After celebrating the sale of more than 5m vehicles since 1997, and after the remarkable success of ix35 and i20, Hyundai is now seriously challenging competitors with the new i40 Wagon, a vehicle boasting an innovative style, a good engine, all sorts of comforts as well as a highly competitive price.
In terms of design, we can define the i40 as very fluid with specific graphic elements that, according to Thomas Buerkle – Hyundai’s European Chief Designer – have been inspired by natural shapes.
The wagon doesn’t come across as bulky and it looks much smaller than what it actually is thanks to the well-thought design which makes the whole thing very dynamic.
In addition, details such as the rear spoiler make this vehicle look quite sporty.
Appearance and Interiors:Let’s talk about some technical details: the Hyundai i40 is 4.
77 m long, 1.
81 m wide, 1.
47 m high with a 2,77 wheelbase.
In terms of loading space, once you push down the rear seats you’ll have an astonishing 1719 l available, while if you have passengers sitting at the back , it will be reduced to 553 l.
Inside the cabin, the Hyundai i40 feels and looks very spacious: the front measures 1025 mm in height with 1170 mm of legroom available, while at the back it’s 985 mm high with 850 mm legroom.
The seats are all adjustable and if you are a romantic person who enjoys watching the stars through the sunroof, you will sure appreciate the fact that the front seats can reach a perfect horizontal position.
In addition, when starting the car, the driver’s seat adjust itself automatically to the last position memorised by the IMS system, while a lumbar support helps those who suffer from back pain.
Overall visibility is also very good and when the vehicle starts to reverse a video camera kicks in, aiding the driver during parking manoeuvres.
Another fancy feature is that both the seats and the steering wheel have a built-in heating system which makes them warm.
Technology:In all the latest Hyundai vehicles, on-board technology is plenty and cutting-edge.
In the Hyundai i40 Wagon there are two high tech systems to prevent driving errors – the Smart-Parking Assist System and the Lane-Keeping Assist System – as well as ESP, ABS, HAC, VSM (Vehicle Stability Management) and a Brake Assist System connected to the emergency lights.
The Hyundai i40 Wagon also has a LDC Supervision Cluster, a sat-nav, a bluetooth connection and a dual-zone air conditioning system which can be adjusted through the touch-screen panel.
Other features include an electronic handbrake, a light on-off sensor, electric windscreen wipers and an automatic anti-mist system.
The only off-putting factor is the audio system which, despite having CD, MP3, AUX plug, USB plug, iPod/iPhone support, lacks in terms of sound clarity.
The quality of the sound coming from the speakers is in fact very poor with the bass producing unwanted vibrations and changing the settings doesn’t help much.
This vehicle has daytime driving lights as well as xenon head-lights.
The dashboard is clearly readable even when hit by the sun, and the huge amount of information displayed on the screen doesn’t seem to be straining the eyesight.
On the Road:There’s four engines available: two petrols and two diesels with anti-particulate filter.
We tried an aluminium 2.
0 l ‘Nu’ GDI, 4 cylinders DOHC 16 valve, variable timing from 1999 cc and direct injection, which delivers 177 hp and reaches a max torque speed of 213 Nm.
With a six-speed manual gearbox, this vehicles runs 100 km/h in 9.
7 seconds with a fuel consumption of 6,7 l/100 km (combined cycle) and CO2 emissions of only 156 g/km.
During our road test, we drove quite slowly due to strict speed limits and the engine behaved very well, responding promptly.
Nevertheless, we were expecting a bit more when picking up speed after a traffic light, but on the highway this 2.
0 GDI didn’t let us down, performing remarkably well at higher speeds.
The “U-II” 1.
7 l CRDi 16 valve turbodiesel 136 hp on the other hand felt more suitable for the i40, and when we tried it, it resulted in a quite enjoyable drive.
In aluminium as well, this engine reaches 100 km/h in 10.
6 seconds, which turn into 12 sec with an automatic gearbox, and 12,9 sec with a 1.
7 CRDi 115 hp.
The 136 hp engine on the road delivers well and it’s perfect for driving in a urban environment or on the highway.
So far a 2.
0 version of the diesel has not been planned.
Technical specs:Diesel engines1.
7 CRDi 115 hpType/ capacity ‘U-II’, DOHC, 4 cylinders, 16 valve turbo / 1685 ccPower / torque 115 hp (85 kW) @ 4000 rpm; 260 Nm (26.
5kgm) @ 1250-2750 rpmEmissions 122 g/km (113 g/km with ISG)1.
7 CRDi 136 hpType/ capacity U-II’, DOHC, 4 cylinders, 16 valve turbo / 1685 ccPower / torque 136 hp (100 kW)@ 4000 rpm; 325 Nm (33.
0kgm) @ 2000-2500 rpmEmissions 124 g/km (119 g/km with ISG)Petrol engines1.
6 GDI 135 hpType/ capacity ‘Gamma’ GDI, 4 cylinders (CVVT), 1591 ccPower / torque 135 hp (99 kW) @ 6300 rpm; 164 Nm (16.
8kgm) @ 4850 rpmEmissions 149 g/km (138 g/km with ISG)2.
0 GDI 177 hpType/ capacity ‘Nu’ GDI, 4 cylinders (CVVT), 1999 ccPower / torque 177 hp (130 kW) @ 6500 rpm; 213 Nm (21.
7kgm) @ 4700 rpmEmissions 156 g/kmSuspensionsFront independent MacPherson with coil springs, gas shock absorbers and stabilising bar.
Rear independent Multi-Link with coil springs, ASD gas shock absorbers and stabilising bar.
SteeringType MDPSRatio 14,1:1 / 2,88 total revsSteering diameter (*) 10,94 mBrakes (with ABS and EBD)Front 300 mm or 320 mm self-cooling brake discsRear 284 mm or 300 mm brake discsHandbrake ElectronicRims and TyresClassic 7,0J x 16 light alloy rims – 05/60 R16 tyresComfort 7,5J x 17light alloy rims – 215/50 R17 tyresStyle 8,0J x 18 light alloy rims – 225/45 R18 tyresDimensions (mm)ExteriorTotal length 4770Total width 1815Total height 1470Wheelbase 2770Rut 1591 / 1597 (front/ rear)Height from ground 140InteriorHeight 1025/ 985 (front/ rear)Legroom 1170/ 850 (front/ rear)Shoulders 1455/ 1420 (front/ rear)Waist 1390/ 1380 (front/ rear)Loading areaLenght 1115Widht 1010Height 717Loading CapacityFuel tank 70 lTrunk 577 l or 1723 l (with reclined rear seats / full load)