The Hyundai Motor Company is planning to launch its much awaited model Hyundai i40 for the European market in 2010. The car is thought as a vehicle which will change the people’s perception about the Hyundai Company in the European market. They are looking at being counted amongst the manufacturers which are able to make desirable cars. This is a major positioning shift for Hyundai especially in the European market where till now they had been positioning themselves as producers of value for money cars.

Although much details about the Hyundai i40 have not been shared, but is known to be sporting a 2.0 ltr. and a 2.2 ltr. next generation diesel CRDI engine which will produce 181 and 197 bhp respectively. The designing of Hyundai i40 is being done on the lines of the concept model which had been showcased by Hyundai Motor Company some time back. At the outset, the Hyundai i40 is believed to be a mixture of a SUV, Hatchback and a MUV. The car is believed to be a notch above its competition in its styling and comfort parameters and is being made with an eye on competing with the Accord, Mazda and Camry in certain markets.

Hyundai i10 has enjoyed a huge success in the Indian and other Asian markets, which has prompted Hyundai Motor Company to launch subsequent models of i20 and Hyundai i40 in the Indian markets as well. The Hyundai i40 is being looked at as a possible replacement for the Hyundai Sonata for the Indian market. there is also a school of thought which claims that the Hyundai i40 is being termed as a replacement vehicle for an existing sedan which is being termed outdated from the Hyundai India stable.

Since there aren’t much details shared by the company it is quite difficult to actually pin point on parameters like engine specifications, pricing etc. The world wide production of the Hyundai i40 is being slated for September 2009 and is being targeted for a sales launch somewhere around the end of the year.