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15/10/2011
REVIEW By ALISTAIR KENNEDY
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Hyundai’s relentless climb up the automotive ladder, both in terms of sales numbers and quality, has continued with the release of an all-new, Euro-style mid-sized wagon, the Hyundai i40 Tourer.
Styling is very much to the fore from Hyundai these days, and the new Hyundai i40 is an excellent example of the new design theme. So important is our market to Hyundai that it flew the head of its European design centre, Thomas Burkle, to Australia for the wagon’s launch. Burkle has been responsible for the design of most of Hyundai’s new ‘i’ models including the ix35 compact SUV with which the i40 Tourer shares its striking hexagonal frontal styling.
The other eye-catching feature of the i40’s face is a pair of eyebrow shaped LED daytime running lights, a first for Hyundai and one that gives the car a real presence on the road as well as improving its on-road visibility and so its safety. The Hyundai i40 comes into its own when viewed in profile, with its long flowing lines making it a real head-turner.
Although it’s likely to be viewed as a wagon version of the Hyundai i45, the i40 is actually built on a different platform. At 4.77 metres long it squeezes in between the Hyundai Elantra (4.51 metres) and i45 (4.82 metres). An i40 sedan will be produced but no decision has been made yet on whether it will be sold in Australia.
Interior space is reasonable although rear seat occupants will get a bit of knee squeeze if the front seat passengers use up their maximum allotted space. Despite the swooping roofline, headroom is good in all seats even with the full-length sunroof that comes standard in the highest-specced model.
The cargo area ranges from 553 litres with the rear seat backs in place to 1719 litres with the rear seat backs folded. There’s an extra 47 litres of hidden compartments below the cargo floor. The loading lip is low for ease of loading and there is a luggage rail fitted to the Elite and Premium models.
Three model variants are offered, Active, Elite and Premium. Each comes with the option of a 2.0-litre petrol or 1.7-litre turbo-diesel engine. The entry-level Active is available with either six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission; the two higher-specced variants only come with the auto gearbox.
While these engines capacities might appear small for what is a relatively large vehicle we had no problems during our three-hour test drive in and around the Yarra Valley. Keep in mind that the i40 is more about practicality than performance.
The diesel has peak power of 100 kW, and torque of 320 Nm between 2000 and 2500 rpm (in the automatic test car that we drove – no manual was available), while the petrol unit reaches 130 kW, and 213 Nm at 4700 rpm. Our preference, as it generally is nowadays, would be for the diesel with its combination of performance and economy.
Ride and handling are both impressive with a good balance between firmness and comfort. We struck a few shallow potholes during our test but found no serious jarring or vibration.
The Hyundai i40 Tourer is very much a car of its time in terms of safety and fuel efficiency. Standard across the range are nine airbags, ABS brakes with electronic brakeforce assistance and brake assist, concerning brake control, vehicle stability management system, swivelling headlights and hill start. There’s also a clever emergency braking feature which instantly activates the hazard lights when maximum brake pressure is applied.
The Elite and Premium models get front and rear parking sensors, supplemented in the Premium with a rear view camera.
Satellite navigation is still not available in any Hyundai models although we’ve been assured that the necessary system is in the advanced stages of development.
All variants get Bluetooth connectivity including audio streaming as well as auxiliary and USB sockets. Active has a single CD player, Elite and Premium have a six-disc stacker with a more advanced audio system and both play MP3 and WMA discs. Elite and Premium models also use a proximity key with push button start/stop.
Fuel consumption figures from both engines are most impressive with the Active CRDi manual using just 4.7 litres per 100 kilometres under the ADR 81/02 test. During the press launch we achieved around 5.5 L/100 km without any attempt at economy driving. We’ll be interested to see what we can achieve during our upcoming extended test. The official figures for the petrol models range from 6.8 to 7.7 L/100km.
So there are plenty of good reasons for the mid-sized family buyer to add the Hyundai i40 Tourer to their shopping list: good looks, functionality, reasonable pricing and fuel efficiency. Then, as with all Hyundai models, there’s that industry-leading five year/unlimited kilometre warranty as an added bonus. Free roadside assist for the same period is also offered but only where the car is serviced by a Hyundai dealer.
The complete Hyundai i40 Tourer range, with prices (excluding government and dealer charges) is:
Active 2.0-litre petrol: $32,490 (manual), $34,490 (automatic)
Active 1.7-litre turbo-diesel: $34,490 (manual), $36,490 (automatic)
Elite 2.0-litre petrol: $39,490 (automatic)
Elite 1.7-litre turbo-diesel: $41,490 (automatic)
Premium 2.0-litre petrol: $44,490 (automatic)
Premium 1.7-litre turbo-diesel: $46,490 (automatic)
Note: These prices do not include dealer or government charges. Contact any Hyundai dealership for driveaway prices. |
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