Hyundai Motor Co. unveiled the new Sonata on the local market last week. Launched in 1985, the Sonata is one of the country's bestselling vehicles, of which more than 4.6 million units have been sold worldwide.
With more than 20,000 pre-launch orders, the Sonata, now in its sixth guise, is likely to continue being the dominant mid-sized sedan in the local market.
Among vehicles in the segment produced by foreign carmakers, Hyundai has singled out the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord as the rivals for the new Sonata.
With more than 20,000 pre-launch orders, the Sonata, now in its sixth guise, is likely to continue being the dominant mid-sized sedan in the local market.
Among vehicles in the segment produced by foreign carmakers, Hyundai has singled out the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord as the rivals for the new Sonata.
Pricing, engine performance and fuel economy
A price comparison between the three vehicles is unrealistic as the Camry is not yet available here and the new Sonata's overseas prices are not yet known. However, with the Honda Accord starting at 39.1 million won ($32,300) here, the Sonata is highly unlikely to be beaten in the price department, which will make its Korean debut next month.
The new Sonata is available in four trim levels - Grand, Prime, Premier and Top - the cheapest of which starts at 21.3 million won and the most expensive trim, Top, starts at 25.95 million won.
In terms of power output, the new Sonata's 2-liter engine comes in last with 165-brake horsepower, but the other two models have larger engines, the match to which will be added to the Sonata lineup next year.
In terms of fuel economy, the Sonata with 6-speed automatic transmission out performs the Accord and Camry by as much as 1.9 kilometers per liter. The official fuel economy of the new Sonata with automatic transmission is 12.8 kilometers per liter.
The Accord is available with either a 2.4- or 3.5-liter gasoline engines. The power output of the 2.4-liter engine, the one closer to the engine currently available in the Sonata, comes in at 180 brake horsepower. The car is fitted with 5-speed automatic transmission and fuel economy clocks in at 10.9 kilometers per liter.
The 2.5-liter engine found in the Toyota Camry generates 169 brake horsepower, or 179 in the Camry SE. The engine coupled with 6-speed automatic transmission manages 9.36 kilometers per liter in urban and 13.6 kilometers per liter in highway conditions. A rough average of the two would be about 11.5 kilometers per liter.
Safety features
The new Sonata has been fitted with vehicle dynamic control, to which hill-start assist control and the brake assist system have been added, and driver and passenger airbags as standard features to provide better protection.
In addition, high strength plates manufactured using hot stamping have been used in areas such as the B-pillar and roof side rail to increase the structural integrity of the vehicle.
Hot stamping is a method that rapidly cools the plates that have been heated to more than 900 degrees Celsius while the plates are being pressed, resulting in material that is three times stronger than unprocessed plates.
The locally marketed Accord 2.4 comes with active headrest, driver and passenger airbags, driver and passenger side airbags, side and curtain airbags and electronic braking and anti-lock braking system as standard features.
Details about the equipment that will be fitted in the locally marketed Camry have not yet been decided.
Local competition
Judging by past sales performances, local competitors will give the new Sonata little to worry about.
Even with the sales drop leading up to the new model's launch, the Sonata easily kept its position at the top of the mid-sized sedan segment this year.
During the first eight months of the year, 71,532 units of the vehicle were sold locally, outpacing the nearest competitor, Renault Samsung Motors Co.'s SM5, by more than 30,000 units.
Pricewise, the three rival vehicles, with automatic transmission, all have the upper hand over the Sonata.
The SM5 starts at 20.4 million won while the Lotze and Tosca respectively begin at 19.57 million won and 20.21 million won.
In terms of fuel economy, the new Sonata surpasses the nearest competitor, the Lotze, by 1.3 kilometers per liter.
The Lotze, equipped with 2-liter engine and four-speed automatic transmission, manages 11.5 kilometers per liter compared to the Sonata's 12.8 kilometers per liter. In third place is the SM5 with 11 kilometers per liter and the Tosca brings up the rear with 10.9 kilometers per liter.
The fuel economies of the SM5 and Tosca are for vehicles fitted with automatic transmission, four-speed in the SM5 and five-speed in the Tosca.
The Lotze again is the runner up in power output among the four vehicles with 163-brake horsepower. The Tosca's power output tops out at 144 while the SM5's engine manages 143-brake horsepower. (cheesuk@heraldm.com) By Choi He-suk 2009.09.21
