Used car check: Hyundai i40

W we have had this before - and yet we should remind you of the leap in quality Hyundai has made in recent years, 'emphasizes Master Wünsch as a greeting. “Quite clever, the Koreans: while the VW group was looking for a way to get the exhaust gases of its diesel engines under control, and it made the wrong turn, the Hyundai engineers concentrated on a broader topic. Namely: How can we make our cars better? '

Obviously you found the right answers - in the case of the i40, by the way, this happened in Rüsselsheim, in the brand's European development center. Since its debut, the 4.78 meter long Hyundai i40 station wagon has been particularly popular with all those who love the VW Passat Variant or Skoda Superb Combi - that is, they appreciate a lot of space and good long-distance comfort. The Hyundai i40 also offers both, but it usually couldn't overtake these competitors in comparison tests. These tests also showed how close Hyundai is getting to the market leaders - and that the i40 has more standard equipment and offers a five-year guarantee with unlimited kilometers.

'The competition looks really old', adds Meister Make a wish. “If you are concerned about safety, this is exactly the right thing for you. And think about it, such cars often change hands for the first time after three years. This means that future used car buyers need not have a queasy feeling, but benefit from a two-year manufacturer's guarantee! '

Dani Heyne

Since the market launch until December 2018, a total of 42,575 Hyundai i40s have been newly registered in Germany.

Hyundai's strategy: You commita good designer and say goodbye to purely functional body fashion, increase the processing quality until nothing rattles anymore, and do without (savings) experiments with the technology that only annoy customers in the end - such as the timing chains of the TSI engines in VW universe.

Does the quality keep what the guarantee promises?

'Hyundai did it well, no question,' summarizes Master Wünsch, 'the interesting thing is how long-lasting the cars are actually built. To do this, we take a close look at this three-year-old i40 station wagon, which is well equipped, had a previous owner and was punctually at all service appointments. '

While our checker examines the body of the Hyundai i40 for defects , let's briefly discuss the regular workshop visits, which are particularly important at Hyundai. Because: If you miss an appointment here, you risk the guarantee.

Master Wünsch nods in agreement while holding a cell phone-like device at various points on the body. “It meticulously measures how thick the paint is at each point on the body. This makes it very easy to determine whether the panels have been repainted. The devices are now available for less than 50 euros on the Internet. '

Master Wünsch doesn't find anything apart from two small scratches. The windshield and headlights have no stone chips, the aluminum rims have no curb marks.

Dani Heyne

There are practical flat compartments under the sturdy trunk floor for stowing all sorts of things Odds and ends.

And the interior? “At first glance no signs of battle to be seen,” jokes the master and takes a closer look at the cockpit, seats and trunk: “Small scratches on the door pockets, a scratch in the sky and a few more on the trunk lining - all quite normal for a used car 'He adds:' Would you like a test drive? '

The gasoline engine starts effortlessly and warms up quietly. According to the data sheet, it should accelerate the large station wagon to 100 km /h in less than twelve seconds - and further to a maximum of 195 km /h. 'That should be completely sufficient for most situations in life,' mumbles Master Wünsch, laying the firstGo into gear and let the clutch come.

The Hyundai i40 starts moving quietly and cautiously, which as a station wagon brings over 1.5 tons onto the road. After a lap over the urban cobblestones, the foreman steers him over the country road. “The chassis makes a fit impression, but the steering seems a bit decoupled” - but this seems to be the way it was originally intended. The brakes grip well and the six gears can be engaged without any problems. 'After around 60,000 kilometers it shouldn't be any different,' summarizes the checker and directs the car directly onto the lifting platform.

Technical problems? Rarely in the Hyundai i40

While the station wagon floats upwards, Master Wünsch says that the i40 has no typical problem areas. He knows that from his customer base. If someone unexpectedly shows up in front of the workshop, it is because a parking beeper no longer wants or because the radio unit only hums monotonously instead of playing the favorite hits. Once there was a tiny rust nest on the tailgate that was covered by the guarantee. 'The engines do their job unobtrusively, their timing chains do not lengthen, excessive oil consumption is not known,' adds Master Wünsch, pulls out the flashlight and checks the brakes first: 'Could even be the first pads - they definitely won't longer and should be changed promptly. There is still a little more padding at the back, but it doesn't take long before the wear limit is reached. “Springs and shock absorbers look good, the chassis shows no play, and the axle boots show no cracks. The engine and transmission are dry, as is the air conditioning cooler. 'You should always take a look at it here, as even small stone chips can cause major damage,' explains the foreman and checks the sub-floor for corrosion. “Nothing to be found. All seams are - like the bottom itself - properly sealed. '

Dani Heyne

Tire pressure monitoring: This is how the master checks whether the technology of the Hyundai i40 is still working perfectly.

After checking the profile of the tires (sufficient for at least one season),checked the silencers (stainless steel) and inspected the suspension of the rear axle (everything was fine), Master Wünsch wipes his hands on a rag and winks with satisfaction: “As I suspected, the car has nothing, except for normal wear and tear on the brakes and Tires and a few scratches. The built-in technology is sometimes not as modern as that of the competition, but this has the advantage that it is not so vulnerable. So all in all a solid, large touring car at a fair price. And with a two-year remaining warranty from the manufacturer. '

We just miss those prices: three-year-old Hyundai i40 station wagons currently start at around 13,500 euros. For a comparable Skoda Superb you would have to pay 3,500 euros more.

Versions, engines & equipment

Hyundai Sonata - does that tell you something else? Large sedan, restrained character, offered comparatively cheaply. Exactly that! It was succeeded in 2011 by the i40 discussed here, with which Hyundai made a powerful restart in the middle class. The spacious five-door hatchback was designed in the European research and development center in Rüsselsheim and then built in the Ulsan plant. This is located on the east coast of South Korea - from here Hyundai ships the i40 to Germany, among other places. We started with the station wagon, because it's the most popular design in this class. At the beginning it had the abbreviation 'cw' - currently it is called Kombi Space.

Dani Heyne

There was also an i40 sedan - it started in spring 2012 and lasted until May 2015 , then it was clear to everyone involved: The sedan's low sales would not pay off.

There was an i40 sedan (shown here on the right) also - it started in spring 2012 and lasted until May 2015, then it was clear to everyone involved: The low sales of Li mousine doesn't pay off. Since then, it's the station wagon alone, which received a revision in 2015 - visually recognizable by the slightly modified front.

Before the facelift, there were three equipment versions Comfort, Style and Premium -since then there have been four: Classic, Trend, Style and Premium. The engine range of the i40 is similarly clear. Hyundai offers two options for gasoline engines: the 1.6 GDI with 135 hp and the two-liter GDI with 177 hp. Since the facelift in 2015, the large four-cylinder has only developed 165 hp, and it is also optionally available with a six-speed automatic. The small gasoline engine is only available with a six-speed manual transmission. The diesels start with a 1.7-liter four-cylinder CRDi with 116 PS and 280 Newton meters, followed by a 136 PS version that has been available with 141 PS and 340 Newton meters since the 2015 facelift. A seven-speed DSG is available for the large diesel.

At the end of 2018, Hyundai revised the i40 again - since then, the engines have complied with the Euro 6d-Temp emission class.