(Sonata GLS, SE and Limited in front of Torrey Pines)
With the debut of the Hyundai Genesis in 2009, the brand set
out to attract buyers on an emotional level, similar to how BMW and Lexus have
continued their prevalence in the luxury market. The plan was simple: design a sedan
that’s easy on the eyes (not boring), fun-to-drive and put enough performance
under the hood to allow it to get out of its own shadow. Then back all that up with
an entry level price that’s affordable and tack on a 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty,
and “oh, by the way” we’ll buy it back from you if you lose your job, and it’s a
pretty good deal.
Fast-forward to 2010 and now we get to talk about the 2011
Sonata! From the onset the exterior design of the Sonata is much more
expressive than the Genesis and makes a bold statement for the brand. The Fluidic
Sculpture design gives the Sonata a teutonic and pronounced look. Sporty might
be a little too over the top, but if you compare its looks and performance features
to the rest of the segment, we would argue the car is absolutely the sportiest
of the bunch.
Designed right here in the U.S. at the Hyundai Design Center
in Irvine, California, the Sonata is as American as Ford, GM or Chrysler. Built
at the assembly plant in Montgomery, Alabama, the entry level Sonata comes in
three trim options – the GLS, SE and the Limited. The interior is very spacious,
offering a class-leading 7.4 more cubic feet than the Ford Fusion. Steering wheel-mounted
controls are standard in most cars these days and the Sonata is no different,
however, the SE and Limited come with proximity key/push start and fun-to-use
paddle shifters. Heated seats can also be enjoyed on the Limited model.
Bluetooth is one of those features we always like to pay
special attention to. Granted, it may not be important to some, but many states
have gone hands-free and for many consumers, setting up Bluetooth still isn’t
easy. We connected the Bluetooth in less than one minute and the system worked
flawlessly. Touch screen Navigation is also an option on the Limited with a
6.5-inch monitor and rearview camera. The one design feature we thought
aesthetically looked great on the interior, but perhaps was a slight waste of
space, was the vent control function.
The performance features of the Sonata also make the car a
standout. With an efficient 2.4L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) 4-cylinder
engine, the Sonata produces a class-leading 198 horsepower. Mix in the fact it’s
also a Dual Over Head Cam (DOHC) 16-valve with Dual Continuously Variable Valve
Timing (DCVVT) motor, and the combined MPG increases to a solid 23 in the city
and an impressive 35 MPG on the freeway (class-leading). To support our opening
comment about the Sonata being sporty, Hyundai has mated its SHIFTRONIC™ paddle
shifters to its 6-speed automatic transmissions, but for the true enthusiast a 6-speed
manual gearbox is also available.
(Hyundai 2.4 GDI, 4-cycliner engine)
The Sonata suspension is comprised of a MacPherson strut
front suspension and an Independent Multi-link rear suspension design. The
Sonata SE is where the suspension sees the most aggressive adjustments. The
front suspension on the SE has been tuned with stiffer front springs at +23%
and stiffer dampeners at +24%. The rear springs are +8% stiffer and the rear
dampeners are +14% stiffer. To control body roll, the rear stabilizer bar was
strengthened +13%. Even with the sporty suspension, the Sonata has the best
turning radius at 35.8 feet.
The safety features of the Sonata are mostly standard with
Electronic Stability Control and six standard airbags. Hyundai expects the
Sonata to receive a 5-Star Crash Rating by NHTSA as the materials used to
protect the occupants of the Sonata consist of high-tensile materials and a
steel hood inner frame to absorb collisions.
The pricing of the Sonata shocked us! To compete in this
ultra competitive segment, the starting price of the GLS is $19,195. That’s a
bargain for this vehicle. If you option out the Sonata and elect to go with the
fully loaded Limited you can look at a sticker price of $27,395. If you enjoy a
slightly more aggressive package, the Sonata SE starts at $22,595.
(Hyundai Sonata SE)
Without naming names, we would have placed the Sonata in
fourth or fifth position going in to today’s media program, but once we drove
the 2011 Sonata, it literally jumped to the front of the line. From the
beautiful design cues to the class-leading MPG and powertrain, the Sonata
delivers. Other midsize sedans and entry-level luxury vehicles better watch out
because this 2011 Sonata is truly the complete package when it comes to
affordable luxury.
(Media were out in full force for the Sonata Launch)
(Jim Trainor, National Manager, Public Relations)