Elantra? I hardly know 'er! 2023 Hyundai i30 Sedan facelift revealed in Korea, but when will the updated Toyota Corolla rival come to Australia?

The Hyundai i30 Sedan, or Elantra as some Aussies might still call it, has been given a facelift with photos and update details from its home nation of South Korea revealing the new design and added features.

The 2023 Hyundai i30 Sedan’s new face now features similar design elements to its contemporaries, like the headlight bar across the top of the grille, as well as a slightly altered rear.

The Korean website also confirms a few new features and specification changes for the i30 Sedan, which is called the Avante in its home market.

Tech is the key focus, and as such LED headlights replace the halogen versions for all variants, while the i30 Sedan can now be accessed with Hyundai’s Digital Key system, which allows owners and drivers to use a smartphone or smartwatch as a keyfob.

A surround-view parking camera has also been added, alongside blind spot monitoring cameras and eight airbags are now found in the cabin with rear passenger side airbags joining the curtain airbags.

Hyundai has also tweaked the i30 Sedan’s suspension, claiming to have improved the ride and handling to “minimise shaking on irregular road surfaces”.

The only confirmation for the facelifted i30 Sedan we have so far from Hyundai Australia is that the fresh model will land in the second half of this year.

Given it’s a facelift, we shouldn’t expect too many surprises in terms of specification. The general model range and engine line up should carry over, albeit likely with a slight price increase to account for updated tech, which will be revealed for Australia closer to its launch.

We’re also likely to see the hotter N-Line and full-blast N variants land here, with demand for N cars rising dramatically according to Hyundai Australia.

Currently, the Hyundai i30 N offers up 206kW/392Nm from its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, with the i30 N-Line using a smaller 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and making 150kW and 265Nm. These engines remain the same for the update and are unlikely to change in Australia.

Given Hyundai’s position (with its sibling brand Kia) at the forefront of electrification in terms of the globe’s big car companies, it’s also possible Hyundai Australia will use the facelift of the i30 Sedan as an opportunity to introduce a hybrid version of the model, which is available overseas currently.

The i30 Sedan Hybrid runs a 1.6-litre engine with a 32kW electric motor, totalling 103kW and 264Nm.

Further local details including pricing will be confirmed later this year.

UPDATED FROM: 27/02/2023