Hyundai Looks to Move 260,000 i30s Worldwide

Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. is targeting annual sales for its new i30 hatchback and wagon model at 260,000 units worldwide.

Of the total, about 100,000 will be sold in Europe and 20,000 in South Korea, a spokesman tells Ward’s. He declines to forecast a volume split between the hatchback and wagon versions.

Only the wagon is slated to come to North America, where it won’t be called the i30, which would put it at odds with the old Infiniti I35. The name for North America has not been revealed.

“The name and marketing plan for the wagon in North America is a decision of Hyundai Motor America and Hyundai Auto Canada,” the spokesperson says. Expectations are it will be marketed as an Elantra variant.

He would not divulge the North American sales target for the wagon or the date when it will go on sale. However, an HMA spokesman earlier told Ward’s a spring 2008 intro is planned.

The wagon will be phased into production alongside the i30 hatchback later this year at the Ulsan, South Korea, assembly plant, where the i30 will be built exclusively until a new $1.35 billion plant is up an running in Nosovice, Czech Republic.

Hyundai i30 hit Korean market July 12.

Construction of the Nosovice plant began in April and production launch is planned for 2009. It is expected to reach its 300,000-unit capacity sometime in 2011.

The i30 hatchback hit the Korean market July 12, following its July 5 rollout in Europe.

Hyundai is targeting 2007 sales at 78,000 units, including 6,000 in Korea and 72,000 in Europe and other markets.

The i30 hatchback is priced at 14.1 million-18.55 million won ($15,355-$20,202) in Korea.