Hyundai Elantra SR Turbo and i30 SR update spied in Sydney

2016 Hyundai Elantra SR

Hyundai’s upcoming Elantra SR has been spotted on Australian roads, months ahead of its showroom debut.

An eagle-eyed CarsGuide reader snapped these shots of the hotted-up Elantra in Sydney this week, most likely undergoing final fine-tuning and testing of its locally-developing suspension and steering setup.

While the Elantra caught in these pictures appears to have been de-badged to help it fly under the radar, it’s clearly a version of the turbocharged the SR revealed in South Korea in April. Telltale signs are the large bumper apertures flanking the black framed grille and the red-pinstripe headlight design. Other giveaways that this is the more hard-core Elantra are the larger front brake rotors, dual exhaust tips and diffuser in the rear bumper.

More than just a small sedan in a tough body kit, the Elantra SR is set to be powered by the same 150kW 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine found in the Veloster SR. The sedan's handling is also set for a boost with the SR riding almost 20mm lower than normal, and also stepping up to multilink rear suspension over the regular torsion beam setup. A choice of either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual clutch auto transmission is also expected to carry across from the Veloster.

Regular versions of the new-generation Elantra arrived in Australian showrooms in February, and when the Elantra SR lands towards the end of the year it's expected to come in at under $35,000.

i30 SR update

The gold Elantra was travelling in convoy with what looks to be an upcoming new version of the sports flavoured i30 SR. The existing SR and SR Premium use the same 17-inch wheel design as the luxury-spec i30 Premium, but the model spotted is wearing the same 17-inch double spoke design as the Elantra SR. It also appears to be sporting red-stitched seats.

Whether this is a limited edition or a new trim level remains to be seen, but the standard exhaust outlet suggests it retains the existing direct-injected 2.0-litre engine. The much-anticipated i30 turbo hot hatch is not due until the next generation aqppears next year. This i30 SR prototype could be hiding a multilink rear suspension setup like the previous Euro-sourced i30 SE three-door and the Tourer wagon, but our spy shooter was unable to check for this detail in moving traffic.