HYUNDAI is the biggest mover and shaker in the automotive world. It has gone from a maker of youth-oriented entry-level models to having one of the broadest model ranges in the sub-$60K range across the light, small and medium sectors.

For those unfamiliar with Hyundai model nomenclature, an ‘i’ prefix indicates a focus on Europe, while cars with names (eg: Accent, Elantra) are aimed more at the US and markets outside Europe.

It is already an odd strategy and likely to become unworkable, since the Elantra offers a European road feel, while the larger i45 sedan does not.

Unfortunately, in the case of the latter, Hyundai’s obsession with ‘fluidic sculpture’ seems to have come at the expense of dynamics, but the more compact i40 wagon which shares its platform and so many of the sedan’s visual cues is a separate vehicle in its own right.

The i40 joins the i45 in the medium car sector where Hyundai looks set to take third spot behind the Camry and Mondeo. However, these two mid-sizers from Hyundai share more in common visually than they do in the driving experience, not just because they do not share engines.