Car blogs

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata has been turning heads and racking up awards since its premier earlier this year. With its newly restyled exterior, the Sonata’s profile has bystanders looking for an expensive European emblem on its hood. With a belt line that begins low behind the front tire and rises to meet its trunk, a shapely hood that seamlessly...






The 2011 Hyundai Sonata has been turning heads and racking up awards since its premier earlier this year. With its newly restyled exterior, the Sonata’s profile has bystanders looking for an expensive European emblem on its hood.



With a belt line that begins low behind the front tire and rises to meet its trunk, a shapely hood that seamlessly flows onto its grille, and windswept rear taillights, the new Sonata looks more like a Mercedes-Benz sedan than its more humble beginnings as a low-price leader in the mid-size import category.



In fact, in its size category the new Sonata beats its competition in most contests of roominess, allowing the government to classify it as a large sedan for EPA mileage purposes. Its newly available 274-hp, 2.0-Liter, turbo four-cylinder engine also leaves a lot of its competition in the dust.



While earlier in the model year drivers had the choice of a base GLS model, the sportier SE or the luxe Limited, the selection now also includes turbo-charged SE and Limited models.



We don’t know just yet how drivers will respond to the turbo Sonata since they’re just gradually rolling into dealerships. But, Carl Strube, sales manager of Bill Hood Import Corner in Hammond, says the new turbos are “wickedly fast.” And, I’m inclined to agree with him. Most reports online put the turbos’ 0-60 time at well below the 7-second mark, with many around 6.5 seconds.



Hyundai’s pricing has already convinced many Honda, Mazda and Toyota drivers to cross the line from Japanese-made to Korean-made automobiles. The turbo Sonata, like the top-of-the-line Hyundai Genesis, may also start tugging away at European-car enthusiasts, such as VW and Audi drivers.

Now the Sonata will not only look fast and sleek, but it will be fast and sleek. Not that you necessarily need the new turbocharged engine to go fast in the Sonata. The standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder in the Sonata I test-drove produces a very respectable 198 hp. It allowed me to merge into any traffic situation without a second thought and its six-speed automatic transmission provided smart shifting that provided effortless acceleration at even higher highway speeds.



The front-wheel-drive Sonata also does a respectable job of controlling torque steer, something other cars in its class don’t do as well. This is all accomplished while still managing to provide a close-to-top-of-class EPA gas mileage estimate of 22 in the city and 35 on the highway.



Another area where the Sonata has always blown by the competition, and continues to do so, is on price. The base GLS model offers: power windows and doors, dual heated power mirrors, audio system with satellite radio/CD player and MP3 input, Bluetooth hands-free phone compatibility, steering wheel-mounted audio, phone and cruise controls, advanced trip computer with custom settings and dual illuminated vanity mirrors – all for a starting price of $19,195. A $750 options package swaps out the standard 16-inch steel rims for aluminum-alloy rims and adds a power driver’s seat with lumbar support, among other popular items.



Yet, where most Sonata buyers are headed is to the Limited trim. “We sell more Limiteds than GLS,” said Strube at Bill Hood Hyundai. “For what you get for your money, you can’t beat it.” For an MSRP of $25,295, you get a sunroof, heated leather seats up front and in back, keyless entry system with push-button engine start, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, Homelink garage door opener, fog lights and more.



Some of the amenities in the four-cylinder aren’t even available as options from its

Tags: Hyundai

---

Hyundai Sonata: Now faster, better was originally published by New Orleans Auto Reviews: Hyundai. Read the full story by clicking here.