Cheap and inexpensive are not necessarily synonymous. Inexpensive is generally considered a positive thing. Cheap? Not so much. Hyundai automobiles have always been relatively inexpensive compared to their direct competitors. In recent years, the Korean company has worked extremely hard to rid itself of any talk of cheapness by improving quality, introducing an unprecedented 10-year/100,000 mile warranty and engaging in some remarkably clever marketing campaigns.
It wasn't always so. Way back in 1983, Hyundai first entered the North American market when the Pony hatchback went on sale in Canada. Two years later, the replacement for the Pony, dubbed "Excel" went on sale in the United States. To say that the launch did not go well would be the understatement of the decade. While those early Hyundai models were indeed cheap, the company nearly met the same fate in this market as Yugo.
Unlike the abysmal Yugo, Hyundai persevered. The company kept redesigning its cars, making each subsequent generation better than the last and extending its warranties to generate confidence in its products. More than two decades later, Hyundai is introducing its latest challenger, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, into what is arguably the most fiercely contested segment in the U.S. market - that of the family sedan. Check out our high-res galleries below, and then click through to the jump to read more of our impressions and check out Hyundai's press release and specifications.
The previous generation Sonata went a long way towards cementing Hyundai's reputation for making affordable and reliable cars. The Sonata was roomy, well equipped, reasonably fuel efficient and absolutely, positively forgettable to look at. Come on, we dare you – describe a current-model Sonata. It has all the features of the top sellers in the class (the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord) and, if possible, it is even more appliance-like. Oh, it received a mid-cycle refresh just 18 months ago that gave it a new grille, but that didn't go nearly far enough.
Enter the new sixth-generation Sonata, which goes into production in mid-December before going on sale early in 2010 as a 2011 model. Visually, at least, even if this is an appliance, it's a premium, highly styled one. The pedestrian three-box sedan profile of the last model has given way to a shape that looks more inspired by the Mercedes-Benz CLS and Volkswagen CC than any Camry. Hyundai designers have adopted the increasingly popular coupe-like sedan profile with a low, sweeping roof-line that blends neatly into a short rear deck.
We've seen some photos of the new Sonata from Korea since its introduction there recently, but when you see it in person, it is truly striking. The design language was described by product planning director Scott Margason as "Fluidic Sculpture." It's not an entirely unique direction or concept as we head into 2010, but it does seem very well executed on this sedan. Starting at the grille, the Sonata gets a stylized three-bar look (what is it about three bars these days, Ford, Honda... and now Hyundai?) that departs from implementations done by other brands. A pair of longitudinal creases in the bars flow back into the hood giving an effect of two waves moving toward the center of the car – a visual trick similar to that employed on the hood of the new BMW Z4.
Sculpting of the body surfaces on the front fascia and along the car's flanks help catch the light and give the design the appearance of motion. A rising crease that starts behind the front wheel and ends at the taillights gives a wedge-like look to the body with a bit less of the fall-away rear you get on the CLS. One interesting detail is the chrome strip that begins at the trailing edge of the headlights and continues along the lower edge of the hood cut-line before following the belt-line to the C-pillar. This will evidently be standard on certain trim levels of the 2011 Sonata.
Speaking of which, the 2011 Sonata will come in three trim levels: GLS, Limited and SE, with the latter being targeted as the sport-minded model. Only the Limited and SE get the chrome grille. The GLS will receive the same design, albeit painted body color. Speaking of paint, Hyundai has been doing some notable work on colors for this important new model.
At a preview prior to the car's LA Auto Show debut, we saw the sport-minded Sonata SE model, which gets a dual exhaust system and paddle shifters. The car was painted in what Hyundai calls Iridescent Silver Blue. In the dim light of the facility where we saw the car, it was still apparent that this was one of those paints that changes color dependent on the viewing angle. The display model was a pilot build unit from the Alabama factory where Hyundai is building North American market Sonatas. At the time this car was built, the engineers were still doing some tuning on the paint shop, and the bumper cover didn't quite match the fender from some angles. Depending on how you looked at it, the bumper appeared darker than the adjacent body work. Shift 18 inches to the left and they matched perfectly. Hyundai promises to have this worked out before cars hit dealerships in a couple of months.
While most of the Sonata's competitors have been growing steadily from one generation to the next, Hyundai has decided that the current model is large enough. Overall dimensions of the new YF Sonata are virtually the same as that of the model it is replacing. The biggest difference is in overall length (where it is less than an inch longer) and the wheelbase, which has grown by 2.6 inches to 110 inches. In spite of that sloping greenhouse, the YF only loses 0.4 inches of rear headroom as compared to the current model. This was achieved through a combination of scooping out the rear headliner and lowering the seat cushion slightly. We sat in the back and although the seating position is marginally lower than before, it didn't strike us as uncomfortably so. We'll have to judge it in more detail at a later date.
Aside from the wheelbase, the most significant dimensional difference with the new car is its mass. The YF Sonata is actually about 130 pounds lighter than its predecessor (Huzzah!!). This was achieved through increased use of aluminum in the suspension and ultra-high strength steel in the body. The new materials also contribute to body rigidity increases of 19% in bending and 25% in torsional resistance.
At launch, the new Sonata will only be available with one engine, a 2.4-liter direct injected four-cylinder. With over 90 percent of current Sonata sales coming with I4 engines and a firm commitment by Hyundai to meet future CAFE standards early, the company has opted to take a pass on a V6. In single exhaust form (read: GLS and Limited), the four banger yields 198 horsepower and 184 pound-feet. The dual exhaust system on the SE adds two units to each of those numbers.
All transmissions in the new Sonata will receive six forward gears and the base GLS will be available with a manual transmission. As previously mentioned, the more sporting SE model will be equipped with steering wheel-mounted paddles for those so inclined. The pilot build SE that we saw at the Hyundai KIA America Technical Center in Ann Arbor had a gated shifter for the automatic, but we have been told that production models will get a straight PRNDL shifter with a leather boot. Final EPA numbers aren't in yet, but Hyundai is estimating that the Sonata will be rated at 23 mpg city and 35 mpg highway compared to the 22/32 mpg of the 2010 model. That would also beat all of the Sonata's major non-hybrid competitors by 1-to-4 mpg on the highway.
At this point, Hyundai doesn't acknowledge any plans to put a V6 in the new Sonata. Nonetheless, there appears to be plenty of room in the engine compartment to accommodate one. There will however be one additional powertrain option later in 2010. The Sonata will be the first U.S. market Hyundai to get the company's new hybrid system.
One thing is clear: Hyundai's 2011 Sonata adds a huge dose of style to its segment. Any questions of performance, dynamics and execution will have to wait until we get a chance to drive it in a couple of months, but we like what we see.
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