continue to arrive to this Hyundai Brand Experience event, where they can meet some of the designers, engineers and members of the Hyundai WRC team as we build to the double premiere. In the meantime, here’s a taste of what’s to come, with the official i30 N teaser video.
12.00 PM
The second car Hyundai will unveil today is the i30 N, which is Hyundai’s first ever high-performance car under the N line-up. Designed for the pursuit of performance, the i30 N will deliver thrilling winding road fun as well as track day-capable performance. Developed with a focus on cornering, race track capability, everyday sports car and the customisation of features, it recently finished its final development stage at the Nürburgring circuit.
13.00 PM
We’re now LIVE for the double world premiere of the i30 Fastback and i30 N! Thomas Schmid, Senior Vice President & COO Hyundai Motor Europe, has taken to the stage. He says that the cars presented today will take Hyundai Motor forward in Europe and are an important step on the road to becoming the number one Asian car brand by 2021. Schmid outlines Hyundai Motor’s “Road to 2021”, stating that by 2021, Hyundai Motor will launch 30 new models and derivatives in Europe.
Schmid is now talking about Hyundai’s i-family, and says that this range represents the core of the Hyundai brand in Europe. He says the New Generation i30 is equipped with the latest connectivity features and driving dynamics, as well as the best standard safety package, which includes Hyundai SmartSense. Just last week, the i30 five-door version received a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating, becoming the first car in the segment to receive this maximum rating under the new revised rating scheme.
Schmid turns to the two new models: the i30 N and the i30 Fastback. He says that Hyundai’s N range delivers exciting high performance models for maximum driving enjoyment. Meanwhile, the i30 Fastback is “an entirely new body type in the C-segment”.
The New Generation i30 and the i30 Wagon arrive on the stage, and Schmid hands over to Thomas Bürkle, Chief Designer at Hyundai Design Center Europe.
13.15 PM
Thomas Bürkle discusses some of the design highlights of the i30 family. He describes the i30 range as a cornerstone of Hyundai Motor’s lineup, and says that with the New Generation i30 and i30 Wagon, the company took modern premium to the next level.
He says that traditionally the third member of the range would be a three-door hatchback but, given Hyundai Motor’s spirit of always moving on and challenging conventions, the company decided to take a big step away from this and instead created a car with the spirit of a coupe and a GT-like silhouette. “We call this truly new body type ‘Fastback’!” And the All-New i30 Fastback arrives on the stage!
This car is a real game changer!
He says that the style and elegance of the i30 Fastback is usually found in the European mid- and upper-luxury segments, and that Hyundai are the first volume brand to enter the compact segment with desirable sports coupé-like vehicle that offers premium quality, but is still affordable for everyone.
Bürkle now discusses some of the i30 Fastback’s design highlights. He describes the car as “reminiscent of elegant GTs of the past”, with a sloping roofline, long bonnet and muscular body. He notes that the roof was lowered by 25 millimetres, with a design emphasis on the rear making it look like a sprinter in a low position waiting for the starting signal.
Bürkle finishes his presentation, and hands over to Albert Biermann, Executive Vice President - Performance Development & High Performance Vehicle Division at Hyundai Motor Company.
And while we wait, let's take a look at the i30 Fastback:
Bürkle now discusses some of the i30 Fastback’s design highlights. He describes the car as “reminiscent of elegant GTs of the past”, with a sloping roofline, long bonnet and muscular body. He notes that the roof was lowered by 25 millimetres, with a design emphasis on the rear making it look like a sprinter in a low position waiting for the starting signal.
Bürkle finishes his presentation, and hands over to Albert Biermann, Executive Vice President - Performance Development & High Performance Vehicle Division at Hyundai Motor Company.
And while we wait, let's take a look at the i30 Fastback:
13.30 PM
Albert Biermann appears on stage and introduces Hyundai’s new TCR car, which is based on the i30 N. The car’s driver, racing legend Gabriele Tarquini, is invited to join him on stage. Tarquini is a test driver at Hyundai Motorsport, and talks about the TCR programme, which is a race series for private customers.
Tarquini leaves the stage, and Biermann is now ready to present Hyundai’s first high performance vehicle: the i30 N. He explains how the ’N’ stands for Namyang, where Hyundai Motor’s R&D centre is based in Korea, and the Nürburgring, racing track and home to Hyundai’s European test centre. The N logo represents a chicane, just like the ones at the world-famous race track.
Biermann discusses the exhaustive tests the i30 N has undertaken in some of the most severe conditions, including: winter testing in Sweden with the Hyundai WRC team, summer testing in Death Valley, and an engine test during the Nürburgring 24-hour race in 2016. Then he welcomes the Hyundai i30 N on stage!
Biermann talks about the i30 N. He says it is a well-balanced hot hatchback with a core focus on emotions: the overall target is each driver’s heartbeat, and an emotional escape from the ordinary driving experience.
Driving fun measured in BPM not RPM!
He explains that the i30 N has outstanding cornering performance, with steering providing a direct and precise response to authentic feedback.
The i30 N is pure power in combination with excellent technology
13.45 PM
Thomas Schmid arrives back on stage with the entire i30 Family. The assembled journalists and guests will now have the opportunity to discover more about the new models.
Thank you for joining us today.
Contacts
-
Florian Büngener
Head of Department PR & Communications
fbuengener@hyundai-europe.com LinkedIn ProfileAdriana Cerami
Head of Section Corporate & Brand PR
acerami@hyundai-europe.comKatharina Kupper
Hyundai Newsroom Lead
kkupper@hyundai-europe.comAnja Wente
Product PR & Communications Expert
awente@hyundai-europe.comElvira Herrera
Corporate Communications Expert
eherrera@hyundai-europe.comÁngel Pino Pérez
Product Communications Professional
apinoperez@hyundai-europe.comMaria Bricio
Corporate & Brand Communications Expert
