The Hyundai i45 is a mid-sized family car produced by Hyundai Motors in South Korea. Even though it was called the i45, this vehicle was actually the sixth-generation Hyundai Sonata, sold on the market between 2009 and 2014.
The Hyundai Sonata was called the i45 in only a few markets, namely, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Columbia. Hyundai used this name to align the car with its other i-series cars that Hyundai sold in these particular markets.
Even though it is South Korean in origin, the i45 was designed at Hyundai's Southern California design studio. The talent and efforts of Design Manager Andre Hudson seemed to pay off, as the Hyundai i45 was most known for being a good-looking car that was spacious, comfortable and overall provided great value for money.
This vehicle was the second car designed according to Hyundai's signature Fluidic Sculpture design. The philosophy behind this design was to be in harmony with nature according to four tenets - fluid, dynamic, motion-made-easy and driving pleasure. This design language would inspire all Hyundai car designs released later.
For the Australian market, the Hyundai i45 came available in three versions: Active, Elite, and Premium. All models of the i45 featured the following notable standard features: ABS, front fog lamps, LED rear combination lamps, cruise control, and even a USB audio input that was compatible with the Apple iPod.
The base model, known as the Active i45, had interior features that were usually found only in prestige cars, including seats with a combination of leather and fabric. The mid-spec version was the Hyundai i45 Elite, which had a full-leather interior.
The Elite had 17-inch alloy wheels with a full-size spare, automatic climate control, push-button start, and even rain-sensing wipers.
Finally, the highest level model available was the Premium i45. It also had a full-leather interior like the Elite but also came with a panoramic glass roof, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a premium audio system.
There were very few engine options for the i45. In Australia, the base model Hyundai i45 carried a 2.4-litre 4-cylinder in-line GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) engine. Some critics were disappointed by how modest the car's output was, producing only 148 kW of power and 250 Nm of torque.
To its advantage, the Hyundai i45 was quite light. It weighed only 1,506 kg (for the manual) and 1,528 kg (for the automatic). To put it in the right context, most cars of this size usually weigh around 1,600 kg.
The Hyundai i45 provided lots of comforts and good looks, but it offered less power than many critics would prefer. Some critics believe that the car was most likely designed to target fleet buyers such as rental car companies or corporations.
Despite these positive attributes, critics also pointed out i45's poor riding and handling. Hyundai and the i45 received a lot of negative press as a result. The company tried its best to make up for it by revising certain features and updating the car, but sadly this did not help much.
In January 2013, the Hyundai i45 was discontinued in Australia due to low sales and lack of demand.
If you have an i45 that needs repair and replacement parts, send us a parts request so we can do the searching for you. Or if you would like to sell an old i45, you may visit us at Carpart.com.au and advertise it for interested buyers to see.