The Impressive New Hyundai i40

Published Date: 10th May 2018

The i40 is Hyundai’s flagship spacious, traditional large passenger car available in both saloon and estate guises. Hyundai the leading South Korean car maker is certainly making a statement with the latest model which shares it underpinnings with the Optima built by Hyundai’s sister company Kia, it also shares the same line-up but that’s about where the similarities end. The i40 should offer stiff opposition and a viable alternative to leading vehicles in the class like the Ford Mondeo, VW Passat and the Vauxhall Insignia.

The i40 exterior looks are impressive, it has its own distinct look with sweeping, sculpted lines that flow along the sides of the vehicle,  wide profile headlights/light clusters and a simplified, distinctive hexagonal grille. Hyundai cannot be accused in of attempting to imitate rival vehicles, you could argue they are ahead of the game here. When you first see the i40 you can’t help but be impressed.

Inside the i40 you’ll find plenty of space in the front, and the rear seats offer more than enough leg room for adults. The large saloon model offers a generous boot (525 litres with rear seats up) which should be more than adequate for most requirements and then you of course have the estate model for more space and demands.  Everything is impressive inside from the LED lights and sweeping dash to the splashes of black gloss finish that give the i40 a premium feel and look that should rival the plush VW Passat.

The model line-up is a straightforward affair you get the entry-level ‘S’ model which is pretty stacked with standard equipment including 16-inch alloy wheels, air con, Bluetooth, automatic headlights, electric parking brake and trip computer.

The next grade is the SE Nav, our recommendation, opt for this model and you’ll be pretty much stacked with all the tech and equipment you’ll need. With touchscreen infotainment system, sat nav, DAB radio, rear parking camera, electrically adjustable driver seat, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, dual zone climate control and automatic windscreen wipers.

The SE Nav Business adds a driver seat memory function, electrically adjustable front passenger and driver seats, leather trim seats and keyless entry. The top of the range Premium model adds a lane departure warning system, 9 airbags (instead of 7), electric panoramic sunroof, heated rear seats and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The i40 offers two impressive diesel engines, the CRDi 115PS Blue Drive and the nippier CRDi 141PS Blue Drive both are available with manual transmission and a DCT automatic transmission option is also available on the more powerful 141PS unit.

People looking at the entry-level ‘S’ model should note you only get the manual transmission option.

The i40 diesel engines are pretty clean with the 115PS engine’s CO2 emissions at just 110g/km and the more powerful 141PS an impressive 114g/km. We like the nippier 141PS manual it offers 0-62mph in around 10.5 seconds (compared with 12.5 seconds of it’s less powerful counterpart). Combined mpg is around 65/67mpg for both engines and with little to choose in CO2 emissions if you can fork out around £800 extra for the more powerful 141PS engine it’s well worth it. The 141PS DSG engine is also impressive but you could be looking at around an additional £2700, so unless automatic transmission is deal breaker for you no need to go down that route.

If your looking for a large family saloon or estate there’s a lot to like about the Hyndai i40, it’s a great looking car, with lots of cabin space, generous boots and plenty of equipment. The diesel engines offer an excellent combination of performance and economy and we think Hyundai may have hit the sweet spot in that respect

You can compare the latest new Hyundai i40 deals here.