Hyundai i40 Tourer 2012 Review

Price Guide: $36,490
Options fitted (not included in above price): N/A
Crash rating: Five-star (Euro NCAP)
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 5.6
CO2 emissions (g/km): 149
Also consider: Ford Mondeo, Mazda Mazda6, Opel Insignia (when it arrives), Volvo V60, Volkswagen Passat

Once upon a time Hyundai made cheap and cheerful cars. It did a very good job of this, but how things have changed... The Korean company is steadily moving its portfolio upmarket with an eye towards competing with European brands such as Volvo and Volkswagen.

The new i40 Tourer (wagon) is a closer competitor to the Volkswagen Passat than the Mazda6, and arguably one of the best vehicles to wear the ever-improving Hyundai badge.

The i40 Tourer looks great, feels solid and is about as practical as any European-made wagon you would care to mention. It's a lovely car to drive and if this is the future of Korean car design, then sign me up. I want in!

It comes as surprise that this particular Asian car was engineered and designed in Rüsselsheim, Germany. From the buttery smooth ride to the high quality interior, this vehicle feels decidedly European. Remove the badges and you could be mistaken for driving an Opel.

But it's not a complete success, not quite.

There are a few minor issues with the car which prevent it from being truly great, such as the lack of reverse proximity sensors and automatic windscreen wipers, and poor rearward vision on our test car, the entry-level Hyundai i40 Tourer Active.

Forward visibility is also far from great. When sitting in the captain's chair the chunky A-pillars take a few degrees from your forward vision and as such busy T-intersections and roundabouts can become a little intimidating.

But that's pretty much where the negatives end, for the Hyundai i40 Tourer does a lot of things well, and in some cases very well.

The six-speed automatic turbodiesel model starts at $36,490, and for that you get lots of control -- auto climate control, corner brake control, stability control and cruise control.

The addition of an electric park brake as standard the i40 Tourer Active is a pragmatic (and very welcome) feature. An 'auto hold' feature makes everyday driving just that little less stressful, by engaging the park brake automatically whenever the car comes to a stop. Just tap the throttle and it disengages. It's a simple and effective feature that I found made driving through stop-start traffic far less infuriating.

Other standard features that stood out included stylish 16-inch alloy wheels and stylish LED daytime running lights.

A complement of nine airbags is standard across the i40 Tourer range, as is keyless entry, and cloth seat trim. However don't discount the seats just because they're upholstered in cloth -- the cushioning is remarkably supportive with enough suppleness to ensure comfort on longer journeys. I found the seat contouring was also above par, resulting in a favourable driving posture.

Drive time inside the i40 Tourer is a very pleasant experience thanks to above average ergonomics, very good interior space and an interior fit out that is more than a match for the contemporary exterior design.

From door to door, the dashboard is easy on the eyes. It's elegant but not overdone. The HVAC and audio system controls are located in the middle of the dash pad, while with fan speed and temperature controls, with LED markings, flank the centre console on left and right sides respectively. Meanwhile, blue backlighting sets the mood nicely.

From the driver's seat, the view is equally pretty. The instrument cluster features twin analogue dials for road and engine speeds, inside of which are seperate digital readouts for fuel, outside and engine temperature, and a handy gear indicator. There's also a larger LCD screen with trip computer information that resides between the dials. Day or night, the information is easy to read and clearly conveyed. Not surprisingly it all looks very German...

Plastics and trim materials are of a high quality wherever the hand falls. Soft touch plastics everywhere create a sense of self-assurance while latches, door handles, and all moving parts feel solid.

The multifunction steering wheel has plenty of controls, but is intuitively laid out - audio, cruise control on either side, with the trip computer and Bluetooth buttons are located lower down on the centre spoke.

Thanks to a long wheelbase -- 60mm more than the Volkswagen Passat wagon -- interior packaging and space is very good. There's plenty of room for the driver and front seat passenger, and cabin width isn’t bad either. Rear seat passengers, however, don’t get enough leg room to really stretch out.

The boot has 553 litres of cargo space, not quite as good as the Passat's 603 litres, but still enough to shift larger objects. With the 60:40 split-fold seats down, space improves to 1719, though for some reason the boot did seem a little narrow.

Driving the Hyundai i40 Tourer is effortless thanks to an eager diesel engine and ultra-light steering -- the latter of which suits the car's nature to a tee, especially in tight parking situations.

The engine is a capable little unit and while a 1.7-litre turbodiesel mill might sound lacking when it has to haul around a 1659kg mass, its 100kW/330Nm does remarkably good job of it. i40 Tourer rarely feels lethargic, and when mated to Hyundai's six-speed automatic transmission, the diesel gains the flexibility to hustle along should you be in hurry or cruise gently while sipping fuel at a miserly rate.

Would you believe it's a very quiet powerplant too - inside and out? Indeed, Hyundai has made great advances in diesel engine technology, and this 1685cc engine makes the i40 Tourer a satisfying machine to control.

Hyundai claims average fuel economy of 5.6L/100km for this model, and though I ended up with a 6.8L/100km, I was still fairly happy. Considering the fuel tank has a 70 litre capacity the potential for interstate cruising is a viable one.

The daily commute was very pleasant in this vehicle - the auto hold function, the punchy turbo power and nicely calibrated gearbox software all making large contributions. Ride quality was also very good the suspension smoothly soaking up bumps and ripples in the road surface with commensurate ease.

It could be argued that it's a little too soft at times, exhibiting body roll when pushed into a corner at speed, but overall the car ticked a lot of boxes for me. I wasn't really expecting it to be a corner carver, particularly after sampling the soggy (and since recalibrated) i45 sedan.

Hyundai has delivered the goods with its i40 Tourer. It looks great, drives well and is kitted out with an abundance of practical features. It may not be an unmitigated success, but it comes surprisingly close.

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