2006 Hyundai Sonata: First Look

By Motoring Channel Staff - 23/6/2005

Australian medium and family car drivers have a dynamic new alternative to Japanese and European imports and local volume fleet fare in Hyundai’s all-new NF Sonata sedan.

The fifth generation of Hyundai’s longest-lived locally sold model, the NF Sonata launches a fresh, crisp and confident new European design.

The result is a premium upper medium sedan of sophisticated style and interior ambience, successfully melding elegance with the practicality of increased room and a large dose of driving fun factor.

New Sonata builds on its established quality credentials and offers the latest safety technologies and comfort features as well as debuting a new, sportier dynamic agility and performance set to challenge the best in its class. It was developed at a cost of around A$330 million and took 46 months to fully research, design and bring to production.

"Since the nameplate’s global debut 20 years ago, Sonata has always been one of Hyundai Motor Company’s key models, establishing itself as Korea’s top-selling car, traditionally introducing new technology to the range and of late, demonstrating the success of HMC’s intense focus on absolute quality and resultant customer satisfaction," said B.G.Lee, CEO of Hyundai Motor Co Australia.

"This quality achievement in Sonata has been attested to in various independent surveys of owners, particularly in the US and Europe," stated Lee.

Hyundai Motor CO is on track to sell over a quarter million Sonatas worldwide in 2005 and has just commenced full manufacture of the new model for North American customers in its new, automated Alabama plant complex.

Australia’s Sonatas are built in HMC’s prestige car plant at Asan in South Korea, which itself is still relatively new, yet had a new engine manufacturing facility installed for Sonata’s two new engines.

"If Australian car buyers seriously and without bias look at this new Sonata and rigorously compare it with other contenders in its segments, I think they will see its absolute excellence and competitiveness, even aside from its exceptional value for money.

"For those still holding outmoded perceptions of Hyundai, new Sonata will change their mind and place the brand firmly in their consideration set as at least the equal of the best in class," Mr Lee said.

Crouching 5mm closer to the road on bigger 16- or 17-inch wheels spaced 35mm and 30mm wider apart front and rear and stretched an extra 30mm in wheelbase, new Sonata has a sportier stance on the road.

Longer and taller than its predecessor by 55mm but still a compact 4.8 metres long, new Sonata is now the widest car in the medium sedan segment and offers more front leg and head room than its competitors — which includes Commodore and Falcon sedans.

Inside the Sonata’s spacious new cabin, an upscale ergonomic environment beckons with high grade materials, attractively restrained feature design and an appealing and practical dark over light dash and door trim treatment.

Aside from the extra interior room, seat comfort is of a very high order with both front seats multi-adjustable, generously padded and well contoured.

In terms of on-road performance, Hyundai's new Sonata delivers driver enjoyment not previously associated with the model or brand: indicative V6 (automatic) 0-100km/h acceleration approximates to 7.7 seconds and 0-400m in 15.6 seconds.

Two completely new, all-alloy engines, which offer Euro-4 low-emission calibration 2½ years before being mandated by Australian Design Rules, will power NF Sonata and its new luxury sibling, badged Sonata Elite.

Hyundai’s Lambda 3.3-litre quad-camshaft V6 peaks at 173kW (32kW more than Camry V6 and within 2kW of Commodore) and is matched to a new 5-speed 'Selectronic' automatic transmission.

This strong new V6 engine has 4-valves per cylinder, CVVT on the intake valves, while high silicone alloy pistons reduce reciprocating mass and offer long service life, aided by a special anti-friction coating and thin, low-friction piston rings.

The new Theta 118kW 2.4-litre twin-cam 4-cylinder makes 6kW more than Camry’s 2.4-litre engine, 17kW more than Subaru Liberty 2.0-litre and 10kW more than Vectra CD 2.2. The 4-cylinder motor is paired with new manual and upgraded Selectronic automatic transmissions with slicker shift actions.

Full enjoyment of both engines’ performance is afforded via Sonata’s sharp steering as delivered by a sportier-calibrated double wishbone suspension specified for Australian drivers.

Hyundai has for the first time specified Australian Sonatas with a European calibration suspension option, which is a sportier set up than that for domestic Korean and North American models. This includes higher spec Sachs gas dampers (shock absorbers) from Germany and matched, firmer-rated coil springs, thicker stabiliser (anti-roll) bars and firmer bushes front and rear.

An electronic ‘fly-by-wire’ throttle aids driveability and seamlessly integrates with Sonata’s cruise control and the ESP and TCS safety systems. The V6 is mated to a newly developed 5-speed Selectronic transmission which works through a new gate-type shifter, removing the fiddly push button on the shift lever. A new, rpm-variable hydraulic pressure unit smooths shifting and reduces engine power loss. Dual chrome tailpipes are the main exterior markers for V6 model Sonatas.

As well as heaps of interior room, the Sonata is now a stronger and safer car than previously. Heading up its much enhanced safety story are six airbags—dual frontal, front-side (thorax) and full side curtain type, Electronic Stability Control with Traction Control and bigger disc brakes on V6, active four-way front head restraints and reversing sensors—all packaged in a stronger and more protective-engineered body.

Given the crucial braking role of a car’s tyre contact patch on the road, new Sonata’s braking augers well with its tyre footprints bigger than most of its competition, thanks to its standard 16-inch wheels shod with 215/60 series tyres. The Elite goes further with 17-inch alloys wearing 225/50 Dunlop SP Sport tyres.

ABS with EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution) is standard on new Sonata and V6 models are fitted with larger discs front and rear (300 and 284mm) than the 2.4 model’s 280 and 262mm rotors.

Elevated comfort greets Sonata travellers with increased room in all areas including class-leading front leg and head room and a welcoming cabin ambience borne of tasteful and ergonomic design. Many thoughtful storage solutions abound and some features are beyond the class norm, such as a rake and reach-adjustable leather-trimmed steering wheel, adjustable seat height and lumbar support for both front occupants, a retracting shopping bag or handbag hook on the left side of the centre console and on automatic models a fore-aft sliding central padded elbow-rest.

Seats are trimmed in a sumptuous, quality-feel velour and offer generous anatomical support with full backrest rake and longer fore-aft travel. The contoured rear bench seat sports a pull-down central armrest, three low-profile pull-up head restraints and 30mm more rear leg room than before.

New Sonata standard equipment is comprehensive and includes air-conditioning with pollen filter and heater ducting to the rear footwells, cruise control via steering wheel tabs, remote entry with alarm and power mirrors and windows—with one-touch down/up driver’s window and jam-sensing override lowering.

Sun visors have slide-out extensions and vanity mirrors which switch on roof make-up lights when their covers are lifted. Sonata serves music and chat via its dashboard contour-integrated audio with MP3-capable CD/FM/AM augmented with a cassette player for all those boomers’ tape collections, 6-speakers including tweeters, steering wheel auxiliary controls and an antenna set into the rear glass. Two 12 volt power outlets are supplied, one in the boot for the portable mini-fridge or recharging stored electronic gear.

Sonata Elite

A new, prestige ‘Elite’ model Sonata will debut in Australia and is offered with either V6 or 4-cylinder engine and automatic transmission. Elite’s cabin spells luxury with leather seats, armrests and door trim inserts highlighted with subtly sparing carbon fibre-look elements in a light Warm Grey tone interior or rich dark walnut-look inlays with the Soft Beige alternative. Elite’s 17-inch alloy wheels are a class rarity and are performance-shod with lower profile 225/50R Dunlop SP Sport tyres.

The audio system upgrades with a 6-disc in-dash CD stacker and adds an 8-inch 90W sub-woofer and a 200W external amplifier. Auto climate control, eight-way power adjusting driver seat, reverse sensors, stainless steel door sill plates and chrome door handles and window sill garnishes are other Elite enhancements.

Hyundai Motor Company is on track to sell over a quarter million Sonatas worldwide in 2005 and has just commenced full manufacture of the new model for North American customers in its new, automated Alabama plant complex.

Australia’s Sonatas are built in HMC’s prestige car plant at Asan in Korea, which itself is still relatively new, yet had a new engine manufacturing facility installed for Sonata’s two new engines.

Sonata has been designed and engineered to extend the model’s 20-year legacy of continually elevating Hyundai’s levels of quality and customer satisfaction and to take on the best from Europe, Japan and world markets. As with all Hyundai models, Sonata owners will gain more than usual assurance from Hyundai’s long-established 5-year/130,000km new car warranty.