Hyundai i45 Car Review

FamilyCar Rating Styling Performance Value EcoFriendly Safety Overall Rating Model Reviewed Hyundai i45 Premium auto $37,990* Other models priced from Active 6 speed manual $29,490* What we liked it Exterior design, storage What we didn’t No Bluetooth phone connectivity

Viewing image 1 of 9

Hyundai is going from strength to strength. The ix35, launched in Australia a couple of months ago, is being snapped up by savvy buyers and the i45 will be no different. Why? Because Hyundai has nailed the design, offer plenty of features and make new cars affordable for many Australians. It seems that many of us have forgotten (or forgiven; or never knew about) the cheap cars Hyundai once peddled from the auto alleys around our country. You only need to spend a small amount of time with the CEO, the designer of the i45 or marketing people from Hyundai to experience their passion and drive to create cars that people want, and maybe one day aspire to own.

The i45 replaces the Sonata in Australia and is available in 3 models, the Active, Elite and Premium. They all share the same 2.4 litre petrol engine and are available in automatic, with a 6 speed manual also on offer in the Active. While we drove both the Elite and Premium models, our review focuses on the Premium.

Driver Comfort & Visibility

The first thing you’ll notice about the i45 is its stylish exterior with design cues from a host of other brand including Mercedes, Lexus, Audi and BMW. It’s no coincidence that these are all prestige brands.

On the inside, the Premium model offers an all leather interior including seats, door trim, steering wheel and gear knob. Both the driver and front passenger seat is fully electric with the driver seat having two memory settings. The seats are really comfy, not too hard and not too soft. Visibility is good, particularly out of the front windscreen and rear ¾, thanks to an extra panel of glass. The Premium has pretty much all the features you could ask for. Steering wheel mounted audio controls, climate control air conditioning, good sound system, power windows and mirrors, cruise control, rain sensing wipers and an amazing panoramic sunroof. The only other feature that would have made it the perfect package is Bluetooth connectivity for your mobile. I’d trade this feature for paddle shifts any day!

Safety

The i45 hasn’t been tested by ANCAP yet, but is likely to achieve a 5 star rating, thanks to its healthy list of standard features, which include ABS, EBP, ESP, 6 airbags, Brake Assist, Hillstart Assist Control and Traction Control. There are also reverse parking sensors to complete the package.

Rear Passenger Comfort

Three adults can sit in the rear seat, but it is more comfortable with just two adults or two adults and a child. The rear headroom is quite good, as the rear seat has been lowered slightly. There is a centre armrest with 2 great cup holders and a multi section air vent. There are also pockets on the back of the front seats, but no rear door pockets.

Storage

For the front occupants there are plenty of storage options including door pockets with bottle holders, two centre cup holders, a two stage centre console box, a closable centre storage nook (good for CDs) and a couple of other little storage nooks. The glove box is also a great size.

The boot is a good size with a handy little storage tray on the right hand side. If you need more storage you can pull the lever located in the boot and release half the rear seat. The only downside to the boot is that there is a small spot on the rear back that is not covered by carpet, which looks a little cheap.

Green Factor

The i45 has achieved a 4.5 stars (out of 5) Green Vehicle Guide rating. This is pretty good for a car of this size. It’s a combination of its lowish carbon emissions of 188 gms/km and good fuel economy of 7.9 litres/km (combined cycle) along with its low pollution level that has led to this rating. Fuel efficiency and lower emissions is certainly a goal of Hyundai and we will continue to see improvements in this area as they design new engines.

Overall View

The Hyundai i45 has plenty going for it; sleek styling, plenty of features, not too thirsty and good value for money. It’s slightly bigger on the inside than the new Suzuki Kizashi, but comparable in feature list and pricing. To read our review of the Kizashi click here.

Test Drive Tips

• The i45 offers a push button start/stop feature. But this is not the tricky part. If you jump into a car with the key already in it, it is almost impossible to find the key. There is a nifty little slot inside the centre console box where you can safely store the key.
• Park brake. To make more room in the centre console area, there is a foot brake with a simple push on/off mechanism.

If you are considering this car, you may also like to test drive the Honda Accor Euro, Suzuki Kizashi, Mazda6 or Volkswagen Jetta.

Features of Model Reviewed

*Manufacturer's RRP. Excludes dealer delivery and statutory government costs.

# All new vehicles sold in Australia (up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass) are tested to determine the level of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (Greenhouse rating), which are displayed on the fuel consumption label attached to the windscreen of the car. The Green Vehicle Guide rating combines the Greenhouse Rating and Air Pollution Rating and awards a star. 5 stars is the best rating.  For more information, click here.
Information is correct at the time of the review. Please check with your Hyundai dealer for the most recent information.

Review Date: May 2010

Reviewed By: Melissa Pye