Hyundai will give the i40 its world debut at
Geneva 2011, killing off the Sonata saloon along with - hopefully - part of the company's budget ambience.
The company says the car will bestow 'class-leading quality, performance and technical features' on its owners. It's the first Hyundai D-segment car to have been developed specifically for Europe, having taken shape in the company's Russelsheim R&D centre.
We don't know much about the car yet, but it will be launched as an estate first, with the saloon following later in 2011. It will feature a host of 'Blue Drive' features to lower fuel consumption, meaning it has been aerodynamically streamlined, will have start-stop and probably a gear shift indicator.
The Sonata currently occupies the budget end of the family saloon market, with prices starting at £15,445. It's likely prices for the Hyundai i40 will start closer to £18,000 when it hits UK showrooms in 2011, though it will have a high standard specification compared to rivals.
Mark Nichol - 20 Dec 2010