2011 Hyundai Sonata
Friday, June 25, 2010 at 12:04PM By Nick Yost
Despite a significant sales spurt over the last year and a half that saw market share zoom from 3 to 4 1/2 percent, Korean manufacturer Hyundai feels it must do more to properly capture the attention of the buying public.
That’s why it is spending $160 million on the launch of the recently introduced 2011 Sonata, a dramatically restyled and re-engineered family sedan that it believes can change the company’s image from a follower of the competition to the leader.
“We want the Sonata to educate, and to change the perceptions that people have about Hyundai,” Michael Deitz, manager of product planning for Hyundai Motor America, told a group of automotive journalists at a Sonata introduction in Philadelphia.
“We want to get new people to try out our brand.”
In addition to an extensive advertising campaign that has already included such high-profile events as the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards, company representatives are holding on-line chat sessions with people interested in the Sonata.
Hyundai also is planning to sell 20 percent of the new Sonatas to rental fleets as a way to introduce more people to the vehicle.
One potential gamble is the availability of only one engine, a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder model. The conventional, direct-injected 2.4-liter model produces about 200 horsepower and delivers an EPA-rated 22/35 miles per gallon.
Later this year, it will be followed by a turbocharged, 274-horsepower version and a hybrid powerplant that combines four-cylinder gasoline power with an electric motor to produce 209 horsepower.
Questioned about the lack of a V-6 option, something the competition offers, Deitz said buyers requiring six cylinders can opt for the slightly larger Hyundai Azera that, he noted, is due for an update next year.
The decision to limit the Sonata to four-cylinder power only, and to offer a hybrid model, are two of Hyundai’s answers to the tougher fuel-efficiency and emissions regulations that will soon be required.
Based on EPA estimates, Hyundai, with a fleet average of 30.1 miles per gallon, already is the automotive industry’s fuel economy leader. Obviously, it doesn’t want to relinquish that title.
Traditionally, Hyundai has enticed buyers with low prices, high standard content and strong warranties.
That will not change with the new image Hyundai hopes to cultivate through the design theme being introduced on the Sonata,
Prices, which range from $19,195 to $27,395, have been set approximately $1,600 to $2,400 lower than comparable models from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford and Chevrolet.
Following the briefing by Deitz, the journalists were given some limited time behind the wheel of an entry-level GLS model and a top-of-the-line Limited. Although the GLS will be available with a six-speed manual transmission, all of the cars on hand had the six-speed automatic shifters.
Unavailable was the sportiest Sonata SE, which is being offered with a six-speed automatic transmission and manual-shift paddles.
The route through downtown Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs was not sufficient to make any definitive judgments but a couple of observations are in order.
The engine is plenty powerful, but, under strong acceleration, it still exhibits some of the grittiness that is characteristic of most four-cylinder engines. At typical highway speeds, however, it is quiet and smooth.
The 2011 model definitely has sportier driving dynamics than the current Sonata.
The interior is quieter and more upscale than one might expect at the Sonata’s price point and even the GLS contains amenities such as Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity and a sound system with auxiliary inputs.
The front bucket seats are comfortable and supportive and the rear bench will be satisfactory for six-footers.
It’s hard to say when, or if, the Sonata will achieve parity with its top competitors in the minds of buyers, but the segment leaders are being served notice that Hyundai is on the move.
Other automotive reviews by Nick Yost can be found at http://www.examiner.com/x-2270-NY-Autos-Examiner