Hyundai i40 review: a handsome executive sedan Hyundai gave up on
3/5motorssouq Editorial Team
The i40 rides better and looks smarter than most cars in its segment ever did, and used prices in Bahrain reflect a model nobody remembers Hyundai still made. Buy one for comfortable, quiet highway cruising at a bargain price, but go in expecting to rely on independent Hyundai specialists rather than dealer-stocked parts, since Hyundai's own network has moved on to the Sonata.
Pros
- Fluidic Sculpture styling still looks genuinely handsome, not dated
- 178 hp 2.0-litre GDI engine has enough low-down torque for a fully loaded car
- Ride quality and cabin isolation beat the segment average of its era
- 505-litre boot is genuinely large for a mid-size sedan
Cons
- Discontinued since 2019 with no direct replacement in Hyundai's current lineup
- Independent workshops encounter it less often than an Elantra or Sonata
- Hyundai dealers no longer actively stock i40-specific parts
- Resale value is weak, reflecting how overlooked the model has become
The i40 arrived with Hyundai's Fluidic Sculpture design language at its most confident, and more than a decade later the shape still reads as genuinely handsome rather than dated — long bonnet, low roofline, and proportions that borrow more from European executive saloons than from the Sonata it shared a showroom with. The 2.0-litre GDI four under the bonnet produces a healthy 178 hp through a smooth six-speed automatic, driving the front wheels with enough torque low down to never feel strained carrying a full complement of passengers.
The ride is the car's strongest suit for Bahrain: firm enough to feel composed through a roundabout, soft enough to absorb the patched sections of the older highways without complaint, and the cabin isolation at 120 km/h on the causeway is better than the segment average of its era. Rear-seat space is generous for a car this length, and the 505-litre boot is genuinely large.
Why it disappeared, and what that means now
Hyundai quietly discontinued the i40 worldwide around 2019, folding its ambitions into an ever-improving Sonata rather than replacing it directly. That decision left Bahrain's used i40s as something of an orphan model: still fully supported for routine servicing by any Hyundai dealer, but no longer a car the brand actively promotes parts stock for, and one that independent workshops encounter less often than an Elantra or Sonata of the same age.
None of that makes it a bad used buy — reliability of the core drivetrain has been solid in owner experience, and running costs are comparable to a Sonata of the same era. It simply means budgeting slightly more patience for anything beyond an oil change, and checking with a specialist before committing to a car with a known fault.