2006 Hyundai Sonata Preview

Hyundai Continues Its Self Reinvention

As usual, gears, wheels and show stand turntables are turning at motor shows across the world, but at the Hyundai booth in Paris

Heads were turning with the unveiling of the all-new Hyundai Sonata midsize sedan. (Photo: Hyundai Auto Canada)

this September heads were twisting around as well with the unveiling of the all-new Sonata midsize sedan. The South Korean brand has struggled to develop an image that's distinctive yet on par with its Japanese competitors since it arrived in North America in the late 1980s, and its work over the last few years is starting to pay off. Credit is being given for their affordable yet reliable vehicles, and a name is being forged in various rally and touring car racing series. Covering nearly every vehicle segment in the marketplace, bar the pickup truck category that the brand has announced it is planning on entering in the not too distant future, Hyundai continues its self reinvention with the stylish new Sonata.

Considering the extremely formal, four-eyed baroque styling of the current EF-body Sonata, the upcoming 2006 model may have people questioning their eyesight. The fifth generation that's currently on sale no doubt be forgotten thanks to the sharp, modern appearance of chiseled, transparent-lensed headlamps, and strongly defined hoodlines and grille. Like many other manufacturers, it seems that Hyundai has chosen Volkswagen as a benchmark for styling. The new Sonata is just dripping with cues from the

The new car's conventional if not handsome profile hides the physical gains. (Photo: Hyundai Auto Canada)

super-luxury Phaeton at both front and in back. Slivers of chrome, to accent the front bumpers, windshield pillars and window surrounds give a substantial touch of class to the midsize sedan.

The sharply penned body of the Sonata looks smaller than the soft, gelatinous models that preceded it, but this is an optical illusion. The car's conventional if not handsome profile hides the physical gains the new generation has added, namely a six centimeter length increase, and a three centimeter wheelbase increase. Total figures show that the Sonata now measures in at 4.80 meters (189.0 in) in length, 1.83 meters (72.0 in) in width, 1.48 (58.3 in) meters in height with a wheelbase of 2.73 meters (107.5 in). Not surprisingly, the new design is also sportier than previous models, featuring fog lamps, twin oval tailpipes, with larger wheels on lower profile tires.