Hyundai has come out with an official announcement on its new D-segment car for Europe, about a week after the first illustrations of the i40 made their way onto the web. The i40, which was known by the codename ‘VF’ during development, is essentially the European market version of the North American and Korean Sonata, and will compete against cars like Ford Mondeo, VW Passat and Citroen C5.

The new i40 will make its world premiere in estate form at the upcoming Geneva Salon in March 2011, with a four door sedan model following later in the same year. It was designed at Hyundai’s European R&D facilities in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and according to the South Korean firm, it is the company’s first D-segment model to be specifically developed for the European market.

Hyundai claims that the i40 will further boost European consumer perception of the brand to "a more aspirational position" thanks to the vehicle's design, quality, performance and technical features.

“We have bold ambitions for Hyundai in Europe, and the new i40 will provide the momentum we need to achieve our goals in 2011 and beyond. We expect the quality of the new i40 to continue the development of our image in Europe and attract new customers to the Hyundai brand,” commented Allan Rushforth, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Europe.

“The i40 perfectly combines the four elements that have become core Hyundai values: practicality, performance, efficiency, and styling. Our designers and engineers have produced a car that encapsulates what European motorists look for in a D-segment vehicle,” Mr Rushforth added.

The South Korean firm said that the i40 will be Hyundai's most innovative model on sale in Europe, featuring the latest environmental technologies developed under the company’s Blue Drive eco-program, and a powertrain line-up with "best-in-class performance and fuel economy, and very low CO2 emissions."

While Hyundai did not release any specific details on the engine line-up, it is believed that at launch, consumers will have the choice a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with direct injection and an output of around 170-horsepower, plus two variants of the a 1.7-liter turbo-diesel with 115 HP and 136 HP.

The company said more information on the i40 will be released nearer the time of car's motor show world premiere in Geneva.

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These are the first teaser renderings of Hyundai's new competitor in the European market D-segment, the i40 that will take on the likes of the VW Passat, Ford Mondeo, Renault Laguna and Toyota Avensis from next year. It is based on a modified version of the North American Sonata's platform and aside from the estate model seen here, it will also be offered in a four-door sedan version, which will enter the market later towards the end of 2011.

Designed and developed by Hyundai’s German R&D centre in Russelsheim with European buyers in mind, the station wagon's exterior styling is heavily influenced by the South Korean automaker's Genus Concept model from 2006 (scroll down for photos).

Hyundai's mid-sizer will be available in Europe with the same range of petrol and diesel engines as its sister model, the new [EU-spec] Kia Optima.

At launch, the palette of engines will include a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with direct injection and an output of 170-horsepower, and two variants of the firm's 1.7-liter turbo-diesel with 115 HP and 136 HP. The South Korean firm will further enhance the i40's engine range with a more powerful diesel unit starting from 2012.

The new i40 in estate form will make its world premiere at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March and go on sale across Europe before summer of the same year.

Source: Hyundai , Via: Hyundai-blog

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