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Photo of a Hyundai i40

Hyundai i40

EuroCarBody gold in 2011, ahead of the Audi A6 and Mercedes B-Class.1

Researched October 30, 2026 from 28 sources

At a glance

0100200
113–176 hpPower
07.515
9.6–12.6 s0–100 km/h
0125250
187–212 km/hTop speed
0200400
164–380 N·mTorque
01,0002,000
1,372–1,692 kgWeight

The coral arc spans the family, from its mildest version to its wildest.781112

Engine
1.6/2.0 L GDi or 2.0 L MPi gasoline I4s; 1.6/1.7 L CRDi diesel I4s11
Layout
Front engine, front-wheel drive11
Gearbox
Six-speed manual or automatic; seven-speed DCT from 2015711
Built at
2011–2019: Ulsan plant, South Korea; Avtotor, Kaliningrad, Russia11

The story

Developed in Rüsselsheim for European private and fleet buyers, the i40 helped Hyundai move upmarket. Five Year Triple Care bundled five years of unlimited-mileage warranty, roadside assistance and health checks.1234

2011: Geneva debut: wagon first · Barcelona reveals the sedan · EuroCarBody gold and five NCAP stars20112014: GO! and GO-Plus! wagons arrive20142015: New diesel, DCT and rear damping20152018: Smartstream diesel and a cascade grille20182019: Space and Space Plus wagons · Production ends without a successor2019 Ford Cortina (Hyundai-built): 1968–1983 (South Korea)Hyundai Stellar: 1983–1997Hyundai StellarHyundai Sonata (Y1): 1985–1988Y1Hyundai Sonata (NF): 2004–2009NFHyundai Sonata / i45 (YF): 2009–2014YFHyundai i40 (VF): 2011–2019VF 197019801990200020102020
GenerationsBefore and afterMilestones22021222324
Show the numbers
YearWhat happened
1968–1983 (South Korea)Ford Cortina (Hyundai-built)
1983–1997Hyundai Stellar
1985–1988Hyundai Sonata (Y1)
2004–2009Hyundai Sonata (NF)
2009–2014Hyundai Sonata / i45 (YF)
2011–2019Hyundai i40 (VF)
2011Geneva debut: wagon first
2011Barcelona reveals the sedan
2011EuroCarBody gold and five NCAP stars
2014GO! and GO-Plus! wagons arrive
2015New diesel, DCT and rear damping
2018Smartstream diesel and a cascade grille
2019Space and Space Plus wagons
2019Production ends without a successor
  1. 2011

    Geneva debut: wagon first

    The wagon made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, before the sedan followed.5

  2. 2011

    Barcelona reveals the sedan

    The sedan debuted at Barcelona in May. Its new 2.0-liter Nu GDI paired 175 hp with a claimed 9.7-second 0–100 km/h and 6.8 L/100 km in manual form.5

  3. 2011

    EuroCarBody gold and five NCAP stars

    The i40 scored 37.98/50 for EuroCarBody gold, ahead of the Audi A6 and Mercedes B-Class; Euro NCAP also awarded it five stars.1

  4. 2014

    GO! and GO-Plus! wagons arrive

    GO! was based on Comfort; Premium-based GO-Plus! brought bi-xenon lights, navigation and heated front and rear seats.6

  5. 2015

    New diesel, DCT and rear damping

    The stronger 1.7 diesel rose to 139 hp and 340 Nm. A seven-speed DCT joined the range; the wagon gained electronic rear damping and cornering traction control.78

  6. 2018

    Smartstream diesel and a cascade grille

    The updated range met Euro 6d-Temp as Smartstream 1.6 diesels, a cascade grille and automatic collision-avoidance braking arrived.910

  7. 2019

    Space and Space Plus wagons

    For model year 2019, the wagon offered Space and Space Plus editions; Space Plus added 18-inch wheels, self-parking and adaptive rear damping.9

  8. 2019

    Production ends without a successor

    Hyundai ended i40 production in 2019 without a direct replacement, shifting its focus toward SUVs and electrified models.2

Every generation

  • Ford Cortina (Hyundai-built)
    Ford Cortina (Hyundai-built)1968–1983 (South Korea)
  • Hyundai Stellar
    Hyundai Stellar1983–1997
  • Hyundai Sonata
    Y11985–1988
  • Hyundai Sonata
    NF2004–2009
  • Hyundai Sonata / i45
    YF2009–2014
  • Hyundai i40
    VF2011–2019

Power over the years

From 113 hp to 175 hp in 0 years.

050100150200 201020122014201620182020 hp 2011 · 113 hp · Launch 1.7 CRDi, lower output2011 · 134 hp · Launch 1.7 CRDi, higher output2011 · 175 hp · Launch 2.0 Nu GDI gasoline2015 · 139 hp · Facelift 1.7 CRDi2019 · 133 hp · MY2019 1.6 gasoline2019 · 134 hp · MY2019 1.6 CRDi 7DCT 175 hp Launch 2.0 Nu GDI gasoline 113 hp Launch 1.7 CRDi, lower output
5789
Show the numbers
YearHorsepowerModel
2011113Launch 1.7 CRDi, lower output
2011134Launch 1.7 CRDi, higher output
2011175Launch 2.0 Nu GDI gasoline
2015139Facelift 1.7 CRDi
2019133MY2019 1.6 gasoline
2019134MY2019 1.6 CRDi 7DCT

Versions

12 versions worth knowing, with their power.

  • Active (UK, original)

    Standard

    Active (UK, original)

    2011

  • Style (UK, original)

    Standard

    Style (UK, original)

    2011

  • Standard

    Premium / Premium SE (UK, original)

    2011 / 2013

  • S / SE Nav / SE Nav Business / Premium (UK)

    Standard

    S / SE Nav / SE Nav Business / Premium (UK)

    2015

  • Standard

    Active / Elite / Premium Tourer (Australia)

    2011

  • Standard

    Yonique / PYL (Korea)

    2015

  • Standard

    Smart / Premium (Korea)

    2018

  • D-Spec (Korea)

    Performance

    D-Spec (Korea)

    2015

  • Special

    GO! wagon

    2014

    114 hp

  • Special

    GO-Plus! wagon

    2014

  • Special

    UEFA Euro 2016 Plus (France)

    2016

  • Special

    Space / Space Plus wagon

    2019

How to spot one

Look for

  • Four-door sedan or five-door wagon.11
  • Sedan: a low, stretched roofline gives it a coupe-like silhouette.5
  • A wedge-shaped profile and deeply sculpted sides.14
  • Early nose: hexagonal grille and a large, chiseled front bumper.15
  • Tourer wagon: a long rear overhang.16

Year by year

  1. 2011 launch

    Original nose pairs a hexagonal grille with a large, chiseled front bumper; the side windows sit above a high beltline.15

  2. 2013 (UK)

    Premium SE joined the original trim ladder with xenon headlights.47

  3. 2015

    New hexagonal grille, revised front and rear lights, a new front bumper and LED fog lights; 16- and 18-inch wheels were redesigned.8

  4. 2018 (Korea)

    A chrome mesh grille arrived; Premium gained redesigned 18-inch wheels and Merlot-colored leather seats.18

Don’t confuse it with

  • Photo of a Hyundai i40
    i40
    Photo of a Hyundai Sonata YF / i45
    Hyundai Sonata YF / i45

    Hyundai Sonata YF / i45

    The i40 has a simpler grille and a slightly smaller body; the i45 is the larger sedan.1620

Against its rivals

  • Mazda 6

    i40 vs Mazda 6

    Cargo, seats folded

    i401,719 L
    Mazda 61,648 L
    26
  • Toyota Avensis 2.0 D-4D

    i40 vs Toyota Avensis 2.0 D-4D

    Price as tested lower is better

    i4022,400 £
    Toyota Avensis 2.0 D-4D23,490 £
    12

The rest of the story is in the app

The full file tells why each version matters, the legend behind the car and what to check before buying one.

  • Versions

    • Why each of the 12 versions matters

  • Legend

    • 12 stories from its legend
    • “37.98 points beat the Audi A6”
    • “A TV role lifted i40 quote requests by 44%”

  • Generations

    • The story of each of the 6 generations
Read the full file in SPOT

SPOT is free on iPhone. Full car files come with SPOT Plus.

Sources

Every fact on this page links to the source it rests on.

See all 28 sources
  1. Hyundai wins 2011 EuroCarBody Golden Award with i40 - Hyundai Motor Company news.cision.com
  2. Hyundai i40: ruime en comfortabele middenklasser | Hyundai Motor Nederland hyundai.com
  3. Hyundai i40 saloon (2011-2019) | Carbuyer carbuyer.co.uk
  4. Hyundai i40 Tourer prices released | Carbuyer carbuyer.co.uk
  5. Hyundai i40 Sedan World Premiere in Barcelona - Hyundai Motor Company news.cision.com
  6. Neue Hyundai-Sondermodelle für den i40 - News - AUTOWELT - motorline.cc motorline.cc
  7. Used Hyundai i40 review | Auto Express autoexpress.co.uk
  8. El nuevo Hyundai i40 se ha renovado en todos los aspectos hyundai.news
  9. i40 Kombi Pressetext hyundai.news
  10. La Hyundai i40 améliorée grâce à un design avant rafraîchi et de nouvelles fonctionnalités de sécurité news.hyundai.be
  11. Hyundai i40 - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  12. Toyota Avensis vs Hyundai i40 | Auto Express autoexpress.co.uk
  13. Hyundai i40 priced up | News | Hyundai | by Car Enthusiast carenthusiast.com
  14. Hyundai i40 (2013–2019) review | Auto Express autoexpress.co.uk
  15. First drive: Hyundai eyes number two with i40 Tourer | GoAuto goauto.com.au
  16. Hyundai i40 Tourer wagon range Reviews | Our Opinion | GoAuto goauto.com.au
  17. 현대차, ‘더 뉴(The New) i40’ 출시 - 뉴스와이어 newswire.co.kr
  18. 현대차, 상품성 개선 모델 ‘2018 i40’ 출시 - 뉴스와이어 newswire.co.kr
  19. Hyundai UEFA Euro 2016 : nouvelle série spéciale chez Hyundai - L'argus largus.fr
  20. Hyundai Sonata - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  21. Ford Cortina - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  22. Hyundai Stellar - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  23. Hyundai Sonata: moderne, volwassen sedan in het D-segment | Hyundai Motor Nederland hyundai.com
  24. Vehicle History 2010 i40 | Corporate | Footer - Hyundai Worldwide hyundai.com
  25. Hyundai i40 vs rivals | Group Tests | | Auto Express autoexpress.co.uk
  26. Hyundai i40 Tourer 2015 facelift review | Auto Express autoexpress.co.uk
  27. `시청자를 사로잡아라`..車업계 드라마 PPL `열풍` edaily.co.kr
  28. 김태희,이 차 안에서 이병헌과 드라마 찍더니 - 매일경제 mk.co.kr
  • news.cision.com
  • hyundai.com
  • carbuyer.co.uk
  • motorline.cc
  • autoexpress.co.uk
  • hyundai.news
  • news.hyundai.be
  • en.wikipedia.org
  • carenthusiast.com
  • goauto.com.au
  • newswire.co.kr
  • largus.fr
  • edaily.co.kr
  • mk.co.kr

Photo credits

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