2012 Hyundai i40 Wagon

The 2012 Hyundai i40 Wagon was our first time getting a close look of Hyundai’s newest D-segment wagon. Based on the Sonata platform, the i40 is designed specifically for the European market by Hyundai’s European R&D center located in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

Hyundai is expecting the European D-segment to grow by 12.6% over the next five years, with industry experts forecasting total sales volumes of 890.000 units across the continent by 2016. With a bold sales target of 60.000 units for the Hyundai i40's first full year of sales in 2012, Hyundai is looking to challenge the Toyota Avensis for a top-five place in the overall D-segment sales chart.

The original inspiration for the Hyundai i40 can be traced back to the Genus concept car. Genus represented Hyundai's vision in Europe for a unique alternative within the D-segment, combining practicality with emotional design. Genus helped to forge a new identity for the company, with the debut of the hexagonal grill, a feature which has since become Hyundai's brand face in Europe.

The all-new Hyundai i40 will be available with a choice of four Euro V-compliant engines: two petrol and two diesel. These units cover a power spread of 115 ps to 177 ps, with torque delivery extended across a wide engine-speed range, making the i40 an enjoyable car to drive around town or on the motorway. Manual and automatic transmissions will also be offered.

In terms of environmental performance, the all-new Hyundai i40 will feature the latest technologies developed under Hyundai's Blue Drive™ eco-program, including Integrated Stop & Go (ISG), low rolling-resistance tyres and an alternator management system (AMS).

A new acoustic package was developed for Hyundai's diesel powered i40. NVH performance, especially the exterior drive-by noise, is dramatically improved by using experimental methods such as Reciprocal Holography (to visualize noise reduction levels at certain frequency) and ADNA (Advanced Diagnostic Network Algorithm) to rank noise sources in the order of their identified transfer paths.

By offering an extensive standard specification with numerous high-tech features, usually available only as options in competitors' models, the high level of equipment in the Hyundai i40 promises to be one of its key attractions to potential buyers.

The Hyundai i40 uses the latest active and passive safety technologies to ensure maximum protection for its occupants. Active safety features, fitted as standard in several countries, include ESP (Electronic Stability Program), ABS (anti-lock braking system), Hill Start Assist Control (to prevent roll-back when starting on an incline), VSM (Vehicle Stability Management), Brake Assist System and Emergency Stop Signal.