Hyundai‘s new attack on the upper medium business car sector with the i40 estate and saloon is likely to be most successful with this version, the 136 Blue Drive, which manages to dip just below the 120g/km mark at 119g/km.
Power comes from the 136hp 1.7-litre CRDi engine, which is quiet, smooth and flexible enough on the move, but can struggle a little with the estate’s bulk and requires work at low speeds.
As big a draw as the emissions and 62.8mpg figures are, there are plenty of other merits to be found. The i40 is exceptionally spacious and refined, while the cabin’s fit and finish has reached the stage where the Korean brand has almost totally shed its former budget image.
Style trim adds appealing equipment such as satellite navigation, a rear parking camera and cruise control, but it’s £2000-plus more than the entry-level Active model, which isn’t badly kitted out itself.