With the Hyundai i45 now on sale in Australia, the Korean company has began the final stages of a complete model revamp. So it’s no surprise then that we have just been handed the very first spy photos of the Hyundai i40/i45 wagon by photographers in Europe.

The naming convention is getting somewhat confusing, from what we can gather Hyundai’s Korean made Sonata replacement (the one we get in Australia) is called i45, but the  i40 is Hyundai’s dedicated European car that is set to be unveiled towards the end of the year and go on sale in 2011. That will be made in the Czech Republic.

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata wagon, or Hyundai i40 wagon as it will most probably be called, is set to be available initially as a wagon only (Europe), followed by a sedan variant.

One of the few criticisms we had of the i45 was the lack of a diesel powerplant but the i40 is expected to be available with a derivative of Hyundai’s 2.2-Litre R-diesel engine. Some reports say it will also be available in America as a hybrid.

So far there is no confirmation from Hyundai Australia if we will see the European built i40 wagon here. Nonetheless, given the lack of wagon shapes in the medium-car segment, Hyundai’s only real competition will come from Mazda6 and Liberty wagon.

Hyundai Australia has been contacted for comment. Article will update once we hear back.

The Hyundai i20 will be the next model launched (to be here in a few weeks).