The third-generation Hyundai i30 hatchback will be launched at the Paris motor show later this year.
Hyundai has now revealed the 2017 i30. Click here to view it.
The Volkswagen Golf rival is set to be offered in three variants: a five-door hatch, an estate, and a four-door coupé targeted at the European market, but the three-door shape will be dropped because of poor sales figures.
The latest test mule was spotted towing a trailer as part of its development. Previous mules have been seen winter testing in the Arctic and Swiss Alps, as well as undergoing performance tests at the Nürburgring - where Hyundai has a dedicated development centre.
Read our review of the 2017 Hyundai i30 1.4 Turbo protoype here
While the camouflage of the early-stage mules covers up most of their styling features, we can see the new i30 will come with a revised grille similar to that used by the facelifted car and the updated i40.
i30 N performance model
Key to the success of the next i30 will be a range-topping performance version, which will be the first road-going model to come from Hyundai's N Performance sub-brand. That model has already been spotted testing at the Nürburgring and will compete with the likes of Volkswagen's Golf GTI when it goes on sale.
It will get a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and could have a top speed of around 155mph.
Hyundai officials have also confirmed the i30 N will use technology derived from Hyundai's i20-based WRC car, which is also built by the N Performance division. The Korean firm's current rally car runs a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 296bhp.
i30 engines and tech
Further down the range, the recently launched i30 Turbo will continue to be powered by its current 183bhp 1.6-litre Gamma GDI petrol engine, while the rest of the i30's petrol and diesel engine range will be carried over with minor changes.
A hybrid version of the next i30 - using technology garnered from Hyundai's Ioniq hybrid model - can't be ruled out. The Ioniq mates the i30's 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to offer a claimed 79mpg.
Clues to the look of the next i30's interior could come from a preview picture for the US-market Elantra, which sports a minimalist, buttonless design and a redesigned centre console. The i30 hatch is sold as the Elantra GT in the US.
Darren Moss and Sam Sheehan
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I can't believe they are
winniethewoo wrote: I can't
I can, these cars are more in the private buyers market where value for money and other factors outweigh CO2 as the owners are not enslaved to company car tax.
...or
Trailer looks interesting
Trailer