LA Show 2009 Highlights: 2011 Hyundai Sonata

You're looking at the single most important car Hyundai will launch in America this decade. While the upscale Genesis sedan has transformed Hyundai's image, the new Sonata is intended to make the South Korean automaker a major player in America's most competitive vehicle segment -- at the expense of Toyota's Camry and Honda's Accord.

Hyundai's done its homework. The all-new sixth generation Sonata is big -- it is classified by the EPA as a large car, rather than a midsize. It is fuel efficient -- standard engine will be the new direct injection, 198-hp 2.4-liter Theta II four cylinder that Hyundai claims will deliver 23 mpg city and 35 mpg highway with the available six speed automatic transmission (a six speed manual is standard). And it will offer something for the enthusiast driver -- a sporty SE version with 200 hp (thanks to a dual exhaust), tuned suspension, and 18-in. wheels.

The quick take: It's as big as an Accord, more fuel efficient than a Camry, and should be more fun to drive than both. And if Hyundai delivers the Sonata with Genesis-like build quality and refinement, both Honda and Toyota should be worried. This could be America's next best-seller.
Previous Sonatas have been relatively anonymous looking sedans. The 2011 car is anything but, with wedgy sheet metal, a bold grille, fashionably oversized headlights, and a distinctive chrome spear that starts at the headlight and runs back along the base of the greenhouse to the steeply raked C-pillars. Depending on model, the car will roll on 16-, 17- or 18-in. multi-spoke alloy wheels.

The interior is also dramatic, with strong shapes and interesting surfaces. The center stack features simple controls, and relatively few buttons. Hyundai will offer four different audio systems, ranging from a standard six speaker unit that includes sat radio and MP3 capability, to a touch screen controlled unit Infinity system with a 400watt external amplifier system. All Sonatas will come with three months of XM Satellite Radio, NavTraffic and Data service, standard Bluetooth hands-free phone capability, and iPod/USB inputs.

The bold new exterior styling is not the only risk Hyundai's taking with the new Sonata. Unlike all its rivals -- which include Chevy Malibu, Ford Fusion, and Nissan Altima -- it will not be offered with a V-6 engine. Instead, Hyundai plans to roll out a turbocharged 2.0-liter Theta II for customers who want more power and torque by the end of the year. For those wanting even more fuel efficiency, a hybrid version is also coming in the next 12 months.

Thanks to: Motor Trend