Hyundai is gearing-up to launch a three-door ‘budget’ version of its latest-generation i30 hatch in Australia this year.

The i30 coupe will be sourced from the same Czech plant that builds the all-new i30 Tourer that launched in Australia this week, as reported by CarAdvice last October.

Hyundai Chief Operating Officer, John Elsworth has told CarAdvice that he believes a three-door i30 would be a welcomed addition to the growing i30 family in Australia.

“We think there would definitely be a market for that style of car in Australia, but we need to make sure the pricing is right and the specs are right.”

Asked where we would see a three-door i30 positioned in the current model line-up, he replied, “Typically, the way the market evaluates three-doors in this segment is, if it has less doors, it should be cheaper.”

“So we would probably look at a value version of the i30”, he added.

However, a high-end sports version with independent suspension and a turbocharged petrol engine cannot be ruled out, according to Elsworth, but clearly, that will depend on what engines are available.

The three-door version of the Hyundai i30 debuted at the 2012 Paris Motor Show and was recently launched in the UK with a mix of petrol and diesel engines – priced from pound 13,995 ($20,995) – on the road.

Entry-level for the i30 coupe in the UK gets a 74kW 1.4-litre petrol engine, with higher-spec models using either a 90kW 1.6-litre petrol or a 94kW turbo-diesel.