Hyundai i40 takes direct aim at Ford Mondeo

Hyundai is aiming straight at the most successful car in its forthcoming i40's class – the Ford Mondeo.

Managing director Tony Whitehorn told Autoblog UK that the i40 is "aiming at a very competitive car market, which is much to do with the Mondeo, which we see as a direct competitor".

He said that the company car market will be key to the success of the new D-segment car, which will arrive in the UK in July following it's world premiere at the Geneva show next month.

"The car has been driven by company car drivers," said Whitehorn. "Lots of drivers are focussed on style as well as Benefit in Kind (company car taxation)."

To this end, the i40 will be available with two diesel engines from launch, most likely a pair of 1.7-litres with two power options, which are expected to take 80 percent of sales. A single petrol engine will also be offered.

Hyundai is aiming to steal sales by pricing the i40 to be competitive, and Whitehorn reckons that the main bulk of its sales will come from the mid-range model, which should cost around £20,000. This model, and indeed the entry-level version, will come with lots of equipment that would not normally be found as standard, said Whitehorn.

"We are looking to beat our rivals on equipment, and are looking at the likes of lane departure warning systems as standard," he said. "We've got a lot of the things other people have in that marketplace and we want to put a lot of the equipment on the entry-level car."

Unusually, Hyundai will introduce the estate version of the i40 from July, with the saloon set to follow in October.