Nicely styled inside and out; sharply priced; premium feel
Driving dynamics not as sporty as some European rivals
Oh, there are lots of great mid-size passenger cars doing brisk sales business these days. Hyundai’s European-developed i40 (sedan or wagon) is one of them – but Hyundai stands in elite company by offering the i40 with either a petrol or turbo-diesel engine.
Australians have warmed to the latest generation mid-size sedans. For some time the locally-made Toyota Camry held sway (and still leads the sales race comfortably) but now Hyundai i40, Ford Mondeo and Mazda6 are commanding attention with their excellent turbo-diesels.
And for that we can thank our friends in Europe. Savvy European customers actually prefer turbo-diesel mid-sizers over petrol models and constant development means the latest generation models are crackers – fast, smooth, refined and sophisticated.
Hyundai i40 is one of those…and to those credentials you can add ‘Value-For-Money’.
Hyundai i40 Diesel Overview
Things got a bit confusing there for a while – Hyundai had the Korean-developed i45 sedan as it mid-sizer in Australia and in late 2011 brought the European i40 to Australia as a Tourer (wagon) only – even though the sedan version had bowed in Europe. “No plans for the i40 sedan, the i45 is our mid-size sedan,” said Hyundai Australia.
Then, mid-way through last year, common-sense prevailed and the excellent Hyundai i40 sedan arrived in Australia (which many of us had driven in Europe) and not long afterwards, the i45 exited quietly (not that it was bad car by the way).
Cleared that one up nicely.
So Hyundai has a range of i40 models starting from $29,990 to compete with the likes of Toyota Camry, Mazda6, Honda Accord and Ford Mondeo. Unlike Toyota and Honda, Hyundai (and Ford and Mazda) offers its mid-sizer with a diesel powerplant. Unlike its Japanese rivals, Hyundai offers the 1.7-litre turbo-diesel i40 in all model grades (entry-level Active, mid-spec Active and the range-topping Elite and Premium).
Heading into 2013, Hyundai updated the i40 with standard front and rear parking sensors and a new satellite navigation/reversing camera system for Elite and Premium models.
Hyundai i40 Diesel Engine
The 1.7-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder diesel powerplant is from Hyundai’s ‘Nu’ family of engines. Code-named the ‘U-II’ it runs the state-of-the-art combo of common-rail direct fuel-injection and variable geometry turbocharger.
Maximum power is 100kW at 4000rpm and peak torque of 320Nm arrives at 2000rpm. Hyundai claims the i40’s combined cycle fuel consumption is best-in-class at 4.7l/100kms (combined cycle).
Our test car drove via the six-speed automatic transmission (the manual is also a six-speeder). Hyundai is one of a handful of automotive brands who shun the normal transmission supplier companies to develop and manufacture gearboxes in-house – and that’s impressive.
Hyundai i40 Diesel The Interior
Great value for money is a Hyundai hallmark and you need look no further than the interior of the i40 to see why. OK our test car’s leather seats (standard in Elite and Premium models) ramped-up the luxury but everywhere you look there’s high quality materials, nice chrome, gloss black or satin finish trim highlights and plenty of technology.
We liked the driving position – rake/reach adjustment for the leather-wrapped steering wheel, nicely sculptured, height-adjustable front seats and a good view of Hyundai’s ‘Supervision Cluster’ instruments.
Our test car ran Hyundai’s six-speaker audio system with the seven-inch colour screen for satellite navigation and all the usual connectivity.
Rear seat accommodation is excellent – a contender for ‘best-in-class’ in this segment.
Hyundai i40 Diesel Exterior & Styling
Measuring around 4700mm in length, 1470mm in height and with a wheelbase of 2770mm, the Hyundai i40 is definitely one of the larger mid-sizers – that means strong on-road presence and good interior space. We reckon it’s one of the best examples of Hyundai’s ‘Fluidic Sculpture’ design language which in our eyes works better on larger cars like the i40.
A creation of Hyundai’s European styling studios in Russelsheim, Germany, the i40 blends abundant curves with muscular creases to deliver a contemporary and aerodynamic package. It’s got flair and sophistication by the bucket-load…far removed from early Hyundais.
In the modern way, the i40 adopts the ‘four-door coupe’ look with a curved roof-line, flowing side glass and narrow B-pillars.
At the front is the hallmark Hyundai ‘hexagonal grille’, offset by piercing LED DRLs and modern ‘wrap-over’ headlights.
And the modern rear-end gets a nice look with very strong designs for the tail-lights and a nice aero shape.
Hyundai i40 Diesel On The Road
The first thing you notice driving the Hyundai i40 diesel is its nicely-engineered drivetrain. That 1.7-litre turbo diesel is one of Hyundai’s best – not the most powerful in this segment but powerful enough and a match for the best in terms of refinement (even first thing when cold) and its calibration with the slick-shifting six-speed automatic transmission.
So if you’ve not driven one the latest turbo-diesel mid-sizers before, the Hyundai i40 will certainly impress with its quietness at all speeds.
Around town, acceleration for freeway merging is good with nice downshifts providing the required urge. Good all-round visibility (and the standard reversing camera on our test car) made for easy parking – and a special commendation for the 10.94-metre turning circle.
Over our high-speed mountain roads test loop, the Hyundai i40 generally gave a good account of itself – handy response from the steering wheel paddle-shifters when swapping cogs and the MacPherson strut front/multi-link rear suspension provided nice balance and good suppression of uneven surfaces. At the upper limit the i40 didn’t quite match the segments’ best for steering feel and crispness – most noticeable in high-speed direction changes.
Hyundai i40 Diesel Challenges
A high-standard all-rounder, the Hyundai i40 diesel matches the best in most environments but is just shaded in the high-speed twisty stuff by the Mazda6 and Ford Mondeo.
Hyundai i40 Diesel Verdict
So while the Hyundai i40 might be narrowly shaded at the upper end of the sports driving spectrum, the fact is for 99.9 per-cent of buyers in this segment, Hyundai’s range-topping mid-sizer ticks all the boxes. We’d happily have one in our garage permanently.
For us, the i40’s slick, European style inside and out, family-friendly interior dimensions and lots-of-kit-for-the-coin all combine to deliver a very competent all-round package.
Diesel or petrol? That’s an interesting call and if you’re a ‘swinging voter’ we’d recommend test-driving both powerplants back-to-back.
We’ve driven Hyundai i40s with both engines and this week-long test of the 1.7-litre turbo-diesel reminded us of the Korean giant’s focus on Europe. If your turbo-diesel mid-sizer isn’t smooth, refined, fuel-efficient and powerful…well strike Europe off your list.
Strong sales in those countries confirm the Hyundai i40 diesel has what it takes and, all things factored in, it’s a ‘must consider’ for Australian mid-size buyers.
Hyundai i40 Diesel The Competition
Toyota Camry dominates the medium segment, but, with no diesel option, is ruled out of this comparison.
Mazda 6, a Car Showroom favourite, ranked second in the 2012 sales race and the 136kW/400Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel is a pearler. Hyundai introduces the diesel option with the $32,590 Active grade so has a slight price advantage at that end. As always, you need to carefully check specific inclusions in specific models to get the true value comparison.
Ford’s German designed and sourced Mondeo is another Car Showroom favourite and the 120kW/340Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel just out-punches the Hyundai i40. Mondeo scores for its German design, quality and segment-best driving dynamics, but it’s not the lowest-priced player in this end of town (marginally).
