Hyundai SONATA RANGE
Big Hyundais Havent Generally Found Favour With British Customers. Will The Latest Sonata Model, Break That Trend? Andy Enright Reports.
Congratulations. Youre one in a million. Well, perhaps a slight exaggeration, but if youve managed to read even this much of a review of the latest
Hyundai Sonata, youre not one of the mainstream. After all, ask most people what a Hyundai Sonata looked like and theyd be struggling to picture the car.
For the uninitiated, its the South Korean companys stab at a
Saab 9-5 sized car at sub-Mondeo pricing. Were looking here at the fifth generation Sonata, although well excuse you if the previous four iterations are a blur.
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One common thread runs through each of these models. As each subsequent car is introduced, the sniggering at Hyundais ambition becomes that little bit more forced and the recognition that South Korea will soon be challenging Japan for domination of the Asian markets becomes ever more plausible. While we can still damn the Sonata with faint praise over here, due in no small part to its frankly dismal sales performance, the same isnt the case around the world. In its domestic market, the big
Hyundai is a common sight and its also one of the big sellers in the US.
Taken in that context, the UK market represents very small beer indeed to Hyundai. They predict nearly a quarter of a million Sonatas will find homes worldwide in 2005 although its doubtful well account for more than a couple of percentage points. Still, its well worth checking the metal on offer, priced from £16,495. A key attribute shared by all Sonatas is that you do get a lot of car for your money.
Quantity is very little without quality, however, and with many of the so-called premium marques stretching downmarket in an attempt to boost their volumes, its sectors like the Sonatas that feel the pinch hardest. After all, unless you really needed all that space, an entry-level
BMW 1 Series or Mercedes A-Class is, to many households, a more attractive proposition than several acres of Korean real estate parked outside. If you prefer a big car look and feel, plenty of equipment and the refreshing feeling of resisting the pull of badge snobbery, the Sonata would seem to make a good case for itself.
"The Sonata makes a good deal more financial sense than you may have given it credit for"
The styling is clean and uncluttered and certainly a good deal less ostentatious than the outgoing car. The design language of many Korean companies appears to be maturing of late, and the old adage that too much chrome and fake wood was merely a good start appears to have thankfully been retired. If all the badges were removed, it would be tough to say what sort of car the latest Sonata was. From the rear three quarter, the clean lines and lack of excess frivolity in the styling suggest a bigger brother to the Mazda6, while the front is more reminiscent of a heavier duty
Honda Accord.
The cleanliness of the glasshouse and wheel arches makes the flanks look vaguely
Audi-esque. Okay, so it could be accused of being somewhat derivative, but if youre going to remind customers of any cars, those chosen are good targets to pick. Although the styling looks pleasantly compact, the tale of the tape shows that the fifth generation Sonata is fully 55mm longer than iteration four. The wheelbase has been stretched out by 30mm with the net effect that rear legroom goes up by the same amount.
Front
seat occupants get another 10mm of fresh air around the knees. Combine wider front and rear tracks with a lower ride height and you end up with a car that possesses a far more purposeful stance on the road than the old model. The sit up and beg look doesnt play too well these days. The UK engine line up is built around one trim level (CDX) the 2.
4-litre Theta petrol engine, offered with either manual or automatic transmission. This unit features double overhead cams and is good for 160bhp. Hyundais 3.3-litre unit will not be coming here but we will be seeing a 2.
0-litre VGT common rail diesel unit, teamed with either a six-speed manual or a four speed automatic. Much will hinge on how well the latest Sonata can resist the dreaded depreciation. Hyundai will doubtless counter by claiming that the Sonata tends to be purchased by mature customers who keep the car for a long spell, therefore offsetting the steepest section of the depreciation curve, but in order to gain valuable conquest sales, the Sonata really needs to be eating into other markets and that means the corporate sector. Gimlet-eyed fleet managers wont want a car that loses money hand over fist.
Although many would finger the Sonata as a depreciation disaster, it actually fared a lot better than many realised. After three years, your old Sonata V6 would retain around 36% of its value compared to 31% for a
Vauxhall Vectra V6 GSi. Even a
Volkswagen Passat fared only slightly better and given that you would have paid far less upfront for the Hyundai, it would have worked out a far better buy on a pence per mile basis. Expect an even better showing from the latest car.
Its still too early to formulate a decisive opinion on the latest Hyundai Sonata but the omens look good. If Hyundai stick to their policy of levering a ton of standard equipment into the car and can make the ride/handling compromise that touch sportier, they could have a success story on their hands. Will it sell in this country? What do you think? Youre one in a million.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Hyundai Sonata range
PRICES: £16,495-£17,495 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 14 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 198-210g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.4] Max Speed 132mph / 0-60mph 8.8s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.4] (combined) 33.2mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: tba
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4777/1830/1405
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