Sales of trend-busting Hyundai i30 jump over 10% in 2009

Sales of the Hyundai i30 family car continue to defy the general economic gloom, recording a 10,2% climb in Europe over the first five months of 2009, compared to the same period last year. Growing demand for the i30 in both hatchback and CW Estate guises has led to more than 33.500 i30 cars being delivered to European customers so far this year.

Since launch less than two years ago, i30 sales in Europe have now passed 120.000 units – making the C-segment model the fastest-selling car in the history of Hyundai in Europe.

“The trend-busting sales success achieved by the i30 range is the result of Hyundai developing cars to meet the specific needs of European consumers,” commented Allan Rushforth, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Europe. “With i30 we have created a very modern vehicle with stylish design, generous specification and ‘European’ ride and handling characteristics.

“But more importantly it offers high quality and great reliability in an affordable package – making it more than a match for the toughest competition in Europe’s most demanding segment. With this combination of winning attributes, i30 sits perfectly with our ‘True Quality Matters’ slogan.”

A key element of the i30’s appeal is the availability of ultra-modern, powerful and clean diesel engines. Particularly popular is the new 1,6-litre CRDi, which generates 115 PS, and emits just 119 g/km of CO2 – class competitive and subject to preferential rates of taxation in many markets.

The appeal of the i30 range will be boosted even further by the introduction of the first model to be launched under Hyundai’s Blue DriveTM eco-initiative: the i30 Blue. On sale across Europe, this model is fitted with the innovative ‘Integrated Stop and Go’ (ISG) system that reduces fuel consumption – by 7% on the official combined cycle – and lowers CO2 emissions by 10 g/km.

ISG technology is ideal for driving in busy urban areas, where there is a constant need to stop and start. The clever system automatically switches the engine off when traffic is at a stand-still, and then restarts without delay when the driver wishes to pull away. Tests have revealed that emissions drop by up to 15% in heavily congested traffic.

Over the first five months of 2009, Hyundai has been the only large-scale producer to significantly improve its market share in Europe. Taking full advantage of its new production facility at Nošovice in the Czech Republic to ensure good availability of the i30 family, Hyundai expects to continue its sales success throughout the year.