Hyundai i45 Premium 2010 Review

Hyundai i45 Elite and i45 Premium

What we liked
>> Generous interior space
>> Properly conceived ergonomics, comfort
>> Good value, plenty of kit

Not so much
>> Frontal styling is busy
>> Imprecise steering and rack rattle
>> Peaky engine, demanding power delivery

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 2.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 2.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 2.5/5.0
X-factor: 2.5/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
-- Rivals in a flap over i45's predatory looks?
Hyundai's i45 has arrived in Australia with its distinctive styling and plenty of up-to-the-moment features to set it apart from its predecessor, the worthy but unremarkable Sonata.

The new car, aimed principally at family buyers and empty-nesters, should pick up some significant sales volume from the top-selling car in the segment, the Toyota Camry... If Hyundai has got it right.

Designed to captivate the American market, the i45 is following the trail left by the Camry in its most current incarnation. Unlike the conservatively styled Sonata, the i45 takes its visual cues (especially around the front), from birds of prey. It will be the new model's striking presence that will sell the car to many prospective buyers. Salesmen will close the deal once they point out the i45's comprehensive standard equipment list too.

Hyundai has been present in the medium-car segment since introducing the original Sonata in 1989, but it's one market sector where strong sales success has eluded the company, up against the established Japanese brands. By pitching the higher-profile i45 at a broader spectrum of buyers, including those families and empty-nesters, Hyundai is committed to changing that.

However, the factory has raised production to cope with the unexpected demand and Hyundai Australia is now in a position to offer the new car with the sub-$30,000 i45 Active model. Due to the change in plan, the i45 Active won't hit the showrooms until July, whereas the i45 Elite and Premium variants are on sale now.

Only the i45 Active is available with a manual transmission (a six-speeder); the other two grades offering automatic transmission as standard. The auto box is an option for the i45 Active. Prices start at $29,490 for the manual car, rising to $30,990 for the automatic i45 Active. A major step up in standard equipment, the i45 Elite is priced at $34,490 and the i45 Premium is pegged at $37,990.

All models of the i45 are fitted with a range of standard equipment as follows: Full-size spare wheel, auto-on/off headlights, electro-chromatic mirror, Hill-start Assist Control, front fog lights, remote central locking, MP3-compatible CD audio system, USB/iPod input, six speakers, remote audio controls in the steering wheel, 2 x 12-Volt auxiliary power outlets in the centre console, cruise control (N/A with manual transmission), electric fold-in mirrors, electric windows, height adjustment for driver's seat, tilt/reach adjustment for steering column, trip computer, piano finish interior decorative trim, leather-bound steering wheel/gear knob, courtesy lights, map lights for front-seat occupants, air conditioning and 60/40 split-folding rear seat.

The i45 Active is fitted with 16-inch alloy wheels and 205/65 tyres. Seats for the basic models are trimmed in cloth and leather (the latter for the side bolsters).

Over and above the specification for the i45 Active, the Elite variant offers: 215/55 tyres on 17-inch alloy wheels, reverse-parking sensors, proximity key/start button, rain-sensing wipers, transmission shift paddles, full-leather seat trim and climate control.

Buyers opting for the i45 Premium will gain: 225/45 tyres on 18-inch alloy wheels, six-disc CD audio, sport suspension with Amplitude Selective Dampers, electrically-adjustable front seats with memory, panoramic glass sunroof and rear map lights.

MECHANICAL

Developing 148kW of power at 6300rpm and 250Nm of torque at 4250rpm, the i45's engine uses 8.0L/100km in combined-cycle running with the manual transmission. The automatic variants actually use less fuel, 7.9L/100km.

Over the same test, the i45 emits 191g/km (manual) and 188g/km (auto) of CO2 particles. Compared with its rivals in the segment, the i45 is class-leading for output and fuel efficiency.

The vast majority of i45s sold are likely to run the six-speed automatic transmission with a sequential-shift facility and overdrive top gear. Hyundai has not equipped the i45 with shift paddles for the sequential-mode auto in the base-grade variant, but drivers can effect ‘manual’ gear shifts using the lever.

A front-wheel drive with the engine mounted transversely, the i45 is suspended by a fairly conventional set-up comprising MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link independent system at the rear. Hyundai has arranged for the Australian-delivered i45 to be sold here with a unique suspension calibration, to suit local roads.

Power assistance for the rack-and-pinion steering is hydraulic and the four-wheel disc brakes comprise 300mm-diameter ventilated front rotors and 284mm-diameter rear rotors.

Being such a large car, the i45 outguns the locally-manufactured Commodore and Falcon for luggage capacity -- boasting a boot volume of 523 litres. The boot space in the Hyundai is not only huge, it's quite deep considering there's a full-size alloy spare under the floor as well. It's a boxier space than you may find in some front-wheel drive cars, which means it can be more practical for stowing bulkier items.

There's a downside to all this open-plan packaging in the i45, however -- the Hyundai's kerb weight is 1506kg for the manual car and 1528kg for the auto model. That places it up to 100kg above the weight of some competitors in the segment.

From the driver's seat, the i45 provides a clear view of the instruments and the controls are sensibly laid out. We particularly liked the Euro-style HVAC controls in the centre fascia. They are arranged in a graphical style, so it's easy to tell at a glance which button to push to have air directed wherever you want it and in what quantity.

The trip computer was also about as straightforward to use as a trip computer can be. There were two remote control buttons to the lower right of the steering wheel boss, with one marked 'Trip' to cycle through the different functions and the other marked 'Reset' to zero the data. Similarly, the audio controls on the steering wheel were simple enough for a committed Luddite to use without objection.

Seats proved to be very comfortable and won't leave drivers feeling fatigued after spending some time behind the wheel. Rear-seat accommodation for the i45 approaches that of an FG Falcon for both legroom and headroom.

One final word concerning the i45's style: we've often acknowledged that beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder. In the case of the i45, this reviewer must confess, the styling doesn't appeal.

That said, a fair percentage of colleagues disagree. The i45 was warmly received for its looks wherever it went.

To our eyes, it's a compendium of traits from European brands, with Germanic swage lines around the flanks and the rear (very much an Audi/BMW blend at the rear, Mondeo/C-Class-type doors and hipline), with a brassy American nose. Anecdotally it seems to have hit the right note with prospective buyers, but time will tell whether that's enough to carry it to success in the market.

SAFETY

For the moment, the i45 remains unassessed, but Hyundai is looking forward to a five-star result for the new car.

In keeping with its rivals in the same market segment, the i45 comes with the usual amalgam of safety features, including: ABS/EBD, stability control, traction control, dual front airbags, side-impact airbags, side-curtain airbags and front seatbelt pretensioners.

Indeed, there's no getting around it, the i45 is a Camry clone. Hyundai can point to its distinctive styling, but the i45 is sized similarly, it's packaged similarly and it even offers a hybrid model in the world’s largest Camry market -- the US.

In terms of being durable, comfortable and affordable, the i45 is at least a match for the Camry. It's also more fuel efficient and cleaner-running as well.

For some buyers, increasingly, the Hyundai brand is a known quantity. The general perception is that the i45 won't leave you stranded by the side of the road or that bits of trim will necessarily fall off it. Hyundai has moved on...

But... the i45 is not a driver's car. Many of the cars competing in this segment are quite driveable and the Hyundai is not a peer in this respect.

If you were comparing the i45 against the Holden Epica or perhaps the Chrysler Sebring, there's no contest. If, however, the Mondeo, the Accord Euro, the Mazda6 and the Liberty are on your list, the i45 doesn't make the grade. Suzuki's new (smaller) Kizashi might also be a better option.

From the start, it was clear that the ride was firm in the case of the i45 Premium. It's our view that the i45's tailored-for-Australia suspension works better with higher profile tyres, such as those fitted to the 17-inch wheels of the i45 Elite.

This variant (the i45 Premium, fitted with 18-inch wheels), was less accomplished across a number of criteria than the cheaper i45 Elite. In addition to the ride, which was to be expected, the Elite also seemed to handle and steer a little better, but most importantly, the tyre noise in the mid-range model was significantly better (ie: quieter), than in the range-topping i45 Premium.

Initial steering response was adequate for both models driven, but the car's steering was by no means consistent and the feedback didn't compare with that of the Mazda6. The Zoom-Zoom crowd needn't be afraid of having the i45 snatch the crown for dynamic driving satisfaction.

In some tighter corners, the i45's steering rack would rattle over bumps with power applied. This happened on multiple occasions and was apparent in both grades. Still in tighter bends, we found the i45 was more reluctant to turn in. It would scrub the front tyres more, the smaller the radius of the turn and the higher the entry speed.

For all its power and torque, the 2.4-litre GDI four-cylinder engine is very peaky. Again, drawing upon the Mazda6 for comparative purposes (the Mazda's port-injected four-cylinder displacing 2.5 litres) the difference in straightline performance is startling. Where the Mazda has solid mid-range torque and comparative flexibility the i45 produces next to nothing below 4000rpm.

On a typical hill clmib, such as drivers would regularly encounter throughout regional Australia, the i45 would maintain speed, but nothing much more than that without kicking down two gears and revving to 4500 or higher. It's almost like the torque curve just drops off a sheer cliff lower in the rev range.

Performance feels inert and lifeless in third gear and higher if the engine's not on the boil. Some complained about the noise and NVH from the engine. Perhaps we here at the Carsales Network are getting a bit deaf and doddery in our old age, but the engine seemed refined enough. Perhaps we couldn't hear it over the tyre noise...

Developed in-house by Hyundai, the six-speed auto is smooth and responsive to manual shifting. It compensates for the i45's lack of a flatter torque curve by having a gear to suit every occasion. With paddle shifters, the transmission would drop back a gear and would, once it had adapted to the driver's style, hold that gear for a reasonable length of time, if the driver were backing off or accelerating.

It would automatically revert to 'Drive' unless the driver had pulled the lever across to the sequential sports setting. To downshift with the lever, the driver merely pulled it back in the sports mode. The lever is positioned hard up against the driver's left thigh in sport mode, so it's easy to find and grab a lower gear.

While the i45 left us disappointed for its on-road behaviour, it's important not to overstate the situation, as some journalists were inclined to do during the launch.

Part of the problem the i45 faced is the expectations imposed upon it. It's a respectable car for tootling around town, but we're increasingly accustomed to mid-size cars that provide driving enjoyment in addition to the practical attributes expected in this segment. The i45 needs some work to meet that standard.

As it is currently, the i45 draws on its style and packaging alone to conquest sales. It's a car of substance, but let down in detail.

See the Hyundai i45 in motion in our launch video at Carsales TV.

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