New Hyundai i40W images released ahead of its Geneva Auto Show debut

New Hyundai i40W images released ahead of its official 2011 Geneva Auto Show unveiling.

These are the very-first teaser images of the up-coming Hyundai i40W, which will replace the Sonata mid-size sedan in Europe. Styled at Hyundai’s European design headquarters, the new i40W promises to deliver a “stand out from the crowd” exterior design appearance influenced heavily by a raft of latest Hyundai concept cars, including the i-flow, Genus and ix-onic concept vehicles.

Furthermore, the all-new Hyundai i40W will be available as a wagon or four-door sedan. The i40W-agon is slated to go on sale shortly after its official premiere set for the 2011 Geneva Auto Show, while the four-door i40 sedan is scheduled to hit the European market in Autumn next year. According to sources close to Hyundai, the i40W (wagon) will also hit the U.S. shores sometime in 2012.

Under the hood, there will be a wide range of highly-advanced gasoline and diesel four-cylinder engines available. Entry-level i40W will be offered by Hyundai’s latest 1.6L GDI engine, which churns out 140 horsepower, while the top of the range i40W will feature a 177-hp 2.0L gasoline engine. Diesel power will come out from the all-new 1.7L CRDI diesel engine, which will pack 115 (low output model) or 136 horsepower (high output model).

A more potent 2.0L R-diesel engine will also be added to the range later, says Hyundai. The 2.0L CRDI diesel engine will pack 177 horsepower and will be mated to Hyundai’s all-new dual clutch automatic transmission.

The all-new Hyundai i40W main competitors will be the VW Passat, Opel Insighnia and Ford Mondeo, which currently dominate the D-segment market in Europe. Stay tuned for more images and information about the new i40W!

Hyundai i40W image gallery: