Hyundai i40 saloon (2011-2019) - Interior & comfort

Given that the i40 is a large saloon car, it’s unsurprisingly comfortable and calm during long drives. It copes well with the UK's increasingly rough roads, even when fitted with the firmer optional sports suspension. But if you want to maintain that level of comfort, give the 18-inch alloy wheels a miss, as they make it much bumpier.

The car’s dimensions are still sleek enough to make parking and city driving relatively stres- free, while the interior offers a driving position with lots of adjustment to get comfortable. All the seats have decent back and side support, but are cushioned enough to keep you comfortable over long distances. Wind and road noise are almost non-existent inside the car, with the diesel engines actually being fairly hushed.

Hyundai i40 dashboard

Interior quality used to be a weak point with Hyundais and other Korean-built cars, but the new i40 doesn’t suffer from this and holds up well against most rivals. You don’t get the ultimate feeling of solidity and perceived quality of a Volkswagen, but it’s not far off, either. A large central touchscreen controls many of the car’s functions, backed up by some clearly labelled and laid-out buttons elsewhere on the dash.

Equipment

The entry-level S model features standard equipment such as alloy wheels, air-conditioning, automatic lights and Bluetooth phone connectivity. If you go for the middle-of-the-range SE Nav spec, you’ll get sat nav, front and rear parking sensors, plus heated front seats fitted as standard. SE Nav Business adds leather upholstery and keyless entry and is aimed primarily at company-car users. The top-spec Premium model comes with extras such as ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and a panoramic sunroof.

Options

As with most Korean and Japanese brands, there isn’t a huge range of options available to add to your i40 – instead, you just pick the trim level with the equipment you want. You can, however, add metallic or pearl-effect paint to all models, while the top-of-the-range Premium version can be specified with a ‘Visibility Pack’, incorporating bright bi-xenon headlights, headlight washers, automatically adjusting high beams and and road-sign recognition.