Set to make its first public outing at next month's 2012 Geneva Auto Salon is the new Hyundai i30 Wagon, which is the second addition to the Korean automaker's C-segment model after the new generation five-door hatchback that was presented at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show.

Before we get into more details, allow us to remind you that in North America, the i30 hatchback will be sold as the Elantra GT, while the previous generation i30 Wagon is marketed under the Elantra Touring nameplate.

Hyundai is contemplating the development of performance variants of its new i30 hatchback (called Elantra GT in the States) and the i40 sedan.

At least that’s what Hyundai Europe Chief Operating Officer Allan Rushforth said during the launch of the all-new i30 when asked if there are any plans for hotter versions.

“A Hyundai GTi? That’s not just a C-segment question, but a D-segment one as well”, he replied, referring to the i30 and i40 respectively, according to Autocar magazine. “We have talked about such cars and are considering versions not only with more performance, but dynamic improvements to ride and handling, too”, he elaborated.

The compact hatchback that we came to know as the Hyundai i30 in Europe, Australia and other parts of the world was introduced in North America on Wednesday as the all-new 2013 Elantra GT.

Set to make its world premiere later today at the Chicago Auto Show, the GT expands the range of the Elantra offering Hyundai a direct rival to the Ford Focus, Mazda3, Subaru Impreza and Volkswagen Golf hatchbacks.

The C-segment compact hatch that left Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn hugely impressed during its presentation at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September, the all-new Hyundai i30, is getting ready for its UK launch.

Today, the South Korean automaker released full pricing and specification for the second-generation i30 that will arrive in UK dealerships on March 12.

On-the-road prices start at £14,495 for the entry level Classic model with a 100PS (99hp) petrol engine and top out at £20,795 for the Style Nav edition with the 110PS (108hp) diesel unit and an automatic transmission.

We knew Hyundai was preparing a successor to its North American Elantra Touring based on the freshly revealed in Europe i30 series, but we weren't entirely sure if the Korean company would go down the same path offering an estate version or if it would opt for the hatchback model.

To explain, in Europe, the current generation of the Elantra Touring is sold as the i30 CW (or Estate in the UK), which is the station wagon version of the outgoing i30 series.

Our California scoopster, Alfred Hong, caught up with the replacement of the Elantra Touring, and as you can clearly see from these pictures, it is based on the five-door hatchback model and not the future estate.

Up until now, we were used to seeing Japanese and later on, Korean and Chinese executives measuring and taking pictures of every detail of their rivals’ cars at major auto shows.

But now the tables have turned, and in a big way: at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show we saw none other than VW CEO, Martin Winterkorn himself, examine Hyundai’s newest C-segment hatchback, the i30.

And boy was he impressed with the i30’s quality…But at the same time, he seemed to be frustrated by the work his own staff is doing in VW Group models. “I hear nothing!” Winterkorn said about the absence of any rattles while adjusting the steering wheel. “How did they do it?," he continued.

The 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt is well underway and in this post, we bring you some live photos from Hyundai's stand.

The South Korean automaker's most crucial debut is the second generation of the i30 hatchback that targets the popular European C-segment with rivals such as the Opel/Vauxhall Astra, VW Golf, and Citroen C4.

The compact-size model goes on sale next spring with a choice of 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter engines in both gasoline and diesel flavors. You can read more about it in our previous article here.

Hyundai has released some new chatter regarding the second generation of its i30 compact hatchback that will make its grand debut at next week's 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt

The South Korean car manufacturer's Ford Focus and VW Golf challenger will go on sale in Europe as a five-door hatchback in the Spring of 2012.

Buyers will have a choice of two direct-injection gasoline engines with a displacement of 1.4-liters and 1.6-liters, and two CRDi turbo diesels, again with a displacement of 1.4-liters and 1.6-liters.

The upcoming 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show will host the world premiere of Hyundai's new generation i30 C-segment hatchback that will go against the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and Renault Megane in Europe.

The compact-sized i30 brings a fresh design with a more unique feel than the outgoing model of the same name, which in the States, is offered only in station wagon form as the Elantra Touring.

The exterior styling follows the Fluidic Sculpture design language of the recently launched i40 series (available in both sedan and station wagon formats) with a large hexagonal front grille, wraparound headlamps, a bulging belt line and pronounced front wheel arches.

Hyundai plans to unveil a brand-new C-segment model to replace the first-generation of its i30 at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. Like the current model, the 2012 i30 is a product of Hyundai’s design and engineering center in Russelsheim, Germany and is designed exclusively for the European market.

Hyundai's European design boss Thomas Burkle says the i30's styling represents the next evolution of the firm's form language, ‘fluidic sculpture’. What this means is that it shares a lot of common design features with Hyundai's more recent models like the ix20, the ix35, the Veloster and the i40.