the Hyundai i40 – the new Sonata
Hyundai has released sketches of the i40 as a tease ahead of the launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show this month, but unfortunately for them we’ve received the picture you see at the top – and those in the photo gallery at the bottom – that show the real deal. Which sort of takes the edge off the ‘Stylised’ sketches Hyundai has released
The real deal is not quite as swoopy/futuristic as the real deal, but actually the real car is pretty impressive looking. Aimed at the likes of the VW Passat and the Mazda 6, this is a very convincing effort from the Koreans. The i40 has the fashionable four-door coupe silhouette with a strong and convincing front end. It does seem a little removed from the family nose we see on the new Hyundai ix35, so perhaps these pictures are of the Korean version, with the European version getting something more in keeping. The rear is stubby but decent looking and the whole design seems pretty cohesive.
We don’t have any concrete news yet on what engines will be available on the i40, but you can be pretty sure they’ll include at least a couple of turbo diesels and probably a petrol V6.
The Hyundai i40 / Sonata is stacking up to be another big success for Hyundai. What with the ix35/Tucson and the big-selling i10 and i20, the Koreans are rapidly pushing the Japanese aside.
What you can see here are pictures of the new mid-size sedan from Hyundai which will go on sale early next year. This model is set to replace the current Sonata line-up, with an aggressive design which is now defining all the latest Hyundai's. And you guessed it right, the 'Sonata' badge might be dropped as well, to follow the Korean carmaker's new 'i' naming conventions.
This sedan will most likely be conferred with the 'i40' tag when it takes on the mid-size luxury sedan segment. The car will grace Hyundai's exhibit at the upcoming Auto Expo and is expected to go on sale in India by Q2 2010 at a price bracket ranging from Rs. 14-lakh to Rs. 19-lakh for the petrol and diesel variants. We speculate the India model to be powered by the same range of Theta-2 engines that do duty under the current model. As the photos show, the interiors will sport an upmarket feel as compared to the current model, and Hyundai are to be believed, will also sport high quality materials similar to the ones we have already witnessed in the i10/i20. At the price bracket mentioned above, we feel this car will be one helluva value offering and has the fire-power to break the jinx that has been plaguing the India Sonata all this while!