Hyundai Releases First Real Life Photo of the New i40 Mid-Size Model

Hyundai today gave us a new sneak peek of its upcoming i40 mid-size model with the release of the first real life image of the car, which is scheduled to receive its world premiere at the Geneva Salon on the 1st of March. The new i40 will replace the older generation Sonata in Europe competing in the D-Segment with the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat. At Geneva, we'll see the estate version of the model (probably named i40 CW) with the four-door sedan variant to follow before the end of the year.

Up until now, South Korea's largest automaker had only released a set of illustrations of the i40 CW (CrossWagon). The new photo shows off the interior of the i40, and in particular the dashboard with its sculpted shapes.

There's a big screen display mounted high up on the middle of the dash flanked by a pair of small air vents, underneath which nestle a bank of push buttons for ventilation and minor controls.

The company claims that new i40 "will move the company towards a ‘modern premium’ positioning that will bring high-end features and vehicle quality to Hyundai customers at accessible prices."

Hyundai has not released any details on the engine line-up, but it is believed that at launch, the i40 will be offered with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with direct injection and an output of around 170-horsepower, plus two variants of the a 1.7-liter turbo-diesel with 115 HP and 136 HP.

The new i40 will be joined in Geneva by the European specification of the Veloster sports model (see our scoop photos here) and the Curb small crossover concept study, which we first saw at the Detroit Motor Show this past January.

Hyundai CEO Says Veloster Coupe Coming in 2011 with 140HP 1.6-liter Engine

Following the successful launch of the rear-wheel drive Genesis Coupe, Hyundai is now focusing on the development of a front-wheel drive replacement for the Tiburon sports coupe which is known simply as the Coupe in Europe and other markets. In an interview with Inside Line, Hyundai Motor America's CEO John Krafcik revealed some juicy new details on the forthcoming small coupe which he claimed will look 70-80 per cent like the Veloster Concept that was unwrapped at the 2007 L.A. Show.

Krafcik said that the production version of the Veloster, which by the way, is among the names being considered for the new model, will pack a surprise bodystyle feature never seen before in the category. "It might be doors or a unique roof or something with the hatch. But it won't be like anything out there before in the small car segment."

In terms of size, Krafcik mentioned that the Tiburon's successor will be quite compact. "It's Accent-sized. Think of it like a 4-passenger Honda CRX," he said. "It'll be a little car you can take out and ring its neck and still get good mileage. Fun and economical, with a great power to weight ratio."

In a previous interview back in March, the American CEO had revealed that the Veloster would be offered with a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine. This time Krafcik went into more details. "It'll be powered by a 1.6-liter four cylinder with Direct Injection making 140 hp. And it'll get over 40 mpg US (5.8lt/100km or 48mpg UK)," he told IL.

We're guessing that in other markets such as Europe and South Korea Hyundai will most likely offer the Veloster with diesel engines also, maybe even with the Korean firm's new 184HP 2.0-liter oil-burner that is available on the 2010 facelifted Santa Fe.

"There's just nothing out there right now with that kind of Eco-sport positioning" said Krafcik adding that the Veloster will arrive at Hyundai's dealerships before the end of 2011.

Via: Inside Line