Geneva 2011: 2012 Hyundai i40 is a Sonata wagon we could love

Filed under: Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Hyundai, South Korea

2012 Hyundai i40 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Geneva has been quite a show for big, handsome wagons, from the stonking Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG to the shapely Saab 9-5 Sportcombi, there’s been a kinschlepper for every taste and budget. Adding to the variety is Hyundai’s new i40 estate, and it, too, is a looker.

Boasting the same sharply rising character line as the Sonata sedan upon which it’s based, the i40 nevertheless has a more traditional nose, with a smaller grille and headlamps that look more like those from the Sonata Hybrid. Overall, the front aesthetic lurks somewhere between the Elantra and an embiggened Veloster, but either way, it’s all Hyundai and it’s an attractive piece.

Hyundai is quick to note that the i40 was developed in Rüsselsheim, Germany, with the European market firmly in mind, and it will be The Continent’s first crack at the model range when it hits dealers later this year. A sedan variant will follow, but it’s not known if it will look like the North American YF Sonata sedan, or if it will adopt this car’s front clip.

Similarly, we know that more than a few executives within Hyundai of America want to see a two-box Sonata come to the States, but it isn’t yet clear if a business case has been made for the shapely load-lugger. Here’s hoping…

Gallery: Hyundai i40: Geneva 2011