Hyundai i40


Debut: 2011
Maker: Hyundai
Predecessor: Sonata (2005)


 Published on 30 Jun 2011 All rights reserved. 


Another day, another Hyundai. This is the fifth new or refreshed Hyundai I write about this year. It shows that the Korean giant is the fastest growing car maker in the world. To feed and further drive the strong demand from all over the world, Hyundai now follows the route of Toyota and Honda to make different cars for different markets. The i-series cars are dedicated to Europe. They are not necessarily produced in Europe – the i10 and i20 come from India, the i40 is imported straight from Korea, only i30 is assembled in Eastern Europe – but they all get the touch of Hyundai's European R&D center at Russelsheim, Germany. One day, perhaps, Russelsheim could be more famous for designing Hyundais than Opels.

The new i40 might be seen by some as unnecessary. Hyundai has an existing product serving the same purposes. It is called Sonata. The Sonata has all the ingredients to satisfy European customers, including a sharp look, an adequate size and some efficient (direct injection) small engines. In fact, the current generation Sonata is so far removed from its American-oriented predecessors that it could be easily sold as a world car. However, Hyundai does not want to risk its chance of breaking into the European mid-size family car segment. It is willing to spend extra money to guarantee a successful migration to higher social status. That will be crucial to the brand image and the prospect of the company. If it succeed, it could be seen as a level player to Ford, Opel, Peugeot and maybe even Volkswagen. If not, it will remain to be seen as a maker of cheap small cars. Consequently, Russelsheim is responsible for the styling and engineering of i40.



Based on the Sonata platform, of course. The i40 has a similar proportion – just has a wheelbase chopped by 25 mm and overall length shortened by 80 mm. This allows the use of the same suspension comprises of MacPherson struts up front and multi-link with ASD (amplitude selective dampers) at the rear. The electrical power steering are carried over, too, but like the suspension it is tuned in Germany for European taste. The engines come from the Korean parts pool: 135hp 1.6-liter DVVT direct-injection, 177hp 2.0-liter DVVT direct injection and 1.7-liter CRDi common-rail turbo diesel with either 113hp or 136hp. Ditto the choice of 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.

What separates the i40 from its sister car are the packaging and driving dynamics. We talk about the former first. The German design is generally regarded as more dynamic yet more elegant than the California design of Sonata. The new hexagonal fascia and teardrop headlights merge quite well with the overall design. The lip spoiler and fog lamps are more polished than the half-hearted items on Sonata. A similar strong crease line runs at the sides of both cars, but the European car has an additional convex at the lower part of the doors as well as the side of rear bumper. This makes the car look slimmer and more interesting. The chromed window frames of i40 also look significantly more elegant than the black plastic frames of Sonata. However, the biggest difference is the tail, at least on the wagon version. While the tail of Sonata looks dull, the tail of the i40 wagon is 3-dimensionally sculpted to deliver a sense of solidity. A pseudo diffuser and chroming add to sportiness and elegance respectively. Overall speaking, this is a brilliant design.


Inside, the dashboard construction is similar to Sonata, but all the plastic molding, switchgears, decors and even the steering wheel are new. It all looks a little bit sportier than its sister car. Fit and finish is good. The dashboard is made properly of soft-touch plastic, and there are nice-looking faux alloy and piano-black lacquer to lift the quality feel. The high-definition LCD screen on the center console is also eye-catching. On the downside, however, the door panels and grab handles are made of less satisfying hard plastics, while the shiny switches on dashboard look and feel low rent. European rivals like Peugeot 508, Volkswagen Passat and Ford Mondeo still feel more expensive.

The cabin is quite spacious, especially on the wagon. Four big adults will find it accommodative, and five are possible at a squeeze. Driving position is not so good, as seat adjustment is not low enough. The front seats are also hampered by uncomfortable headrests, so comfort over long journey is doubtful. The wagon offers a remarkably large luggage space measuring 553 liters with rear seats in place. The well shaped cargo area has rails for attaching partition and belts to fix the luggage, very convenient to place large items like bikes. Not so good is the rear backrest, which neither folds flat or tumbles forward, limiting the ability to place larger items.



On the move, the i40 is not as good as it looks. Very much like a Toyota Avensis, its handling and ride are decent without being outstanding. The chassis tuning is obviously German-biased, which means it favours straight line stability than agility. It offers decent body control and grip, but there is not much fun to speak about. The steering is tuned to be very heavy, discouraging swift driving on winding roads. Its assistance is artificial and inconsistent, failing to communicate with the driver. Refinement could be described as superb if the road is German-smooth. On highway, wind noise and road intrusions are well filtered from the cabin. However, once it passes an expansion joint or a sudden bump, you will find its refinement is skin-deep. In this way, a Mondeo, 508 or Passat are far more polished.

Not just chassis, the engines are not unlike Toyota Avensis. Hyundai have not yet developed small turbocharged gasoline engines for European market, so you have to live with the peaky manner of its naturally-aspirated engines. Even though the 2.0GDi engine produces a remarkable 177 horsepower, it is not as flexible low down as a 160hp Volkswagen 1.8TSI engine or a 160hp Ford 1.6 Ecoboost. This makes a big difference in real world performance. It also hampers engine refinement somewhat, because you have to rev its engine harder to get up to pace. The problem is similar to Toyota's 1.6 and 1.8-liter Valvematic engines.



That means the 1.7CRDi engine will be the dominating power in Europe. Yes, it does offer a more usable torque curve and better fuel economy than the petrol engines, but itself is not the best small diesel engine on the market. Moreover, automatic stop-start is strangely omitted on the more powerful (136hp) version, hampering its fuel economy. The 136hp engine emits 134 grams of CO2 per kilometer. A Passat 2.0TDI manages 120 g/km yet it offers better performance from its more powerful engine.

This mean the Hyundai is unlikely to threaten its best European rivals from their dominating positions, although I believe it will make a stronger case against Toyota Avensis and the aging Honda Accord thanks to its superior style and value.
Verdict: 
Specifications





Year
Layout
Chassis
Body
Length / width / height
Wheelbase
Engine
Capacity
Valve gears
Induction
Other engine features
Max power
Max torque
Transmission
Suspension layout

Suspension features
Tires
Kerb weight
Top speed
0-60 mph (sec)
0-100 mph (sec)
i40 1.6GDi
2011
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4740 / 1815 / 1470 mm
2770 mm
Inline-4
1591 cc
DOHC 16 valves, DVVT
VIM
DI
135 hp
121 lbft
6-speed manual
F: strut
R: multi-link
Mechanical adaptive damping
215/50R17
1300 kg (est)
121 mph (c)
10.9 (est)
-
i40 wagon 1.7CRDi
2011
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4770 / 1815 / 1470 mm
2770 mm
Inline-4, diesel
1685 cc
DOHC 16 valves
VTG turbo
CDI
136 hp
240 lbft
6-speed manual
F: strut
R: multi-link
Mechanical adaptive damping
225/45VR18
1470 kg
123 mph (c)
9.9 (est)
-
i40 wagon 2.0GDi
2011
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4770 / 1815 / 1470 mm
2770 mm
Inline-4
1999 cc
DOHC 16 valves, DVVT
-
DI
177 hp
157 lbft
6-speed manual
F: strut
R: multi-link
Mechanical adaptive damping
225/45VR18
1420 kg
130 mph (c)
9.1 (est)
-




Performance tested by: -







    Copyright© 1997-2011 by Mark Wan @ AutoZine