Hyundai prices frugal new i40 Tourer

HYUNDAI has revealed full pricing – including an aggressive $32,490 opening gambit – and a super-frugal 4.7L/100km diesel fuel consumption figure for its all-new mid-size wagon contender two weeks ahead of the official launch of the i40 Tourer.

Bookended by a flurry of new arrivals and model reshuffles within a burgeoning medium passenger car segment, the Euro-centric i40 will formally join the US and Asian-oriented i45 sedan in Hyundai’s mid-size passenger car line-up on October 13.

Hyundai has taken the unusual step of announcing pricing and basic model specifications before the car’s official launch, however, wasting no time in inviting customers to drive away first examples that have already begun entering showrooms.

The booming Korean brand has not ruled out a local introduction of the i40 sedan, which would give it a three-pronged attack in a mid-size segment that looks likely to overtake Australia’s once-dominant large-car category next year.

For now, the i40 wagon’s sub-$33,000 starting price represents a $5500 premium over the cheapest variant in the i45 sedan range ($26,990 plus on-road costs), which was introduced here in May last year and so far this year has proved more popular than all mainstream mid-size models with the exception of Toyota’s Melbourne-made Camry, Ford’s Mondeo and the Mazda6.

As with the i45, the i40 is available in three specifications – Active, Elite and Premium – with only the entry-level variant available with a (six-speed) manual transmission. All other models will come standard with a six-speed automatic transmission, which costs $2000 extra on Active grades, with metallic/mica paint commanding an extra $450.

Fitted with an automatic transmission for $34,490 plus ORCs, the i40 Active is $560 cheaper than perhaps its most direct rival, the auto-only Mazda6 Classic wagon (from $35,050), but $1650 pricier than Ford’s auto-only Mondeo LX wagon (from $32,840).

Like the base i45 Active, the entry-level i40 Active is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, but in this case it will be a newer direct-injection ‘Nu’ engine, which delivers more performance (130kW at 6500rpm and 213Nm of torque at 4700rpm), and is also available in mid-range Elite and flagship Premium guises.

However, instead of the 2.4-litre petrol four found in other i45 models, the i40 comes with the company’s all-new 1.7-litre CRDi four-cylinder diesel engine, which employs variable-geometry turbo technology to send 100kW to the front wheels, along with 325Nm of torque between 2000 and 2500rpm.

In base manual form, Hyundai says the i40 Active CRDi returns ADR 81/02 combined fuel consumption of just 4.7L/100km, making it more fuel-efficient than the Mondeo TDCi wagon (6.2L/100km), the Mazda6 Diesel wagon and even Toyota’s Camry Hybrid (which both return 6.0L/100km).

However, the i40 Tourer CRDi emits 124g/km of CO2, making it less environmentally friendly than the sedan-only Camry Hybrid. No efficiency figures have been revealed for the petrol i40.

The cheapest i40 diesel, at $34,490 plus ORCs, is $1760 more affordable than the manual-only Mazda6 Diesel wagon (from $36,250), while the cheapest automatic version (from $36,490) costs $350 less than the auto-only Mondeo LX TDCi wagon (from $36,840).

While Ford recently introduced a turbo-petrol EcoBoost version as part of a facelifted Mondeo hatch and wagon range, other recent new additions to the class include Renault’s new Latitude sedan, Peugeot’s new 508 sedan and (from $42,490) wagon range, Skoda’s revised Octavia liftback and (from $26,990) wagon range and Volkswagen’s new Passat sedan and (from $40,990) wagon line-up.

The sub-$60,000 mid-size segment will be joined in coming months by Toyota’s redesigned Camry sedan and Holden’s new Malibu sedan, while a next-generation Mazda6 should emerge late next year, promising fuel consumption as low as 4.2L/100km and CO2 emissions of just 112g/km.

Hyundai has confirmed the i40 Tourer, which has received a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, will be fitted as standard with VSM electronic stability control, ABS brakes, no fewer than nine airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag, LED daytime running lights and Emergency Stop Signal (ESS).

Other standard features should include 16-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth with voice recognition, air-conditioning, a leather multi-function steering wheel, heated electric mirrors, automatic headlights and an electric parking brake with hill holder.

Expect the mid-range Elite variant to add 17-inch alloys, touchscreen satellite-navigation, a rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, dual-zone climate-control, power driver’s seat adjustment, passenger seat height adjustment, a self-dimming rear-view mirror and rain-sensing wipers.

Premium models should go further with leather upholstery, a heated/memory driver’s seat, panoramic sunroof, keyless entry/start, ‘supervision’ LCD colour instrument cluster, 18-inch alloys and a chilled glove compartment.

In Korea, where the i40 went on sale in August, the i40 is available with an electric tailgate system, full Xenon headlights, lane departure warning, tyre pressure monitoring, a heated leather steering wheel, heated rear/ventilated front seats and an automated parallel parking system.

A 1.6 GDI engine is also available in Europe, where all entry-level versions are fitted with a idle-stop system.

Hyundai says the i40, which made its Australian debut at the Melbourne motor show in July, will deliver “superb on-road performance which has been specifically calibrated for Australian conditions”.

Unlike the YF-series i45, with which it shares its platform, the VF-series i40 was designed and engineered at Hyundai’s R&D headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and features a different take on the brand’s ‘fluidic sculpture’ design language.

Despite being shorter at 4770mm than the Mondeo (4837mm), the i40 wagon offers an impressive 1719-litre maximum cargo capacity - just 21 litres short of the class-leading Mondeo. Wheelbase is the same 2770mm as the i45, while width is 1815mm and height is 1470mm.

Hyundai plans to sell no fewer than 100,000 i40s globally in 2012.

Hyundai i40 wagonpricing:
Active 2.0 GDI	$32,490
Active 2.0 GDI (a)	$34,490
Active 1.7 CRDi	$34,490
Active 1.7 CRDi (a)	$36,490
Elite 2.0 GDI (a)	$39,490
Elite 1.7 CRDi (a)	$41,490
Premium 2.0 GDI (a)	$44,490
Premium 1.7 CRDi (a)	$46,490