Hyundai i40 saloon 1.7 CRDi Premium road test

Following on from the excellent i40 Tourer, Hyundai is hoping that the Hyundai i40 saloon 134bhp 1.7-litre CRDi diesel Premium will be a big success in the company car market.

While the manufacturer has been shouting about its other new models like the i30 and Veloster, the South Korean company has been relatively quiet about its big company car prospect.

This saloon model should be a tempting proposition to any company car driver due to its affordable company car tax, stacks of standard equipment and competitive running costs.

The figures make for decent viewing. This version emits 134g/km of CO2, placing it in the 20% Benefit-in-Kind bracket. Combine this with a P11d value of £23,225 and 40% tax payers will face a monthly bill of £155.

At the same time the Ford Mondeo 2.0-litre TDCi 140bhp Titanium hatchback (Ford no longer makes the saloon version) will cost £136 per month for 40% tax payers while the Vauxhall Insignia 2.0-litre CDTi Exclusiv Nav will set you back £133 per month. While these are both significantly cheaper, they also come with less equipment than the Hyundai model.

The i40 saloon in Premium specification comes with an abundance of kit. In addition to the Style trim this version also gets 18-inch alloys, driver’s seat with memory function, front passenger seat with electric adjustment lumbar support, glove compartment with cooling function, heated front seats, keyless entry with engine stop/start button, leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof, instrument cluster with LCD colour display as standard

Hyundai also claims that this model will return 55.4mpg on average. This is more likely to be around the 50mpg mark in the real world, which is still a good figure given the current high price of fuel.

There’s nothing startling about the Hyundai i40 on the road. It drives like a medium saloon but lacks the engagement of the Ford Mondeo. The 1.7-litre CRDi diesel engine has a power output of 134bhp and 325Nm of pulling power. This means it will complete the benchmark 0-62mph sprint in 10.6 seconds and it can go on to a top speed of 125mph. The Hyundai i40 does feel a little sluggish and if you are overtaking slower traffic then you will need to plan ahead and drop down a gear or two.

When cornering enthusiastically the i40 has plenty of front-end grip. Despite the steering is speed sensitive it does feel artificial and never gives the driver enough feedback. Body lean is minimal and the ride is smooth. Our advice, however, would be to stick with the smaller 17-inch alloys. Choose bigger wheels and you’ll get a bumpier ride over roads that are littered with potholes.

At steady motorway speeds the Hyundai i40 has excellent levels of comfort while road, wind and tyre noise are all kept to a minimum.

Practicality is also pretty competitive. The i40 has a loadspace of 525 litres. This is pipped by the 545 litres of the Peugeot 508 and just by the Mondeo’s 528 litres, but is bigger than the Insignia’s 500 litres of bootspace.

Boasting affordable running costs, good average fuel economy and low CO2 emissions – the Hyundai i40 saloon could be the next big thing in the company car sector. It will also be an attractive model to those fleets keeping vehicles for more than 3 years thanks to the 5 year triple care package that comes as standard.

The Hyundai i40 1.7CRDi Premium is available to order now and has a p11d of £23,225.

Also consider

Volkswagen Passat

With three trim levels and six engines there is plenty of choice for customers. This seventh generation is noticeably quieter and has a smoother ride than the previous model.

Kia Optima

About 80% of Optimas sold in the UK will go to fleets due to the frugal and affordable 1.7-litre diesel engine. Even entry level cars get plenty of kit.

Peugeot 508

A choice of five diesel engines should suit a variety of company car drivers. The ride comfort is excellent and is perfect for long motorway journeys.