The 2012 Hyundai i40 - Review

At the 2011 Geneva Motor Show this week, Hyundai unveiled the 2012 Hyundai i40, which looks to be the station wagon version

of the Hyundai Sonata sedan.

While plans could change later, Hyundai says that the i40 is the

“company’s first D-segment vehicle to be developed specifically for the European market, with a package of powertrains, equipment and technology tailored for

European tastes.” We’re not sure yet when or if it will come to the United States.

“The all-new i40 perfectly captures the spirit of Hyundai’s new brand slogan ‘New Thinking. New Possibilities.’” said Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe. “The i40 is a sign of how far Hyundai has come in recent years, and truly embodies what we mean when we talk about being a ‘modern premium’ brand.

Geneva has been quite a show for big, handsome wagons, from the stonking Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG to the shapely Saab 9-5 Sportcombi, there's been a kinschlepper for every ta

ste and budget. Adding to the variety is Hyundai's new i40 estate, and it, too, is a looker.

Boasting the same sharply rising character line as the Sonata sedan upon which it’s based, the i40 nevertheless has a more traditional nose, with a smaller grille and headlamps that look more like those from the Sonata Hybrid. Overall, the front aesthetic lurks somewhere between the Elantra and an embiggened Veloster, but either way, it’s all Hyundai and it’s a

n attractive pie

ce.

Hyundai is quick to note that the i40 was developed in Rüsselsheim, Germany, with the European market firmly in mind, and it will be The Continent’s first crack at the model range when it hits dealers later this year. A sedan variant will follow, but it’s not known if it will look like the North American YF Sonata sedan, or if it will adopt this car’s front clip.