Hyundai I45 Reviews

Who would have thought that an Asian carmaker could produce a car as elegant as the Hyundai i45?

We switched our new longterm Hyundai to 'Econ' mode straight away rising to the challenge of squeezing out the best possible fuel economy. Funny how things work. The i45 for example is a handsome new four door sedan with coupe styling and a swag of new technology but we are focussed almost entirely on fuel economy.Blame Hyundai for installing the system. It seems to be working with the trip computer showing an average of 6.5-litres/100km in mixed driving but we are really trying hard for economy at this stage. It's particularly good right now with fuel hovering around the $1.40 a litre mark.The i45 has had a less than smooth introduction to the Aussie market after some criticism from local motoring scribes about its ride and handling. Hyundai responded with an upgrade virtually before the car was properly launched here. Australia is the only country where this action was taken.We really don't know what all the fuss was about -- the original suspension settings were pretty good for a medium family sedan. It's not intended to be a sports sedan. But that's done now and the car we are driving will put a smile on your face and is easy to live with on a day to day basis -- not too soft or hard, sporty steering response and excellent engine performance.It's the Elite auto selling for $34,590 which represents good value when you factor in standard equipment and compare it with the competition.It's a big car, getting up towards Falcon/Commodore size and has plenty of room inside for five. The boot is a decent size too capable of swallowing up to three suitcases and there's a full size spare under the floor.We were able to take the i45 on a long trip and got out fresh as a daisy at the end of a 500km slog. That's partly down to the low noise levels inside but also to the smooth silent engine that only becomes audible under full throttle.We know there's still some snobbery out there regarding Korean cars but people should get over it because the i45 is a good example the standard of quality and engineering you now get from Hyundai (and Kia) -- as good as Japanese -- better in some areas.

Kia Optima and Hyundai i45 Elite go head-to-head in this comparative review.

The Yanks love Hyundai's largish mid-size, front-wheel-drive sedan. Can't get enough of it. As though to emulate that noted silvery shower TV ad, they've deluged the i45 with awards. They might even have given that ad an award.And why not? The thing's made mainly for the US. Yet Australia's auto media have damned the i45 with praise only for its fit, finish and value for money. Are our nations so very different? And if so, why?Firstly it's essential to understand that American-made cars have been, by and large, rubbish. So their basis for comparison is wanting.Secondly, Australia's car makers, whatever their many faults, know how to make devices for our third world road surfaces and for drivers who don't consider having to move the steering wheel a violation of human rights. Our expectations are accordingly different.Released almost 12 months ago, the i45 was derided for its rolling, aquatic ride and feel-free steering. For being such a slovenly Yank, basically. So strident was the criticism, Hyundai went back to address a few fundamentals.So here the i45 is again. Is it better?This part of the song remains the same, which is as it should be. Value for money was never in question. The entry-level Active starts from $31,090. Actually there's a sub-$30K model, but that has a manual transmission so who are we kidding? The Elite is $34,590, the Premium $38,990.As you'd expect from Hyundai, equipment levels are high throughout. Leather upholstery kicks on on the Elite, heated front seats are standard on the Premium as is sat nav with Bluetooth. The latter are optional on the other models.Mitsubishi is the only Japanese car maker to approach the Hyundai's and Kia's five year unlimited kilometre warranty.The responsive 2.4-cylinder direct injection petrol four remains, as does its fairly happy marriage to a six-speed automatic. What's new, Hyundai say, is stiffness. The front springs are 15 per cent stiffer, the rears six per cent. These are to address the i45's tendency to pitch and roll like a trawler in an Atlantic gale.  There are thicker stabiliser bars. These are to  reduce the i45's penchant for understeering like a shopping trolley with a bung wheel. The selective dampers have been fiddled with on the Premium model and introduced the Active and Elite. These are to contrive a ride/handling compromise that feels less like floundering in the middle of a sagging water bed.Additional sound deadening material has been added to reduce NVH and boost refinement levels.All present and correct. Five crash safety stars from ANCAP and a full size spare in the boot.A blessing and a curse, in that its swooping Merc CLS-like lines got punters all excited, and so made driving the thing feel even more of a bummer. Even so, the i45's is a wholly successful look, surely the model that dispels any lingering memory of Hyundai's driveaway then chuckaway days.At 4.8 metres by 1.8 and nearly a metre-and-a-half high it should be capacious enough for anyone. The boot's a big Staryan car size 523 litres. In short, it's big.Within, the driver's workstation of our Elite model is first rate. Crisply displayed instruments glow blue with lights on. There's masses of storage and the plastics could come from a more expensive car. So relaxing and comfortable are the front thrones, you tend not to mind that the parking brake is foot activated.Hey, if it's good enough for Mercedes-Benz ...Oh dear ...The i45 is benchmarked, Hyundai say, against the Camry and the Accord, as opposed to the Mazda6 and Accord Euro. You can sneer at it for not being among the latter, but you might as well decry a nice cup of milky tea for not being a double shot espresso.This would be just fine except the i45's neither.It's one thing being disconcertingly unresolved above what some are pleased to talk of as “sixth tenths” in same breath as “public roads”; no-one is in this showroom for a sports sedan. It's quite another that the ride is neither controlled nor cosseting.If the i45 doesn't corner with confidence, it doesn't cruise in comfort; floating with any sort of pace and fidgeting maddeningly at low speed while the steering's feel is ... well, it hasn't any. Except when a mid-corner bump is hit. It conveys those all too effectively. The best that can be said for the stability program is it's not apt to intervene hastily.Progress is not helped by the 17-inch Kuhmo tyres of our Elite. These make far too much noise, roaring on the tarmac and screeching at the least provocation without the consolation of grip on last week's newly wet roads.Against that, the DI petrol four is a willing, responsive if slightly raucous unit that makes light of the 1528kg kerb weight. It's union with the six-speed auto is the soul dynamic highlight.Not in an Australian accent.

This car comes to the market with great expectations, following on the heels of the award-winning i30 and the impressive ix35.The Hyundai i45, which replaces the Sonata, arrives with aggressive pricing, a feature-stacked package and out-there styling and at a time when the South Korean company is in an upward sales spiral. However, the i45 doesn’t live up to the great expectations out on the road with spongy handling, vague steering, a flaring gearbox and intrusive tyre noise.PRICE AND TRIM LEVELSHMCA sales director Damien Meredith expects they will sell about 500 a month or 4000 this year. Hyundai had intended to launch the vehicle on the market on Monday (May 24) with two spec levels. The Elite costs $34,990 and has a 2.4-litre, 148kW/250Nm petrol engine and six-speed automatic transmission. The up-spec Premium has the same engine and transmission and costs $37,990.However, since placing its orders, Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) has been able to acquire extra production allowing the addition in July of a base model Active at $29,490 in six-speed manual and $30,990 for the auto. This is up $1500 on the base model Sonata it replaces, but standard equipment is impressive.HMCA marketing director Oliver Mann says they want to 'lead the class with the highest level of spec in this segment'.Active comes with six airbags, stability control, piano-black interior trim, hill-start assist, fog lamps, cloth/leather seats, cruise control, 16-inch alloys with a full-size spare and USB/iPod connectivity. The Elite adds full leather upholstery, 17-inch alloys, smart key start, rear parking sensors, climate control, paddle shifters and rain-sensing wipers. Premium adds an electric sunroof, 18-inch alloys, better suspension damping, electrochromatic rearview mirror, premium audio with woofer and electric front seats with two driver-position memories.APPEARANCEIt is styled in the US and features a lot of fussy panel creases with a bonnet reminiscent of the Chrysler Crossfire. There are a lot of details around the fog lamps and lights and plenty of chrome bling on the windows sills, handles and grille. The roofline swoops like a Mercedes CLS or Passat CC for a four-door coupe look, but the rear seats have been set down and back to preserve head and leg room.Andre Hudson, manager at Hyundai’s design studio in southern California where the exterior was conceived, says he is proud that the coupe roof and small ‘porthole’ window in the C pillar has been retained from his original drawings. However, it doesn’t help with a lack of rear-three-quarters vision that is inherent in this coupe-like design strategy.The i45’s styling will be divisive in the marketplace, but certainly will set it apart from the crowd. Build quality is superb as is now the standard equipment list with this Korean manufacturer, however the old-fashioned boot hinges are a letdown as they encroach about 15cm into the boot space.The interior, which was designed in South Korea, is similar to the interior of the new ix35. It’s classy, functional and has quality switches and controls.SAFETYOn the safety side, Mann says it is expected to achieve a five-star rating. He says it not only has six airbags and a suite of electronic driver aids, but also rigid hot-stamped steel chassis that makes it safer and quieter.DRIVINGI had great expectations for the i45 driving experience on the launch in the Brisbane Valley this week, but was let down by the overly plush ride and vague steering.Mann claims the vehicle was heat-tested in Australia and also tested for suspension tweaks on our bumpy roads. However, the vehicles we drove felt like they had American-spec suspension. Even the Premium model with 'amplitude selective dampers' (a sliding valve adjusts the dampers according to terrain) feels light and vague in the front with hefty understeer and a floating rear end.The two ends of the car seem out of phase with each and the steering doesn’t feel connected to the road surface. It doesn’t change direction well and gets nervous over uneven surfaces. On some of the more abrupt bumps and corrugations, there is steering rack rattle and kickback through the wheel.The suspension also hit the bump stops a couple of times on serious divots and unloaded without much control, sending the car bouncing down the road. It needs some serious tweaking on the dampers and springs, plus some tightening of the steering.The vehicle is also under-tyred with 215mm Kuhmo and Hankook rubber that creates quite a bit of noise in the cabin. However, wind noise and engine noise is well under control in the noise-damped interior.The Theta II four-cylinder seems up to the task with a claimed 7.9 litres per 100km in the manual model. Hills tend to take its breath away and the automatic transmission flares a little when asked to change cogs.In this segment, the i45 stacks up well for features, price and style against the conservative crew such as the Camry and Accord, but it fails to make a dent in the more dynamic rivals such as Mazda6, Liberty, Mondeo and Passat.HYUNDAI i45Prices: $29,490 (Active manual); $30,990 (Active auto); $34,490 (Elite auto); $37,990 (Premium auto); $450 (metallic paint)On sale: May 24Engine: 2.4-litre, transverse, 16-valve, DOHC 4-cylinderPower: 148kW @ 6300rpmTorque: 250Nm @ 4250rpmTransmission: 6-speed manual (Active only), 6-speed autoBrakes: 300/284mm ventilated discsDimensions (mm): 4820 (l), 1835 (w), 1470 (h), 2795 (wheelbase), 140 (clearance)Kerb weight: 1506kg (man), 1528kg (auto)Suspension: McPherson struts (front), multi-link (rear)Safety: 6 airbags, active front headrests, stability control, ABS, hill start assistWheels: 16-inch alloys (Active), 17 (Elite), 18 (Premium), full-size spareEconomy: 8L/100km (man), 7.9 (auto)CO2: 191g/km (man), 188 (auto)Fuel tank: 70 litres