Hyundai i40 Tourer diesel review

Joel Helmes has filed this Hyundai i40 Tourer diesel review.

I was recently really blown away with the refinement and overall feel of the Hyundai Elantra (you can catch that review here).

The Hyundai i40 Tourer is a vehicle which has also had some pretty big wraps on it since it was launched late last year.

I got along to the launch and was very impressed after having a short drive of the new model; a full week behind the wheel of the car was a great follow up to that and it gave me a real chance to get to know it a little better.

I had the mid-spec Elite powered by the 1.7 litre turbo diesel engine and six speed auto gear box.

It probably won’t come as a shock but I must say this is quite a good car.

The official stats show the engine gives you 100kW’s and 330Nm, you wouldn’t want or need any more power or torque to move the i40 around.

What’s great about front wheel drive cars in 2012, especially relating to the larger engines with more power, is that really you wouldn’t know the power was coming through the front wheels.

The six speed auto in th ei40 Tourer is perfectly matched to the engine, no problems at all here.

Being a turbo diesel the fuel consumption is excellent, official figures show a combined 6 litres per 100, I managed a tick over 8 litres in predominantly city driving.

Once again the Hyundai steering was a touch on the light side but slightly heavier than the Elantra which isn’t unreasonable given it’s a slightly larger car.

The ride is also very good, in fact a great mix of firm, sporty and comfortable.

Inside the cabin the omission of sat-nav and a reversing camera stands out, a car like this should have both as standard no questions asked.

The fit and finish inside are excellent, some of the touches I particularly liked were the climate control buttons and dials, there’s a stack of storage spots, comfy seats, and more than adequate leg room.

Boot space is also very good in the i40 Tourer.

I’m not sure if it’s an illusion but the roof seems quite low on the i40, if you are particularly tall you may find this an issue, for the rest of us “normal” people it’s not a problem!

There was probably only one element inside the i40’s cabin which I thought could be improved and that’s the very firm arm rests on the door and centre console.

While we are looking at things which I thought could be better – the indicator “click click” sound was particularly quiet in the i40 which forces you to look down at times to see if in fact the indicator is on.

Also it’s a little odd that the Hyundai i40 Tourer, no doubt a premium model in the Hyundai line-up, doesn’t have keyless ignition.

I also can’t help but wonder why the i45 has a foot park brake, the Elantra has a traditional handbrake, and the i40 uses a push button system?

Are they reason to not buy this car? No way!

Check out the i40 Tourer for yourself, it’s a great combination of luxury, family, sporty, and practical.

The i40 range starts at $32,490, the Elite which I checked out will set you back $41,490.