The 2015 Hyundai Sonata has made its public debut at the New York motor show. The car features Hyundai's Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language, last seen on the new Genesis in Detroit. Hyundai says the language has three main themes: fluid aesthetics, modern looks and a premium ambiance.
The Sonata is the American version of Britain’s i40. This is the seventh generation of the mid-size saloon and will be built at the company’s production facility in the state of Alabama in the US. It goes on sale in America this summer.
Its new design contributes to an impressive drag coefficient of 0.27. That’s the lowest of any non-hybrid in the mid-size class, according to Hyundai. The company quotes an improvement of 41 per cent in torsional rigidity, helped by the use of high-strength steel.
Inside, the level of interior space classifies the Sonata as a ‘large car’ by the EPA, the US agency in charge of fuel economy and emissions. The passenger volume inside the Hyundai is larger than its key competition from Japan, America, and Germany.
Hyundai has fitted a range of safety and technology features to the large interior. Radar cruise control, blind spot detection, and rear cross traffic alert are all available. DAB radio, Bluetooth, and full iPod integration are standard. Navigation and a 400-watt Infinity premium audio system are optional. If you specify satellite navigation, Apple’s “Eyes Free” Siri integration is also fitted. For even further iPhone integration, Apple’s CarPlay will be made available later in the year.
Power comes for the choice of two petrol engines, both hitched to a standard six-speed automatic. The naturally aspirated 2.4-litre in-line four-cylinder develops 185bhp. Also available is a turbocharged, 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit. The boosted setup puts out 245bhp and 265lb ft of torque. Both engines are retuned versions of the outgoing engines. Both are tweaked for better drivability at lower RPMs but, as a result, they do lose a small amount of peak power. We also expect to see a hybrid Sonata in the near future.
Like Hyundai models in the UK, the Sonata is offered with an industry-leading warranty in the USA (including a ten-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty).
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Imitation?
This was the Chinese modus operandi now the Koreans are at it?
But I fear the not so bright Americans would but this more than the Fusion which it imitates....
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