Big Hyundai hits road

Hyundai is going the whole nine yards with its new executive saloon – or should that be i90?

Our spies caught the i90 undergoing testing as it gets ready to take on Germany’s premium brands. And the Korean manufacturer is promising it will be crammed with the kind of technology usually reserved for Audis, Mercedes and BMWs.

This includes an iDrive-style cabin control interface, as well as a collision mitigation brake system (CMS), which detects an imminent accident and warns the driver to take preventative action. Yet despite the generous standard equipment tally, plus cabin space to match the likes of BMW’s 7-Series, the i90 will carry a similar price to a Ford Mondeo. It will reach the UK in 2009, powered by a petrol V8 with around 350bhp.