Warm hatchbacks are getting hotter – and cheaper – by the day. The new Hyundai i30 SR will arrive next month with 150kW/265Nm and wearing a $25,950 plus on-roads sticker.

The 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder i30 SR may follow its daggy, US-based Elantra SR sibling in the power and torque department, but it also undercuts that sedan by $3000 while packaging its excellent independent rear suspension (IRS) setup beneath classy styling.

But the 1315kg i30 SR weighs 45kg less than the 7.7-second 0-100km/h Elantra SR, so expect a sub-7.5sec time. Australian-tuned suspension will hopefully have the hatchback handling at least as well as the sedan, too – which is something we’d never thought would be said.

Hyundai i30 SR rear

Why the $3000 surcharge for an auto? It adds autonomous emergency braking (AEB), active cruise control and lane-keep assist, all of which is unavailable on the DIY-shifter.

Otherwise, kit with both includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED tail-lights, dual exhausts, sports seats, alloy pedals, 8.0-inch touchscreen with sat-nav and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control and keyless auto-entry.

2017 Hyundai i30 SR interior

There are high hopes for this affordable Hyundai warm hatch after sampling the surprisingly polished (if not aggressively sporty) Elantra SR last year. With outputs from a Golf GTI of a decade ago offering circa-7.0-second 0-100km/h performance for mid-level Corolla money, the i30 SR could be a surprise packet when it launches in Australia in May.