Azimut 40S Sport Yacht Review and Price Guide

The Azimut 40S, the smallest of the red-hulled S yachts

Azimut's S line was built on a recognizable look: Bordeaux-red hull sides, square hull windows and checker-pattern glazing in the superstructure. The Azimut 40S, introduced in 2009, brought that style down to 40 feet for the first time and became the new entry point to the S range. YachtBuyer counts 39 boats completed between 2009 and 2015, which makes it a rare sight in US marinas.

Underneath, it is a close sibling of the Azimut 38 flybridge. Motor Boat & Yachting summed it up as the 38 flybridge reworked as a sportscruiser, on the same hull and V-drives, and Azimut's figures confirm the family link: 12.24 meters (40 feet 2 inches) overall, a 3.86-meter (12-foot 8-inch) beam, a loaded weight of 12.4 tonnes, a 1,100-liter diesel tank and 390 liters of water. The difference is power, because the 40S gets the 480 mhp rating of the Cummins QSB 5.9.

A flybridge-grade saloon under an opening hardtop

The feature that sets the 40S apart from almost every other 40-foot sport cruiser is its saloon. On most boats of this size, the area under the hardtop is really a deck space with molded seats and a teak floor. MBY's 2010 test found that the 40S instead has a proper saloon with leather sofas, soft cushions and carpet, a treatment the magazine said you usually only find on sport yachts of around 60 feet. Its summary was that the 40S is a luxurious twin-cabin flybridge boat without the flybridge.

The hardtop opens electrically over the saloon, and the cockpit door folds back almost completely so the saloon and cockpit can merge into one space. Close everything and you have an air-conditioned lounge, which is exactly what you want on a hot afternoon in Fort Lauderdale or a cool evening in Maine.

Xenta easy steer and a joystick before pods were everywhere

In 2009 and 2010, joystick docking was mostly associated with Volvo IPS and Cummins Zeus pods. Azimut gave the shaft-drive 40S its own answer. MBY reported that the engine and bow thruster controls are linked to a joystick for low-speed maneuvering, and that the Xenta easy steer system decouples engine revs in a turn so the outer propeller spins faster, making turns smoother and tighter.

On a used boat, these systems are as important as the engines. Test the joystick in every direction alongside a dock, check the thruster's response, and confirm that the easy steer function still adjusts engine speed in turns. Electronic control modules of this age can be expensive or slow to source if they fail.

480 hp on a Michael Peters hull, 35 knots and a 37-knot claim

Azimut's specification sheet lists 35 knots maximum and 26 knots cruise at half load on the 480 mhp Cummins, while Azimut's promotional text went further and claimed a top speed of 37 knots. YachtBuyer quotes a 30-knot cruise. Treat 35 knots as the realistic ceiling for a clean, lightly loaded boat and expect a comfortable cruise in the mid to high 20s.

The running surface is a Michael Peters design, and MBY found it comfortable and composed in a short, steep chop off Savona. Azimut gives 17.9 degrees of deadrise aft, a moderate figure that suits coastal chop rather than serious offshore seas. With 291 gallons of fuel and 960 horsepower, plan for frequent fuel stops if you like to run fast.

Solar panels, LED lighting and a galley touch screen

Azimut fitted two groups of solar panels integrated into the exterior styling to top up the batteries when the boat is away from shore power, combined with LED lighting to stretch battery life at anchor. The Proteo system, a touch screen in the galley, keeps watch over onboard systems and juggles the heavy electrical consumers so that running several appliances at once does not trip the supply. MBY's show report said it worked brilliantly.

Below, the layout mirrors the 38: a double master cabin forward with an en suite head and a twin cabin amidships that benefits from the large hull windows, plus a second toilet compartment shared with day guests. YachtBuyer lists four guests as standard and up to six with the saloon converted.

Azimut 40S or Azimut 38, choosing between the twins

Because the two boats share a hull and most of their interior, the choice is about how you use the boat. The 40S is faster, with 960 horsepower against 710, and its opening hardtop and single-level saloon make it the better choice for warm-climate day trips and entertaining in the cockpit. The 38 trades speed for a flybridge, which gives you a second helm, better visibility for docking and a second outdoor lounge.

MBY's view in 2009 was that it came down to personal preference over looks and whether you wanted a sport cruiser or a flybridge. In the US, where flybridges dominate this size, a 40S is the more unusual choice, which can help it stand out but also means fewer comparable sales to support its price.

Only 39 built, what scarcity means when you buy and sell

YachtBuyer's market data shows that fewer than a quarter of the 39 hulls have come up for sale in the last three years, with an average of about 376 days on the market and an average reduction of 2.9 percent from the first asking price. That suggests owners are holding on and sellers who list sensibly do not have to discount heavily, but it also means you may wait months for the right boat, and you should expect to look in Europe and the Mediterranean as well as Florida.

Azimut 40S prices in 2026

Expect roughly $260,000 to $420,000. Early 2009 and 2010 boats with original electronics and higher hours sit around $260,000 to $320,000, while late 2014 and 2015 boats with low hours and updated plotters can reach the low $400,000s. Plan on $28,000 to $52,000 a year to keep one, before fuel and depreciation. Buyers searching for the Azimut 40S harga in Southeast Asian markets will find similar pricing once currency and import duties are accounted for.