Smart is in—that’s Hyundai’s tag line, and it’s clearly reflected in their all-new Sonata.
Dramatic styling stands-out
The Sonata is a mid-size front-wheel-drive sedan that seats five adults in surprising comfort—well four at least. The middle hump in the rear isn’t going to win accolades, and neither will the small’ish trunk pass-thru, which failed to adequately accommodate my road bike.
Pass-thru aside, the new Sonata is uncommonly stylish, such that newcomers to the brand may be prompted to question whether it’s really a Hyundai. No doubt, that’s the response Hyundai was looking for when it revisioned the former popular but conservative sedan.
The new Sonata’s coupe-like lines are similar to those of the Volkswagen Passat CC, which was a styling breakthrough when it was introduced a few years ago. I’m not sure that Hyundai’s interpretation of the 4-door coupe theme is as alluring as VW’s execution but kudos to the Korean car company for taking a plunge into the deep end of the design pool.
The exterior styling drama is found with equal intensity inside the Sonata. Its cabin architecture is again quite daring for Hyundai. In addition to looking fresh and flashy, it works well with controls and switches that are logically placed and intuitive to operate.
Although most surfaces impart a sense of reasonable quality, there’s still an abundance of low-rent hard plastic found in the door panels and lower dash that would be more at home in the less expensive Elantra. That’s not to say that the Sonata lacks value, quite the opposite is true.
More for less
Supplying more for less is a basic tenet of the Hyundai brand, and they’ve been consistently doing so with the Sonata. For 2011, that mantra is even more applicable. Not only does the Sonata now make a styling statement; it delivers plenty of content, even in its base GL variation that’s priced at $22,649.
Dramatic styling stands-out
The Sonata is a mid-size front-wheel-drive sedan that seats five adults in surprising comfort—well four at least. The middle hump in the rear isn’t going to win accolades, and neither will the small’ish trunk pass-thru, which failed to adequately accommodate my road bike.
 |
| Smart is in—that’s Hyundai’s tag line, and it’s clearly reflected in their all-new Sonata. (Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com) |
Pass-thru aside, the new Sonata is uncommonly stylish, such that newcomers to the brand may be prompted to question whether it’s really a Hyundai. No doubt, that’s the response Hyundai was looking for when it revisioned the former popular but conservative sedan.
The new Sonata’s coupe-like lines are similar to those of the Volkswagen Passat CC, which was a styling breakthrough when it was introduced a few years ago. I’m not sure that Hyundai’s interpretation of the 4-door coupe theme is as alluring as VW’s execution but kudos to the Korean car company for taking a plunge into the deep end of the design pool.
The exterior styling drama is found with equal intensity inside the Sonata. Its cabin architecture is again quite daring for Hyundai. In addition to looking fresh and flashy, it works well with controls and switches that are logically placed and intuitive to operate.
Although most surfaces impart a sense of reasonable quality, there’s still an abundance of low-rent hard plastic found in the door panels and lower dash that would be more at home in the less expensive Elantra. That’s not to say that the Sonata lacks value, quite the opposite is true.
More for less
Supplying more for less is a basic tenet of the Hyundai brand, and they’ve been consistently doing so with the Sonata. For 2011, that mantra is even more applicable. Not only does the Sonata now make a styling statement; it delivers plenty of content, even in its base GL variation that’s priced at $22,649.
 |
| The inside is fresh and flashy with controls and switches that are logically placed and intuitive to operate. (Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com) |