The highly anticipated 2010 Hyundai i40, known also as Sonata sedan, has made another appearance today. While parked at an unknown location somewhere in South Korea, a pre-production prototype has been caught by an amateur car enthusiast who managed to snap some new, exciting images of the new Sonata/i40 sedan.

Thanks to the heavy camouflage applied to the cars body, the up-close taken spy shots do not reveal us much of its exterior, but at least these shots confirm that the next Sonata will sport a revolutionary and much more exciting exterior design than the current model.

We are less than six months away from official Sonata / i40 unveiling. According to Hyundais future product timeline, the next generation Sonata is scheduled to go on sale in South Korean market in September 2009, while official US sales have been confirmed to commence in February 2009.

Even though no official information regarding the engines were so far released, it is fair to assume that the engine line-up will consist of highly advanced gasoline and diesel engines. The gasoline power will come from a 2.4L Theta II engine and a 3.3 Lambda V6. Both gasoline engines have been tweaked to improve their fuel consumption numbers while at the same time provide even more power to the wheels.

Just recently, Hyundai introduced a pair of all-new, EURO5 compliant, R-diesel engines with dramatically enhanced power and torque ratings - when compared to the current Hyundai offerings and Sonata is expected to benefit from both of these two engines.

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The 2.2L diesel engine provides 145 kW of power and 436 Nm of maximum torque while the 2.0L unit delivers 135 kW and 392 Nm. Figures that make the R-diesel engine family class leaders in comparison to similar offerings from BMW, Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen.

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Diesel engine availability will of course depend on market. Europe and South Korea will get them both, while diesels wont be available in the North American market.

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Latest reports also suggest that Hyundai will broaden its Sonata line-up with a sporty wagon variant, joining the range in late 2010 about six months after Sonata sedan hits the market.

When talking on Sonatas future powertrain options, I almost forgot to mention, the popular Hyundai mid-size sedan will also get a highly advanced hybrid drive system. Hyundai first introduced its in-house developed Blue Drive hybrid system at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show and confirmed it to arrive in the market in late 2010 or early 2011.

In addition to that, Hyundai also confirmed it will bring a plug-in hybrid car to the market in 2012 as a 2013 model product, but refused to reveal whether their plug-in hybrid car will be based on the 2010 Hyundai Sonata / i40 sedan or it will be stand alone model similar to Chevy Volt, Toyota Prius or Honda Insight.

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Thanks for sending us the 2010 Hyundai Sonata / i40 spy shots, Lee!