Review: Hyundai VF.I i40 Sedan (2012-15)

Overview

Released in June 2012, the Hyundai VF i40 was a mid-size, front-wheel drive sedan (the i40 Tourer has been reviewed separately). Manufactured in Ulsan, South Korea, the VF i40 was powered by 1.7-litre turbo-diesel and 2.0-litre petrol engines. Both engines were available with six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. Furthermore, the i40 was offered in Active, Elite and Premium editions (see table below).

D4FD and G4NC engines

Of the engines,

For 1.7 CRDi variants, the 1.7-litre D4FD ‘U2’ turbo-diesel engine had a cast iron block, an aluminium cylinder head, common-rail injection (operating at 1800 bar), a variable geometry turbocharger, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 17.0:1; and,
For 2.0 GDI variants, the 2.0-litre G4NC ‘Nu’ petrol engine had an aluminium cylinder block and head, direct fuel injection, double overhead camshafts, continuously variable intake and exhaust valve timing (D-CVVT), four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 11.5:1.

Dimensions

Compared to the mid-size Hyundai YF i45 , the VF i40 was 80 mm shorter (4740 mm), 20 mm narrower (1815 mm), the same height (1470 mm) and had a 25 mm shorter wheelbase (2770 mm); boot space for the i40 was also slightly less at 505 litres, compared to 523 litres for the i45.

Suspension

The VF i40 had MacPherson strut front suspension and independent multi-link rear suspension (both with coil springs, gas-filled dampers and anti-roll bars).

Hyundai VF i40 Sedan specifications
Variant	Engine	Editions	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
1.7 CRDi	1.7-litre turbo-diesel I4	Active	6sp man., 6sp auto	100 kW at 4000 rpm	330 Nm at 2000-2500 rpm
1.7 CRDi	1.7-litre turbo-diesel I4	Elite, Premium	6sp auto	100 kW at 4000 rpm	330 Nm at 2000-2500 rpm
2.0 GDi	2.0-litre petrol I4	Active	6sp man., 6sp auto	130 kW at 6500 rpm	213 Nm at 4700 rpm
2.0 GDi	2.0-litre petrol I4	Elite, Premium	6sp auto	130 kW at 6500 rpm	213 Nm at 4700 rpm

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the i40 included dual front airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, front and rear side airbags, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for front and rear occupants), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, cornering brake control, traction control, active front seat head restraints and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

From March 2013, the i40 Premium was equipped with a ‘Lane Departure Warning & Assist’ system. Using a windshield-mounted front camera, the system could be engaged at speeds over 60 km/h. If the system detected that the vehicle was drifting from the marked lane without indicating, an audible warning would sound to alert the driver and a visual warning would be displayed. If the vehicle was about to depart from the marked lane, the system would automatically steer the vehicle towards the centre of the lane.

As standard, the i40 was also fitted with:

Hill-start assist;
An ‘Emergency Stop Signal’ which would flash the rear brake lights during emergency braking situations to worn following traffic; and,
Hyundai’s Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) system which could apply counter-steering assistance to guide the driver to the correct steering direction in the event that the driver reacted too slowly or tried to steer in the incorrect direction to maintain vehicle control.

Brakes

The Hyundai i40 Active sedan had 300 mm by 28 mm vented front brake discs and 284 mm by 10 mm solid rear discs. The i40 Premium and Elite, however, had 320 mm by 28 mm vented front brake discs and 300 mm by 10 mm solid rear discs.

Euro NCAP testing

In Euro NCAP testing , the i40 Tourer was awarded a five star safety rating with a 92 per cent adult occupant protection rating and an 86 per cent child occupant protection rating. ANCAP extended the crash test results of the i40 Tourer to the sedan and, under ANCAP’s methodology , this testing resulted in a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 34.18 out of 37. In the offset crash test, there was a slight risk of serious chest and leg injury for the driver. In the side impact and pole tests, however, maximum points were awarded.

Features: i40 Active, Elite and Premium

Standard features for the i40 Active included 16-inch alloy wheels, a six speaker sound system with CD player, auxiliary inputs (3.5mm/USB/iPod) and MP3/WMA-compatibility, air conditioning, cruise control, daytime LED running lights, automatic headlights, Bluetooth connectivity, front and rear parking sensors, 60/40 split and folding rear seats, a multi-function steering wheel (audio, cruise and phone controls), remote central locking, power windows and heated door mirrors, manual folding door mirrors, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, a power-operated park brake, height adjustable driver’s seat, 12 volt power outlet, courtesy lamps, a trip computer and an immobiliser. Models with automatic transmissions were also fitted with steering wheel gearshift paddles.

The i40 Elite was further equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, a six-disc in-dash CD player with an additional amplifier and woofer, satellite navigation with SUNA live traffic updates and a seven-inch touch screen, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, a cooled glovebox, a ten-way power adjustable driver’s seat, front fog lights, rain-sensing wipers, a rear view camera, proximity key with push-button start, electrochromatic rear view mirror, height adjustable front passenger seat, cargo blind and luggage rails.

The i40 Premium was distinguished by its 18-inch alloy wheels, ventilated front seats, leather/leatherette seats, driver’s seat memory settings, a power adjustable front passenger seat, heated front and rear seats, directional high intensity discharge (HID) headlights with washers, 4.2-inch TFT LCD display, power folding door mirrors, a panoramic glass sunroof, tinted rear privacy glass and stainless steel sill plates.

March 2013: Smart Parking Assist for i40 Premium

From March 2013, the i40 Premium was equipped with a ‘Smart Parking Assist’ system which provided semi-automated reverse parallel parking. Using side-mounted ultrasonic sensors, the park assist system could be activated at speeds of up to 30 km/h and, once a parking space was selected, would prompt the driver to engage reverse gear. The parking assistant would then steer the vehicle into the parking space while the driver controlled the accelerator and brake (while monitoring the vehicle’s movements via the reverse camera display). If the parking space was too small for a single parking action, the driver would be prompted to engage forward and reverse gears to complete the process. As a result of the introduction of Lane Departure Warning & Assist and Smart Parking Assist, Premium variants were also fitted with a 4.2-inch colour LCD ‘Supervision Cluster’.

January 2014 update: Drive Mode Select

From January 2014, the YF i40 was fitted with Hyundai’s ‘Drive Mode Select’ system which enabled the driver to select from Eco, Normal and Sports modes – via a centre console switch – for specific transmission programming and steering weight settings.

Cosmetic changes for the 2014 i40 included dark silver metallic finishes for the 17- and 18-inch alloy wheels (for Elite and Premium editions, respectively) with a revised design for the former.

Brochure

Brochure: Hyundai VF i40 and i40 Tourer (February 2014)

Specifications

Review: Hyundai VF.II i40 Sedan (2015-19)