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First Drive: Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.

First Drive: Hyundai i40 Tourer
Hyundai takes its first stab at the D-segment with the new i40 Tourer - and it's not half bad.

   



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| First Drive | Larvik, Norway | Hyundai i40 Tourer |

Overall rating: 4 4 4 4 4

Hyundai has shed its budget image and established itself as a quality but still affordable carmaker in recent years. Until now, it's lacked a Ford Mondeo rival but the i40 is about to put an end to that. On sale in September, the Tourer estate promises value, refinement and style.

Key Facts

Pricing: £18,395 - £25,895
Engine: 1.6-litre GDi four-cylinder petrol, 2.0-litre GDi four-cylinder petrol, 1.7-litre CRDi four-cylinder turbodiesels
Transmission: six-speed manual/automatic, front-wheel drive
Body style: five-door estate
Rivals: Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer, Peugeot 508 SW, Skoda Superb Estate
CO2 emissions: 113 - 169g/km
Combined economy: 39.2 - 65.7mpg
Top speed: 118 - 132mph
0-62mph: 9.7 - 12.9 seconds
Power: 114bhp at 4,000rpm (1.7 CRDi 115), 174bhp at 6,500rpm (2.0 GDi 177)
Torque: 192lb.ft at 1,250 - 2,750rpm (1.7 CRDi 115), 157lb.ft at 2,700rpm (2.0 GDi 177)

In the Metal: 4 4 4 4 4

Designed at Hyundai's European base in Frankfurt, the i40 is more handsome and vibrant than many a sedate Korean model. The front looks as though it has come straight from the wind tunnel and the rear is curved and soft enough to shake off the usual boxy estate connotations.

Soft-touch plastics abound inside, along with piano black plastic, which reaffirms Hyundai's move upmarket. The only relics from its cheap and cheerful age are the indicator stalks and steering column, which are still a bit tacky. There's loads of leg- and headroom in the back though. Our only complaint is with the thick-bottomed front seats that leave no room to tuck your feet under. At 553 litres, the boot is one of the biggest in class.

Driving it: 3 3 3 3 3

We tried the 2.0 177 GDi petrol and the 1.7 CRDi 136 turbodiesel, the latter of which is likely to be the big seller. The petrol version is more delicate than the oil-burner, with a lighter clutch and a free-revving action, but despite the extra horsepower it doesn't suit a car of this size and requires a leaden right boot to make progress. Naturally, the 1.7 diesel is more fitting. It struggles at low revs but remains smooth mid-range and emits little more than a muted clatter most of the time.

Though light and easy to use, the steering is very artificial and robs the car of any discernable feedback. Body roll is reined in well and you only become aware of the i40 Tourer's size when you're really pushing it. Wind and road noise are there, but they're hardly loud enough to be an issue and the ride is supple and comfortable most of the time.

The optional automatic gearbox is surprisingly competent. It's a straightforward self-shifter and changes gear with the subtlety we'd expect from a traditional auto, even if it holds onto the gears for slightly too long. We'd still go for the manual, with its soft and easy shift, for its lower purchase price and running cost incentives, though.

What you get for your Money: 4 4 4 4 4

The Hyundai i40 is almost level-pegging with the sector's much loved benchmark budget estate, the Skoda Superb. Its starting price of £18,395 just pips the Skoda's £18,560, and it's cheap enough to undercut rivals such as the Insignia Sports Tourer and the Peugeot 508 SW. Pricier Style and Premium versions put it firmly in Mondeo territory, but you always get more for your money with the i40.

Choose the 1.7-litre CRDi 115 diesel model and the benchmark figures are 113g/km and 65.7mpg. As we've come to expect from Hyundai, equipment levels are generous. The basic i40 Active comes with Bluetooth, 16-inch alloy wheels, multi-function leather steering wheel, all-round electric windows, electric heated door mirrors with LED indicators and an electric parking brake.

Worth Noting

We'll also get the Hyundai i40 in four-door saloon guise in the UK but that won't be until December or even January 2012. It's a bold move for Hyundai, launching such a car in Britain where competition is strong and the market is tough to say the least, but the Korean firm's aspirations are modest, with a target of 5,000 - 6,000 (estate and saloon) in the model's first year. The Tourer is expected to account for 60 percent of sales, too.

Summary

For the money, it's very hard to knock the i40. Hyundai's consistent efforts to move upmarket are obvious, while the equipment levels and five-year 'Triple Care' (warranty, roadside assistance and health checks) after-sales package are among the best on the market. A Mondeo Estate might be better to drive, but the i40 Tourer makes a lot more sense.


Jack Carfrae - 25 Jun 2011



  www.hyundai.co.uk    - Hyundai road tests
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2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.



2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.
 

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.
 

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.
 

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.
 

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.
 

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.
 

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.
 

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer. Image by Stuart Collins.
 






 

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