Hyundai i40 (2012 – 2019) Review

It isn't exactly going to light your hair on fire, and it's a shame it isn't a bit more practical, but the Hyundai i40 looks like a great buy all these years on from its original launch, especially now prices of the earlier cars have pretty much hit rock bottom. We'll explain why in our full Hyundai i40 review. 

The i40 is softly sprung with a focus on comfort over sportiness, which for many drivers will be just the ticket. Going with that nicely is a good sense of refinement, with wind, engine and road noise kept to a pleasantly low level at higher speeds. 

The steering is light, making this near-five-metre-long car feel easier to manoeuvre than you might expect, but at least a little bit of steering feedback might be nice. It's very numb, on the whole. 

In stark contrast to modern car line-ups that might feature just the one diesel engine option if you're lucky, with the i40, that's realistically your own choice. Most versions sold in the UK are powered by a 1.7-litre turbodiesel unit with varying levels of power, though none are especially pokey. There are only ever a small handful of petrols available for sale across the country.

As punchy as it gets in terms of diesel engines is the post-facelift 141PS/340Nm version, which is fitted with a quick-shifting dual-clutch automatic gearbox, although it still can't crack 0-62mph in under 10 seconds. It's worth paying extra for over the earlier conventional auto, which is never in a hurry to change gears.

Oddly, the DCT is half a second slower to 62mph than the manual, doing the deed in 10.8 seconds compared to 10.3. But still, that's better than the sluggish entry-level 1.7-litre diesel, which puts out 115PS and 280Nm, which means it requires 12.6 seconds to dispatch the benchmark sprint. 

Earlier in its life, the i40 could be specced with a 1.6-litre petrol engine producing 135PS and 164Nm of torque. There was also a 2.0-litre petrol outputting 177PS and 208Nm of torque, which is just enough to dip the 0-62mph time under 10 seconds. But good luck finding one. 

The diesel's reasonable mid-range torque means you might not find them quite as slow as anticipated, but you will need to be changing gear frequently to extract the modest performance on offer. But don't be put off by the idea of a manual – the six-speed unit has a light, precise-feeling shift. 

Earlier versions of the i40 will look basic compared to modern cars with their plethora of safety technologies, but you could spec the earlier car with the Assist Pack to bring with it lane departure warning and assistance, while the 2015-on facelifted version came with that system as standard on the top-spec Premium model. 

The i40 was awarded the full five stars when Euro NCAP tested the car, although that was way back in 2011 and can't be considered comparable to a modern five-star car. The safety body considers the rating expired. 

Most versions of the i40 can tow braked loads of up to 1500kg, making them suitable to haul a decent-size caravan. The 141PS diesel does a little bit better with a towing capacity of up to 1800kg. 

Compared to the 590 litres of boot space offered by the Skoda Octavia and the 550 in the back of a Ford Mondeo, the i40's 525-litre load space looks underwhelming. Also, as a saloon rather than a hatchback, the opening is going to be trickier to access, and the boot narrows quite a bit due to the location of the rear suspension. 

Oddly, no figure is given for the amount of space offered by the i40 if the rear seat bench is folded flat. In any case, you won't be able to load anything too bulky, because the passage from the boot to the rest of the cabin that this opens up is not big at all. 

Rear-seat legroom is decent enough, but headroom is a little restricted because of the i40's sloping roofline. The rear door pockets aren't very big, either. Front-seat occupants, meanwhile, benefit from much bigger door bins, a central storage cubby, a sizeable glovebox and a neat receptacle in the dashboard.

While the i40 doesn't feel quite as nice inside as something like a Skoda Octavia, it's certainly a far cry from the bargain basement Hyundai products of old. We reckon it'll be up for many years of hard usage without suffering too much. 

Facelifted versions of the i40 have a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation from SE Nav trim and above. It'll feel quite dated compared to a modern system, and the mapping will now be quite out of date. Thankfully, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also included as standard on this setup, so you can simply use a far better mapping app such as Google Maps or Waze from your phone. 

All versions come with USB and auxiliary sockets plus Bluetooth connectivity, and a six-speaker sound system, but the entry-level S misses out on DAB radio. 

For £2000, you will have to settle for a higher mileage pre-facelift model. Budget more like £5000, and you’ll have an abundant choice of post-facelift examples with much more reasonable mileages. It’s worth it, not just because the updated version looks a lot better, but also because it’ll have much more modern features, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity (SE Nav models and up).

The most economical i40 is the 115PS diesel manual, which manages 67.3mpg, although all of the later diesels could do over 60mpg according to the official figures. Avoid the pre-facelift automatic – along with being not especially pleasant to use, it saps fuel economy significantly. The dual-clutch unit which replaced it is much better in this regard. 

Also bear in mind that the above numbers are based on the old NEDC regime, which was more flattering than the current WLTP standard. Still, based on our Real MPG submissions, we reckon you should be able to crack 50mpg if you’re careful enough.

Insurance groupings are low, and if you're looking at an example registered before April 2017, the annual Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) or car tax will be based on emissions, with the cleanest 115PS model liable for a paltry £20 annual fee. On the other end of the spectrum, the older automatic is hit with a £265 yearly rate. After 2017, all models are charged at a flat rate of £195 a year. 

The Hyundai i40 was available in two sets of trim levels, with the grades changing as part of the car's mid-life facelift. Initially, the car was could be specced as either an i40 Active, i40 Style or i40 Premium.

The Hyundai i40 Active came with the following equipment as standard:

• 16-inch alloy wheels  
• Leather steering wheel
• Heated and electrically adjustable mirrors 
• Bluetooth connectivity

Upgrading to the Hyundai i40 Style added the following equipment:

• Touchscreen infotainment system
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Rear-view parking camera
• Dual-zone climate control
• Leather upholstery

Upgrading to the top-spec Hyundai i40 Premium added:

• Extended leather upholstery 
• Panoramic sunroof 
• Keyless entry
• Colour LCD multifunction instrument cluster display

For the 2015 facelift, the trim range was completely changed, from that point consisting of the i40 S, i40 SE Nav, i40 SE Business and i40 Premium.

The Hyundai i40 S came with the following equipment as standard:

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Air conditioning
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Heated and electrically adjustable mirrors
• USB socket
• Tinted rear side windows

Upgrading to the Hyundai i40 SE Nav added the following equipment:

• Touchscreen infotainment system
• Apply CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Rear parking camera
• Cruise control
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated seats

Upgrading to the Hyundai i40 SE Business added: 

• Ventilated front leather seats
• Keyless entry

Upgrading to the top-spec Hyundai i40 Premium added:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Heated rear seats
• Panoramic sunroof