New Car: 2012 Hyundai i40 saloon

Hyundai has launched the new i40 sedan at today's Barcelona motor exhibition. Designed and engineered in Russelsheim, Germany, the 4,740mm saloon will go on sale in Winter 2011 with UK sales starting in Spring 2012, six months after the i40 sports wagon.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, commented, “The reveal of the saloon represents the next step of the i40’s introduction to the European market, following the very positive reception for the i40 tourer. The i40 saloon shares the same qualities found in the tourer, including outstanding levels of fuel-efficiency, comfort, and quality, and broadens the appeal of the i40 to buyers in the D-segment.

“We have ambitious but achievable targets for the i40 range, expecting to sell 60,000 units in a full year and building on the momentum Hyundai has gained in Europe in recent years. The launch of i40 will help us reach 3% market share by the end of 2011,” Allan Rushforth concluded.

Hyundai's European design executive Thomas Burkle said “We have used very strong, fluid lines from front to rear to give i40 a distinctive appearance,”.

“We wanted to move away from the typical three-box saloon and create a car that was in keeping with the sporty nature of the i40 tourer. By sculpting a low, elongated roof line, we’ve given the i40 saloon a striking coupe-like silhouette,” Thomas Bürkle added.

Despite this, Hyundai has promised the i40 will offer class-leading front head, shoulder, and legroom. Power comes from four Euro5 compliant engines; two petrol and two CRDi diesels, offering CO2 emissions as low as 113g/km and fuel economy of 65.7mpg (4.3l/100km) combined, alongside a choice of a 6 speed manual or automatic.

Hyundai said in a statement “In a segment where diesel models represent over 75% of total sales in Europe, Hyundai is anticipating that the 1.7-litre diesel unit developing 136PS will be the most popular engine among both private and fleet buyers. Overall, Hyundai is expecting a 65/35% spread between diesel and petrol-powered i40 sales.”

Barcelona is important as a launch venue for the i40 as 40% of D-Segment cars sold in Spain are sedans.

Features like satellite navigation system w/reversing camera, Bluetooth, bi-xenon headlights, hated/cooled front seats w/heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, and ESP will be offered either as standard or optional. British-spec models will arrive with x7 airbags (twin front, side, curtain, and driver's knee), ESP, stability control, and Bluetooth as standard.

Diesel engines:

1.7-litre 115PS

Type/capacity U-II, DOHC, four-cylinder, 16-valve with HLA/1685 cc
Power/torque 115PS (85kW) @ 4000rpm / 260Nm (26.5kgm) @ 1250-2750rpm
Emissions 122g/km (113g/km when fitted with ISG)

1.7-litre 136PS

Type/capacity U-II, DOHC, four-cylinder, 16-valve with HLA/1685 cc
Power/torque 136PS (100kW) @ 4000rpm / 325Nm (32,0kgm) @ 2000-2500rpm
Emissions 124g/km (119g/km when fitted with ISG)

Petrol engines:

1.6-litre 135PS

Type/capacity Gamma GDI, four-cylinder, 16-valve with MLA/1591 cc
Power/torque 135PS (99kW) @ 6300rpm / 164Nm (16,8kgm) @ 4850rpm
Emissions 149g/km (140g/km when fitted with ISG)

2.0-litre 177PS

Type/capacity Nu GDI, four-cylinder, 16-valve with HLA & Swing ARM/1999 cc
Power/torque 177PS (130kW) @ 6500rpm / 208Nm (21,7kgm) @ 4700rpm
Emissions 156g/km

Transmissions:

1.7 / 115 1.7 / 136 1.6 / 135 2.0 / 177

Manual / speeds 6 6 6 6

Automatic / speeds ---- 6 ---- ----

Suspension & Damping:

Front Fully independent subframe-mounted MacPherson struts, with coil springs and gas-filled shock absorbers. Anti-roll stabiliser bar.

Rear Fully independent subframe-mounted multi-links, coil springs and gas-filled ASD shock absorbers.

Steering:

Type MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering)

Gearing 2.88 turns lock-to-lock

Turning radius 5.46 metres

Brakes:

Front 320 mm ventilated discs

Rear 300 mm solid discs

Wheels & Tyres

Standard 7,0Jx16 205/60 R16 tyres

7,5Jx17 215/50 R17 tyres

8,0Jx18 225/45 R18 tyres

Dimensions (mm):

Exterior

Overall length 4740

Overall width 1815 (excluding door mirrors)

Overall height 1470

Wheelbase 2770

Front overhang 920

Rear overhang 1050

Front track 1591

Rear track 1597

Interior

Front Rear

Head room 1025 965

Leg room 1170 850

Shoulder room 1455 1420

Capacities (litres):

Fuel tank 70.l

Luggage 503

Performance* (manual transmission)

1.7 / 115 1.7 / 136 1.6 / 135 2.0 / 177

Top speed (mph) 118 123 121 130

0-to-62 mph (sec) 12.9 10.6 11.6 9.7

Economy (manual transmission)

1.7 / 115 1.7 / 136 1.6 / 135 2.0 / 177

Combined mpg** 65.7 (ISG) 62.7 (ISG) 47 (ISG) 41.5

CO2 (g/km) 122 124 149 156

CO2 (g/km) with ISG 113 119 140 ----

* Figures stated are manufacturer’s estimates