Hyundai i40 dropped from Australia

Hyundai Australia has dropped the i40 mid-size sedan and wagon following persistent low sales and ahead of the arrival of the new-generation Sonata in the second half of the year. 

On sale since October 2011, the i40 was developed in Europe and was sold alongside the i45 of the time, which was renamed Sonata in its next generation. The i40 and Sonata duo was seen as Hyundai’s take on the Honda Accord and Accord Euro situation throughout the 2000s - the i40 was the slightly smaller European take on the mid-size idea, while the Sonata was bigger and better priced.

Unlike the Accord situation - in Australia at least - the i40 offered a both sedan and wagon body-styles, and the wagon was the better seller between the two locally. 

The i40's cabin was a nice place to be.

Throughout its life in Australia, the i40 offered two drivetrains - a 121kW/203Nm 2.0-litre petrol, and a 104kW/340Nm 1.7-litre turbo-diesel. The petrol was available with a six-speed auto, and the diesel a seven-speed dual-clutch auto. The wagon was available with both units, but perhaps because of the petrol Sonata, the sedan was diesel-only in its later years.

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Mid-size car sales shrunk in recent years thanks to SUVs, so much so that in 2012 there were 87,674 examples sold - in 2018, that declined to 46,231. The story for the i40 is the same - in 2012 it sold 2392 units, and last year only 633 were delivered. 

The i40 wagon was the better selling bodystyle locally.

Flying the mid-size flag for Hyundai Australia will be the new-generation Sonata, which is due to land locally in the third quarter of 2019 with a four-cylinder petrol engine. A turbocharged unit in a rumoured Sonata N-Line may launch in 2020 as well. 

Do you lament the loss of the Hyundai i40? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.