With its sleek design and eye-catching good looks, the i40 saloon and tourer models are ideal for family or business driving. It boasts excellent comfort and first class technology, along with a price tag and economy figures that cannot fail to impress.

The good

Outstanding value for money

The bad

Water drips from top of the doors when you open them after a downpour

Tech Specs

Price from

£19,105

Combined Fuel up to

67.3mpg

0-62 from

10.3 seconds

max speed up to

126mph

co2 from

110g/km

Test Drive

Hyundai i40 1.7 CRDi 115PS Blue Drive Active

There was a time when anything carrying a “made in Korea” stamp sent a shudder down your spine and you feared for its quality and reliability.

Those days are long gone and the proof is easy to find in any Hyundai model you test out. And the latest – the i40 – is no exception.

Boasting great looks, top class gadgetry and highly impressive economy stats, this family/business car is proving to be an all-round winner. And when you add the price tag of sub-£20k into the mix, it’s likely to send rival manufactures scurrying back to the drawing board.

Making a good first impression is vital and the i40 delivers on all counts with snazzy 17-inch alloys, smart streamlining, LED daytime running lights and lots more besides.

And that quality is just as apparent once you take your seat behind the multi-function, leather steering wheel.

All controls, dials and readouts are ideally positioned for ease of use and the instrumentation is clearly defined.

Creature comforts are plentiful and include an excellent audio system with CD player and MP3 compatibility, Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition, electric front and rear windows, automatic headlights and plenty more.

The spacious interior can easily accommodate four adults, five at a slight squeeze, and there is ample storage space too thanks to the generously-sized boot, complemented by several smaller compartments throughout the cabin.

Despite being powered by a diesel engine, the i40 is incredibly quiet and with the intelligent Stop & Go system, you can easily be fooled into thinking the engine has stopped – it hasn’t, it’s simply saving you money on fuel.

And it’s that sort of bright technology that results in superb economy statistics with the i40 boasting combined fuel efficiency of 65.7mpg and CO2 emissions of just 113g/km.

In and around town, the i40 cruises effortlessly next to the busy traffic and good all-round visibility makes parking a breeze.

Then out on the faster roads it easily holds its own alongside faster moving motorway traffic, with the 1.7-litre engine delivering ample power.

Acceleration through the six speed manual transmission is both smooth and responsive.

Hyundai has packed a comprehensive array of safety features into the i40, such as anti-lock brakes, electronic stability programme, hill-start assist, seven airbags and heaps more.

In fairness, my only grip after a week-long test resulted following a heavy downpour. When I opened either the driver of passenger doors, rainwater trickled into the cabin.

But that minor complaint aside, the i40 is a brilliant all-rounder that looks great, handles like a dream, boasts a five-year warranty and has an asking price that will leave you on talking terms with you bank manager too.

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