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Korean cars have been looking more European for some time than many models that we design in Europe. A good example is the Hyundai brand. The head of design for the Hyundai and Kia brands is Peter Schreyer and the designer's CV has served the Volkswagen and Audi brands for many years. So not only comes the much-noticed Audi quattro spyder study from 1991 by him, but also the design icon “Audi TT” from the first generation. But the Golf 4 and the Audi A2 were also created under Peter Schreyer. And that the new Hyundai i40 station wagon looks so European, it is not only the LED daytime running lights garlands based on the Ingolstadt model to blame.
Kia is like a snow crystal, Hyundai is like a drop of water.
The Vice Chairman of Hyundai-Kia Motor Corp made a pictorial explanation for the differences in the design of the two group brands with this quote, but in the end the foundation H2O comes from a common water source and its origin can still be found in Ingolstadt. And that this design is well received, also because the design language looks so familiar, they show good sales.
In the driving report:
Hyundai i40 1.7 CRDI
Korean combination
But the design is just one factor. The quality of the vehicles from Korea is completely different. And here I feel, sitting with my eyes closed in the i40 “Premium” station wagon, like in a Wolfsburg station wagon with a windy name. It's the choice of materials used, it's the quality of the workmanship and it's the level of fittings.
In addition, the premium equipment of the test car leaves little to be desired. Even air conditioning of the seats in the first row and seat heating in the second is already included. Design, workmanship and equipment are at least at the level of the German middle class - so what are the weaknesses of the station wagon from Korea? The driving report should show it.
The Hyundai i40 station wagon
"Nothing rattles"
It was probably the saying of the IAA 2011 when Martin Winterkorn took a seat in a Hyundai i30 and tested the steering column adjustment. The developers in Wolfsburg should not have liked his judgment, because Martin Winterkorn was surprised that the Koreans had managed to install a steering column adjustment that did its job without any “clattering” noises.
And it was probably the biggest surprise for me when dealing with the Hyundai test car, the quality and the level of workmanship inside. Apart from a driver's seat that cannot be lowered far enough, the Hyundai i40 looked like one piece.
The space was convincing and even the cargo space doesn't have to hide from the top dog from Wolfsburg. If the problem with cars remains at the level of the new i40, you can basically only talk about a handful of weak points, because the rest has already reached a level that makes it difficult to deal with the differences in handling to the premium models from German production to explain.
The i40 elegantly bounces over nasty roads, stays clean on the track even in windy weather conditions and always conveys that extra portion of comfort that you would like from family station wagons. Coupled with the good equipment and the cozy feeling of space, the view must inevitably fall on the last points of criticism.
Similar to many Audi models, the i40 is on the way to becoming an armored scout vehicle, the rear windows in particular are too small and if the i40 did not have a parking beeper, reversing camera and even a parking assistant, everyone would park in reverse Want to avoid circumstances. In addition, the 1.7 diesel engine is just a kind of basic supply for fans of brilliant torque.
reason engine
136 PS at 4.000 revolutions. The long-stroke (more stroke than bore) four-cylinder diesel runs comfortably and is also sufficiently vibration-free for a direct-injection diesel. 136 PS may have caused a murmur among drivers of diesel station wagons 5 years ago, but now the efficient engine with the unusual displacement of 1.7 liters is only basic food.
The 1.600 Nm strong diesel effortlessly pulls the station wagon, which weighs around the 1.700 to 330 kilograms, over any highway incline, but above all when driving through and from 140 km / h, long-distance and frequent drivers want a little more boom.
The diesel - which is currently only certified according to EU 5 - is convincing with its reluctance to consume the noble heavy oil. On my trips, consumption values of just under 7 liters were more normal than the exception.
Four-cylinder diesel
For those who like it even more frugal, Hyundai still has a 116 hp version of the diesel engine ready and in the “blue version” the Korean station wagon will be a stingy. According to the NEDC, the 116 PS blue 4.3 liter diesel should be enough for 100 kilometers.
Power:
136 PS
Force:
330 Nm
Consumption:
4,7 Standard
Advantages - Disadvantages - Conclusion ... it continues on the next page.
Driving Report Page 1 | Advantages disadvantages | Technical data | Gallery
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