Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
High-altitude testing is important for all automakers. It ensures the powertrain can hold its own in thin air, and Hyundai needs to make sure the new i40 CW is up to par in these conditions. Somewhat expectedly, the South Korean automaker took the next-generation station wagon to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Spain to fine-tune the family-oriented model for real-world use.
Even though one of the two prototypes spied by the carparazzi wears the alloy wheels from the third-generation i30, the mildly-camouflaged cars wear the body panels from the current i40 CW. This is somewhat curious considering the age of the i40 and i40 CW, which date back to 2011. Already facelifted in 2014, a second facelift is unusual for the mid-size family car.
The window lines and proportions of the spied vehicles are exactly the same as those of the current i40 CW, but the camouflage hides minor changes to the front and rear fascias. Scheduled to go official in 2018 for the 2019 model year, the newcomer is gifted with the cascading grille design from the new i30. The taillights, meanwhile, appear to be slimmer than before and feature modern graphics inspired by what one can find at the rear of the i30.
Loosely related to the Hyundai Sonata available in the United States of America, the i40 is expected to a plug-in hybrid variant to the lineup. The latest Kia Optima serves as the basis for this possible scenario, with the mid-size sedan and wagon available as a PHEV. Thanks to its 9.8 kWh battery, the Optima PHEV delivers an all-electric range of up to 27 miles (43 kilometers).
In regard to ICE-only models, the 2019 Hyundai i40 will soldier on with the tried-and-tested 1.7 CRDi turbo diesel and two turbocharged gasoline mills: the 1.6-liter Gamma and 2.0-liter Theta II. For the plug-in hybrid model, the suck-squeeze-bang-blow part will come in the form of the Nu GDI.
The window lines and proportions of the spied vehicles are exactly the same as those of the current i40 CW, but the camouflage hides minor changes to the front and rear fascias. Scheduled to go official in 2018 for the 2019 model year, the newcomer is gifted with the cascading grille design from the new i30. The taillights, meanwhile, appear to be slimmer than before and feature modern graphics inspired by what one can find at the rear of the i30.
Loosely related to the Hyundai Sonata available in the United States of America, the i40 is expected to a plug-in hybrid variant to the lineup. The latest Kia Optima serves as the basis for this possible scenario, with the mid-size sedan and wagon available as a PHEV. Thanks to its 9.8 kWh battery, the Optima PHEV delivers an all-electric range of up to 27 miles (43 kilometers).
In regard to ICE-only models, the 2019 Hyundai i40 will soldier on with the tried-and-tested 1.7 CRDi turbo diesel and two turbocharged gasoline mills: the 1.6-liter Gamma and 2.0-liter Theta II. For the plug-in hybrid model, the suck-squeeze-bang-blow part will come in the form of the Nu GDI.
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