Hyundai i40 Style (From York Press)

Hyundai i40 Style

9:00am Friday 16th December 2011 in Road Test By Steve Nelson

HYUNDAI’S success in the small car and family hatchback market, together with the introduction of the ix35 and the revised version of the Santa Fe, marked out the company as one which was going places.

There can be no doubt that it has not only improved the quality, style and and performance of its cars, but also continued to provide value for money.

And now it has the confidence to offer the i40 Tourer, a handsome carriage that has presence and style over and above what its price tag would suggest and one which most motorists would be hard-pressed to suggest was of Korean origin.

And make no mistake, the i40 is charged with grabbing some customers who might not in the past have chosen anything but one of the German premium brands. A tall order, and possibly a poisoned chalice, but the i40 is a serious contender for a slice of the upmarket medium family estate market.

The sleek and elegant styling is an eye-catcher, encompassing Hyundai’s “fluidic sculpture” design language. But it’s what is on the inside that will prove to be a dealclincher.

For a start, there is plenty of space for front and rear-seat passengers.

Despite the sloping shoulder-line, it’s a bright and airy cabin with a topnotch dashboard and comprehensive equipment list. Soft-touch plastics abound, and a blue hue adds to the feelgood factor.

Out on the road, the i40 shows the hard work that’s been done by the engineers. It is closer to the comfort end of the scale, and its softer suspension is unflustered by poor road surfaces. Should you choose to press on a little, the steering is accurate and it will please all but the keenest of drivers.

The i40 is available in three main trim levels (Active, Style and Premium) with the choice of three efficient engines, four power outputs and manual or automatic transmission.

Hyundai’s Blue Drive technologies – incorporating Intelligent Stop & Go technology – are fitted as standard on all Active derivatives, and on the Style 1.7 CRDi 136PS Blue Drive model, ensuring CO2 emissions of 119 g/km with no noticeable compromise on performance.

Standard features include 16-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition, leather steering wheel with audio controls, electric heated door mirrors with integrated LED indicators, electric front and rear windows and electric parking brake with automatic hold function.

Touch-screen satellite navigation with rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control and dual zone climate control are standard on the mid-point Style range, tested here.

The Premium models add leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, keyless entry and supervision instrument cluster with LCD colour display as standard, plus the choice of three option packages – Vision, Comfort and Assist, which include lane-departure warning and smart parking assist, a heated leather steering wheel, ventilated front seats and heated rear seats and xenon headlamps with adaptive front lighting.

What comes as something of a pleasant surprise is the i40’s loadcarrying capability – 1,719 litres of space with the rear seats folded down. There’s even a lower floor to stow away a few more items, plus handy side pockets for items that need to be kept apart from the main load.

The i40 will play a key role in expanding Hyundai’s presence in the UK’s fleet sector, 60 per cent of sales expected to come from the fleet sector.

The i40 Tourer is available with a choice of two petrol units and one diesel with two outputs. These power units cover a 115 to 177PS output spread.

All engines are tuned for strong torque delivery extended across a wide engine-speed range, making the i40 an enjoyable car to drive around town or on the motorway.

Manual and automatic transmissions are also offered.

Hyundai reckons the higher-powered version of the 1.7-litre diesel unit developing 136PS will be the most popular engine. It offers a responsive drive, with acceleration to 62mph in 10.6 seconds for the manual model and 12.0 seconds with automatic.

The lower-powered version produces 115PS, which takes it from 0- 62mph in 12.9 seconds.

The petrol engine is Hyundai’s new four-cylinder 2.0-litre GDI engine.

This all-aluminum engine made its debut in the i40, promising to deliver higher torque, improved fuel economy and reduced emissions. An i40 with this engine and a manual gearbox will accelerate to 62mph in just 9.7 seconds registering fuel economy figures of 39.2mpg (combined cycle) and achieve a CO2 rating of just 169 g/km.

The 1.6-litre petrol engine offers a well-proven 16-valve unit that generates 135PS and accelerates from 0- 62mph in 11.6 seconds.

As an all-round package, the i40 Tourer is hard to fault. It provides a comfortable ride, but one which also is likely to put a smile on your face.

Add its practicality into the mix and you have an all-round capabilty that will tempt all but the most badgeconscious.

fact file

Hyundai i40 Style

Price: £22,295 (range from £18,395)

Engine: 1.7-litre diesel, producing 134bhp

Transmission: six-speed manual

Performance: (est) top speed 124mph, 0-62mph in 10.6 seconds

Economy: 62.8mpg combined

CO2 rating: 119g/km C02