Eurasian Wagon Shootout - Avensis vs. Accord Tourer vs. i40

2012 Toyota Avensis

2012 Honda Accord Tourer

2012 Hyundai i40

Those three Eurasian sports wagons; the Toyota Avensis, the Honda Accord Tourer, and the Hyundai i40, truly have something in common. They are family wagons from Asian car manufacturers and they share the same European Elegance because of its design, quality, and performance. Most of these three have the European Premium but which of these three European Premium sports wagons is mostly a "suitable" type?

CASE ONE:

Slated to go on sale in Japan this month, with limited to 300 units available, the new Toyota Avensis returns with a new face and a whole new attitude. The only offering for the Euro Style Wagon is the entry-level 2.0 Xi variant but rumor has it that there will be a facelift next year and it will gain an additional variant. OK, let's not talk about it for now but let's examine what's up with the Avensis. Since it was designed and engineered in United Kingdom, the new Avensis comes with a stylish European design which is highly attractive in the eyes of Japanese consumers. The interior looks somewhat luxurious but a lack of audio system made Japanese customers have to make do with aftermarket audio systems or "Dealer Option" navigation systems offered from dealerships all over Japan.

The Avensis is powered with the 3ZR-FAE (2.0L DOHC Dual VVT-i Valvematic) engine that provides a power output of 152PS and 14.6km/L of fuel economy (10-15 Mode). The standard transmission is the Super CVT-i with a 7-speed Manual Mode which is highly essential on open roads. With Sport Mode on, the Avensis takes advantage of the Euro-tuned suspension for agile cornering on the touge. If you went for a city driving, you should be fine with the CVT but when you're out in the open and want to go for fun, you can switch it to Manual Mode to take control of the seven gears. The new Avensis is highly focused more on the driver's confidence.

CASE TWO:

Arrived in Japan in December 2008 and later received a minor change since February 2011, the Accord Tourer (CW1/CW2) is the wagon version of the Honda Accord (CU1/CU2) sedan. It might have the same prospects as the Toyota Avensis rival but based on my view, I think the Accord Tourer is much more attractive than the Avensis in terms of styling and interior. Today, there are two kinds of Accord Tourer models to choose from such as the entry-level 20TL and the flagship Type-S grade. The 20TL comes with a R20A (2.0L SOHC i-VTEC) engine that produces 156PS of power and 13.2km/L and the Type-S comes with a K24A (2.4L DOHC i-VTEC) engine that produces 206PS of power and 11.4km/L of fuel economy. These fuel economy numbers might not be as good as the Avensis but in power, the Accord Tourer Type S is our best bet. As noticed, the Accord Tourer comes with a 5-speed semi-auto transmission with Manual Mode but I think five gears can be somewhat a lacking to me.

CASE THREE:

This is a new entry from Hyundai and its slated to replace the i30CW although it has no direct successor after the upcoming i30 Full Model Change soon, the European Premium sports wagon, the Hyundai i40, was designed from Hyundai's R&D Center at Russelsheim, Germany, and manufactured at Hyundai's Ulsan plant at South Korean. It is believed that this is "Korea's Avensis Fighter" but can the Hyundai i40 keep up with the likes of its Eurasian rivals such as the Honda Accord Tourer and Toyota Avensis? What about Euro rivals such as the Renault Megane Estate, Volkswagen Passat Variant, and Peugeot 508 SW? Not sure but be patient. As for me, I don't like the front view of the Korean-spec Hyundai i40 but as for the side view and rear view, it really resembles like the Honda Accord Tourer and I really like it. The biggest impression for me is the interior. With such interior design, this beats the Toyota Avensis and the Honda Accord Tourer by a long shot! I am highly impressed about the interior design and there is a special feature that these two didn't have which is none other than the "Luggage Rail System", a first of its class feature for cargo stability.

Under the hood, the Hyundai i40 comes with two engine types such as a newly developed 1.7L CRDi-VGT engine and the newly-developed Nu 2.0 GDi engine. The new 1.7L CRDi-VGT produces 140PS of power and 18.0km/L while the new Nu 2.0 GDi engine creates 178PS of power and 13.1km/L of fuel economy. They are both come with a 6-speed semi-auto transmission with Paddle Shifters, making it on par against the Honda Accord Tourer.

The verdict: The Avensis, Accord Tourer, and the i40, really have impressive European design, European packaging, and European performance. Only one I will call it the best and I'll choose not just one but two Eurasian wagons; the Accord Tourer and the i40! Sorry Avensis, but see you on your next facelift....