22 January 2016
Styling changes have made a nice difference to the front grille and headlights, with the inclusion of projector-beam headlights with LED DRLs. The icing on the cake in the Elite Ltd Wagon is the huge 3-piece dual panoramic roof and power tailgate.
Not just skin deep
Inside the i40 is just as pleasing to the eye as the exterior - thanks to the high-level design and workmanship. It’s laced with technology including full AUX, iPod and USB connectivity. There’s also Bluetooth hands-free phone integration and the Elite models include electric seats, push button start and rain sensitive wipers - to name just a few. The Elite model also boasts heated front and rear seats and a glovebox cooler, while the elite Ltd includes a heated steering wheel and cooling front seats. I found this extremely handy during the hot Auckland summers day (yes we only had the one).
With Hyundai striving to maintain the highest levels of safety, the i40 series is no different. All models come with nine airbags, ESC, BAS (brake assist system), automatic dusk sensing headlights and static bending lights. This helped the i40 achieve a maximum 5-star ANCAP safety rating.
The business end
Propulsion is provided by either 2.0ltr petrol or 1.7ltr diesel new-generation engines. Producing 121kW the petrol boasts a combined fuel economy of 7.5l/100km and the diesel turbo produces 104kW whilst using a modest 5.1l/100km. All diesels are now equipped with a new 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and there are padleshifters for those who enjoy sporty manual shifting.
There are eight models available and prices range from $42,990 for the 2.0l sedan and from $59,990 for the lavish 1.7 CRDi DCT Elite Ltd A7.