 RON
A HIGHER NOTE
The current
Sonata is on its last bars, but a new one has already been written. It’s
longer, better orchestrated and more involving, but is it good enough
to be top of the pops?
‘The
Sonata goes from being the smallest to the largest in the class.’
‘The
new Sonata’s dynamics are so much better that you’ll spot
the differences within 50 metres of driving.’
It
was once the king of the nascent luxury car market, loved for its flamboyant
looks and inviting interiors. It even matched the old Accord in one of
Autocar India's comparison tests and at one point outsold its Japanese
rival by more than three times.
Clearly, the Hyundai Sonata was music to the ears of the well-heeled when
it was launched in 2001 — but now it's struck some discordant notes.
The Sonata has virtually disappeared from the sales charts, has been comprehensively
beaten in comparison tests by the Toyota Camry and particularly the new
Accord, and has failed to appeal to that small but important rich clientele
which is becoming more demanding than ever. Discounts are huge and resale
values have tumbled into the basement. 
There's no doubt that Hyundai's flagship is slowly sinking and there's
not much the company can do to keep its shiny grille above water. Except
bring out an all-new model. And this is exactly what it plans to do.
The timing couldn't be more important. To regain lost glory, Hyundai needs
to roll out the new Sonata — fast. But before it can do that, the
Korean company needs to exhaust the 200-odd 'kits' from which the current
model is assembled. So if you calculate the rate at which the Sonata is
presently selling, the new model is likely to be in showrooms by July
this year. But will it set off the fireworks?
If you were to meet the new Sonata at a party, you wouldn't recognise
it. It looks nothing like the car we know. Gone is the extravagant styling,
in its place a less contrived, understated shape. Ornate Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz
design cues have been dropped in favour of a clean, sober look —
and a very familiar one at that. The jewelled, four-barrel projector headlights
are inspired by the Audi A6's slim lamps, and the smooth profile, with
its politely bulging wheel arches and gently curved greenhouse, gives
the Sonata a distinctly Teutonic feel. The flashy grille and hood ornament
are out, replaced by a concave hood dome and tapering grille, the only
part that is distinctly Hyundai. For the rear, Hyundai has turned to Japan
for inspiration, particularly the Honda Accord. But for the sharper edges
and angles, the tail-lamps are straight off the Accord.
The Sonata's handsome, neat lines reveal very little about its Korean
origins. It has the same 'international' style that characterises the
Camry and Accord. It's inoffensive, unadventurous and designed to appeal
to customers in the key markets of Europe and America where brash designs
don't work. But they do work in India and ironically, the distinctive
styling of the earlier Sonata — seen as the car's main strength
— is now missing. 
In a class where size does matter, the Sonata has gone from being the
segment runt to the segment giant. Large enough to be classified a 'large
car' in the USA -- a class up from the Accord and Camry — it now
measures 4798mm by 1829mm, height going up to 1473mm, even though ride
height is actually lower. To increase interior space, the wheelbase has
been increased, and the wheels pushed out toward the corners. The Sonata
is now almost as large as the vast Skoda Superb, which further strengthens
its case. Weight is up by 40kg to 1481kg (4-speed Shiftronic auto), a
result of the increase in size and higher safety levels.
Inside, it's the same story as the outside and the interiors are simple
with a two-tone dashboard divided by a brushed metal-finish strip. It
lacks the richness of the earlier car and the plastic quality is surprisingly
poor for the segment. The plastic casing which surrounds the audio system
is badly finished; it looks like it has been banged into place and didn't
look like a part of the smooth dash. Other plastic bits like behind the
armrest are tacky too, and look like it they have popped out of a Funskool
mould.
The switchgear quality and feel are quite acceptable though. The sculpted
silver surrounds of the air-con knobs look quite classy, and the straight-cut
rectangular air vents feel nice to operate. The instrument dials look
nice as well, with a chrome bezel on the central speedo. There's reasonable
storage space too, with a useful slot under the audio system; plus, the
door pockets are fairly large and there's the usual set of cup-holders
between the front seats and the utility box under the armrest.
Where the Sonata really scores is on passenger space. The front seats
are large and generous with sufficient travel for Gulliver himself. There's
a transformation at the rear too. We have criticised the current Sonata's
back seat as being too firm and lacking in legroom, but the new model
will give the Camry, the current back- seat champion, a run for its money.
We were deeply impressed with the overall comfort at the rear: seat height,
under-thigh support and backrest angle were spot on. There's good legroom
and width too and all this stacks up to give the Sonata the most comfy
back seat in its class. And in India, where owners will be chauffeur-driven
for 90 percent of the time, this is a big victory. Some conveniences are
missing, though. There are no air-con vents for the rear seats. No rear
reading light, for example, and you don't get a remote for the music system,
a feature that strangely neither the Camry nor the Accord have.
We tested the base 2.4 model, which was pretty well equipped for an entry-level
variant. The long equipment list included serious safety features: Electronic
Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), ABS and EBD, and
six airbags. The top-of-the line LX model gets more kit like auto-dimming
mirrors, a power sunroof and sportier suspension with 17-inch alloys.
It's the way the new Sonata drives that is the biggest revelation. Dynamically,
it is clearly a generation apart from the current Sonata. The base model
no longer gets the old 2.0-litre engine but a new ‘Theta’
2.4-litre motor, which produces a healthy 160bhp, making it — on
paper — a more promising performer than both the Camry and Accord.
This all-aluminium engine has balancer shafts and continuously variable
valve timing, a silent timing chain, stainless steel exhaust manifold
and hydraulic mounts.
Mated to a four-speed automatic (there's a five-speed auto option and
a manual as well), the refinement of the new engine is impressive. It's
inaudible at idle and when you build up the revs there's a muted hum from
under the bonnet, the engine making its presence felt only when you near
the redline. While the redline is marked at 6500rpm, the Sonata's four-speed
tranny automatically shifts up at 6000rpm, even in manual mode. The Sonata
didn't feel incredibly quick, and we feel the Accord would still have
a performance edge. Still, on the city streets of Singapore, there's an
abundance of power, delivered in a seamless manner. Unlike the anaemic
2.0-litre engine of the earlier Sonata, which is hampered by poor throttle
response and a weak bottom end, the new motor with its extra 400cc is
sprightly and energetic. The four-speed auto 'box is quite average and
reasonably responsive to kickdown. The manual mode works well but it doesn't
shift down as quickly as you would like, a tad frustrating when you want
to drive with any degree of enthusiasm. There’s also a six-speed
manual in the line-up on the other engines.
Replacing the top-of-the-line 2.7 V6 is an even bigger motor, a 3.3-litre;
the first of Hyundai's all-aluminium Lambda family, it comes with DOHC
24-valve CVVT tech and a Variable Intake System (VIS) and develops a whopping
220bhp. The big news is the 2.0 common-rail turbo-diesel, the first in
a Sonata, and surely a motor that will be offered in diesel-crazy India.
Hyundai's traditional weakness has been the chassis, which has never really
matched the competition, especially European rivals, but the company claims
this has been sorted out. The Sonata uses double wishbones up front and
a five-link setup at the rear which, mated to a stiff chassis, promises
a quantum improvement in ride and handling.
 The
smooth, well-manicured streets of Singapore make it difficult to assess
the true depth of a car's dynamic capabilities, but so much better are
the new Sonata's road manners over the previous car that you'll spot the
improvements within 50 metres of driving. The steering feel is much more
linear and lacks the vagueness of the earlier rack. Also gone is the fidgety
suspension, largely responsible for the earlier Sonata's unsettled ride.
The new Sonata has a more planted and solid feel, which we imagine will
make it a good cruiser.
Then there's the price. Hyundai will peg the new Sonata at a mouth-watering
price and seriously undercut its rivals. But despite that, the new Sonata
will have its work out when it comes to India. Brutal price cuts failed
to prop up the Sonata's flagging sales, and worse, tarnished Hyundai's
image, proving price isn't everything in the upper crust of the market.
A good product is, however, and for Hyundai's sake, we hope the Indian
car buyer will realise that's that the new Sonata really is.
HORMAZD SORABJEE
|
April 2005
