Hyundai Sonata News

The new Sonata was first revealed in March last year, and now Hyundai has confirmed local pricing and specifications for the all-new sedan.The new Sonata uses Hyundai's 'Fluidic Sculpture 2.0' design language, which we first saw used on the Genesis sedan that arrived last year.Three trim levels will be available - Active, Elite and Premium - following the formula used by several other Hyundai models.The base Sonata Active kicks off at $29,990, cheaper than its Toyota Camry and Mazda6 key rivals and matching the entry price of the new Subaru Liberty.The Active is powered by a 138kW/241Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired to a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.The entry-level Active comes with features including a 4.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system with all the expected connectivity options, six-speaker sound, cloth upholstery, LED daytime running lights, automatic headlights and 17-inch alloys.Standard safety features include reversing camera, reverse parking sensors, six airbags, traction and stability control systems, electronic brake-force distribution, hill-start assist, emergency stop signalling as well as a brake assist system.The $36,990 Sonata Elite steps up to a 180kW/350Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and is also paired with a six-speed torque-converter automatic.The Elite includes all the features of the Active, but adds an eight-inch touchscreen with satnav and live traffic updates, leather seats, dual-zone climate control and LED tail lights.Priced at $41,990, the top-spec Sonata Premium builds on the Elite's features and adds front parking sensors, panoramic glass sunroof, auto-levelling bi-xenon headlights with static cornering lights, automatic wipers, auto-dimming rear view mirror, heated and ventilated front seats with memory function as well as 18-inch alloys.Cargo capacity is a generous 462 litres for all Sonata models, with a full-size alloy spare beneath the boot floor.

Hyundai unveiled tuned concept versions of the Sonata, Genesis Coupe and Genesis Sedan at this week's SEMA show.Getting into the SEMA spirit, Hyundai has taken the wraps off five new Genesis and Sonata-based concept cars, developed in conjunction with well-known tuning brands. Like most things SEMA, each bring significant performance boosts and styling tweaks to boost visual cred. The 2015 Genesis sedan - which arrives in Australia this week - has been taken to by both ARK Performance and Toca Marketing Group. Blood Type Racing have done a version of the Genesis coupe with Bisimoto and John Pangilinan presenting their takes on the Sonata sedan, a new version of which is due in Australia next year.ARK Performance AR550 Genesis SedanARK Performance has taken aim at the Mercedes-Benz AMG and BMW M models with their AR550 Genesis concept, their sixth car built for Hyundai's SEMA exhibits over the years.To start with, ARK have attached a supercharger to Hyundai's Tau 5.0-litre V8 engine to boost power to 410kW. They've also tweaked the engine management, built a new exhaust system, put in a race-spec driveshaft and placed a carbon fibre engine cover on top of it all.On the outside it features new wider carbon fibre bodykit featuring front and rear bumpers to accommodate the larger forged wheels. There's also an 'AR line' aero package developed specifically for the AR550 by Infinite Auto Design, aftermarket headlights and what ARK are calling 'exterior welcome lighting'.For those inside the car, ARK have replaced the Genesis' entertainment system with a new one powered by an onboard Apple Mac Mini computer. There are dual touchscreen displays for the rear seats, charging docks for Apple's iPhone, 110-240V power plugs, USB ports and a slot for a SIM to provide mobile data connectivity.The front passenger gets an 'executive private VIP' seat, while the remaining seats get 'AR Line Hex' stitching.Toca Signature Edition Genesis SedanChigaco-based Toca Marketing Group have also gone the luxury route with their Genesis concept, the Toca Signature Edition Genesis.Like the AR550, Toca have used the Tau engine, to which they have added twin turbochargers giving the sedan a total of 447kW. The Signature Edition also has a custom exhaust manifold paired with a performance dual-exhaust system borrowed from ARK.The chassis features digitally controlled air suspension and custom brakes.Toca have crafted an all-metal wide body for their Genesis concept featuring new front and rear with moulded side-skirts and bumpers.The wheels are 21-inches and shod in high-performance Toyo rubber.It's been covered in custom Grigio Silverstone blend paint with added gloss black and red candy accents.In the cabin there are black leather seats with contrasting white stitching. The headrests have the Toca Signature Edition logo embossed in them.The sound system has been boosted to include 500-watt mono and 400-watt 4-channel amps housed in custom enclosures.Blood Type Racing Genesis CoupeBlood Type Racing have taken a different route with their Genesis coupe concept. A nitrous route.Added to a Hyundai 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine is a nitrous injection kit. The result is 746kW.Giving the Coupe a proper racing look are 19-inch custom wheels, racing tyres, a widened body kit, F1-style rear diffuser and GT rear wing.Inside the car the racing theme is continued with fibreglass racing seats, racing harnesses, racing steering wheel, OLED gauges, roll cage and a weighted stick shifter.Bisimoto Engineering SonataPowertrain specialists Bisimoto Engineering have taken the front-wheel drive Sonata, completely rebuilt its engine and added a turbocharger to turn it into 528kW race car.The front of the car now features a splitter, the body styling has been tweaked with an added aero package, the whole thing has been covered in a custom laminated body wrap and it sits on 18-inch aluminium wheels.Inside there is a race-spec dashboard, racing harnesses and seating for four people.JP Edition SonataJohn Pangilinan has aimed for a balance between style and performance with his Sonata concept.Mechanical changes in the JP Sonata include a new air intake system, exhaust kit, sports suspension and 19-inch wheels.On the exterior a custom wide-body kit has been added with new V-LED highlights and custom vinyl art by street-artist, Mr 44.The interior features leather sports seats, more V-LED lights and a sound system by Alpine that's compatible with Apple's CarPlay technology.

New Hyundai Sonata has considerably more style than before.

Commercial for US Sonata has father hooning in carpark, urged on by daughter in car seat.

The official wraps will come off the new Sonata at New York motor show in April, but Hyundai has given the sedan an early unveiling in South Korea, giving us a look at how the latest family styling sits on the vehicle.The Sonata -- which will arrive as a replacement for the i45 sedan that was axed last year -- is now marginally longer and wider, but promises a significant increase in cabin space.Hyundai says there will also be a more premium focus on the fit-out, with better materials and technology, including advanced multimedia, connectivity and infotainment systems, rear parking sensors, heated leather seats and rear-side curtain airbags, while an upgraded suspension system points to better handling and  ride quality.Overseas markets will get a choice of three 2.0-litre engines with power outputs ranging from 111kW for an LPi-fuelled one to 124kW and 142kW for petrol units, however Australian specifications is yet to to confirmed -- and could include larger and more powerful mills to cater to our local tastes.However we're also yet to hear whether there the Sonata will sit in the Hyundai range in relation to the i40 sedan -- which itself booted out the i45. It's possible that the Korean carmaker may further rationalise the line-up, and we'll see the i40 exit to make way for the more upmarket Sonata.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

The Korean car maker boasts of testing the new sedan at the Nurburgring in Germany and the deserts of California, but anyone who’s been in Central Australia recently might have seen it undergoing dust and hot weather testing in the NT.The recently-unrestricted section of the Stuart Highway might also have had some attraction to the Hyundai engineers looking to put the car through some rigorous high-speed work in the heat as well. HMCA’s Bill Thomas says the parent company’s engineering team is covering more than 20,000km of outback "roads.""They’re doing final certification runs, for hot weather and durability testing, it’s mostly dirt road stuff but also combined with hot weather testing at this time of year, all over the NT for about 20,000km so they’re busy," he says. While the brand has been undertaking increasing amounts of local tuning for the chassis, Mr Thomas says the work in the NT is not related to local tuning."This Korean HMC work, we’re not due to tune that car locally for some months yet, we haven’t got our hands on a pre-production prototype yet," he says. "I don’t think that they’re measuring suspension response, it’s main durability and hot weather testing," he says.The Australian arm of the Korean brand will tune the suspension more toward local tastes later in the year prior to the third quarter launch, when it will slot back into the line-up alongside the i40 - coexistence is the plan for the medium-sized Korean cars."It depends on the breadth of spec that we choose for Sonata as to how we possibly modify the rest of the range, i40 is a similar sizes and target market... Sonata is more of a global car, it’s a bit of horses for courses for us, making sure we get the best mix of models," he says.The brand is also working towards the launch of the Genesis sedan halo car - "We’re trying to get through finalising pricing and final specification and some research, that’s third quarter for us," Thomas says - but it’s headed into a tough large-car market segment.Australians can expect V6 engines in the big RHD sedan, as the V8 has not been engineered for RHD, and anyone waiting for a production version of the HND-9 concept - minus the butterfly doors - coupe from last year's Seoul motor show will be waiting for at least two years.Hyundai head office in South Korea has released more details on the incoming all-new Sonata, prior to the world-premiere in Korea later this month. Improvements in safety and performance are high on the company’s list of targets, prompting the South Korean automotive giant to test the all-new medium sedan in a number of locations around the world - including the Northern Territory, apparently. 

Hyundai Australia has confirmed that the seventh generation of its mid-size sedan will return to our shores as the Sonata, after the name was dropped in 2010 in favour of i45.The most recent i45 model was removed from the local Hyundai model line-up early last year because of global supply issues."We've opted for 'Sonata because it's the global name for the car - the previous Sonata was called i45 in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Columbia only," Hyundai Australia spokesman Bill Thomas told Carsguide."The alphanumeric names apply to European-designed/built cars, so i20, i30, ix35, i40 are all Eurocentric, while cars with names - Elantra, Santa Fe, Sonata - are global cars.”Hyundai has revealed a teaser image of the new model ahead of its debut in Korea later this month, giving us our first glimpse at the car’s exterior styling. Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language – first seen on the new Genesis luxury sedan - is expected to give the new Sonata a more premium and refined appearance.The Korean brand’s hexagonal grille features at the front, with flowing headlights bleeding into the chrome window frames. A muscular character line runs from behind the front wheel arch to the taillights, while the rear profile is sleek, incorporating what appears to be a hatchback tailgate.With the new Sonata, Hyundai says it has worked hard to improve safety and performance over the outgoing model. With testing undertaken at the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany, the company says it is confident its new car will meet and exceed customer expectations in terms of quality and refinement.“The all-new Sonata has evolved again, based on Hyundai Motor’s world-class technologies, and it will play an important role in further facilitating our shift from quantitative growth to qualitative growth,” Jeong Gil Park, head of the Hyundai engineering and design, says.”Increased use of advanced high-strength steel in the Sonata’s passenger cell has also resulted in an increase in torsional rigidity of 40 per cent over the current car. Hyundai is confident the new model will perform positively in crash testing.More information on Australian specifications and pricing will be released closer to the Sonata’s local launch later this year, but a 2.0-litre turbo version is on the plan. "We haven't got any details yet on specs for Sonata, or how that might change the model mix re i40. (But) drivetrain options will include a 2.0-litre turbo engine," Thomas says.He says it's too early to estimate whether global production will mean similar supply hurdles to those faced by the previous model. "Supply issues meant we couldn't justify the continued sale of the last car. We can't say how supply will differ with this new model, and I'm afraid we have no information about global production volume, except to say that it's one of our biggest-selling cars globally," he says.  

Carmakers spend up big on the annual Super Bowl commercials, with a 30-second in-game spot costing $3.7m and even slots at the start and end of the game commanding premium prices. It's money well spent if they can attract attention – and turn it into sales. And a good ad can go far beyond the game day, turning viral and getting millions of views. Volkswagen's Darth Vader from the 2011 Super Bowl and the hot Adriana Lima commercial from the 2012 Super Bowl are just two of the stars that went on to become global successes.So which were the big contenders this year? Mercedes-Benz was early out of the gates with a teaser featuring swimsuit model Kate Upton 'washing a car slowly'. The shapely Ms Upton didn't actually get her own hands wet – except to blow a bit of foam around – and her role seems to be mainly distracting the footballers who are doing all the hard work. Merc followed up with what must have been a costly exercise for the CLA, with a pact offered by Willem Dafoe as Satan, and the Rolling Stones 'Sympathy for the Devil' as the soundtrack.Watch the Mercedes-Benz Kate Upton car wash adWatch the Mercedes-Benz Soul adWe reckon Coke filched ideas from two top Aussie movies. Their Coke Chase ad featured a gang of Mad Max baddies and a crew of showgirls in a pink Priscilla bus, vying with a Great Escape motorbike, a posse of cowboys and a camel-leading Arabian sheik – all in a race to a giant Coke bottle. The ad was the key creative in an online campaign that lets viewers vote to let three of the teams reach the bottle first – or delay the other teams by watching linked 'sabotage' videos. Watch the Coke Chase adThe early teaser for Toyota's 'Wish' spot featured The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco – it looked like fun and was backed up with the 'Careful What You Wish For' full ad, which gained much from Cuoco's perky personality as Penny.Watch the Toyota Wish teaser ad Watch the Toyota RAV4 Wish adKia's Space Babies teaser shows some fantastic CGI, and an even more fantastic answer to kids asking where they come from. The ad works well nearly right to the slightly lame ending, but it's doubtful it stacks up as something to rival their viral stars, the Soul Hamsters.Watch the Kia Space Baby adBut the Kia ad that had everybody talking -- including motoring journos -- was 'Hotbots', where a robotic motor show stand attendant (we don't call them booth babes here) gets revenge on a grubby guy.Watch the Kia HotBot adHyundai went all-out for the Super Bowl with several spots. The 'Team' one for Santa Fe was an early favourite, with some great performances from child actors -- and a very scary mum.Watch the Hyundai Santa Fe Team adThe 'Playdate' took you on an extreme day out of having fun and upsetting security guards, bikies and police, with the Flaming Lips providing the soundtrack.Watch the Hyundai Playdate adThe Genesis was talked up in 'Excited' with Hyundai touting its advantages over high end, and particularly German, luxury cars.Watch the Hyundai Genesis Excited adAnd then there was the aversion therapy of 'Stuck', showing some of the worst vehicles you can be stuck behind in traffic -- unless you have a Hyundai Sonata to overtake them, of course.Watch the Hyundai Sonata Stuck adVolkswagen ditched the Star Wars theme, and instead drafted reggae legend Jimmy Cliff for their 'Get Happy' teaser – and then got into a little hot water with the full ad, which shows Caucasian men taking off Jamaican accents. Perhaps it's still a Star Wars link ... the movie franchise faced similar accusations of racial stereotyping with the Jamaican-sounding Jar Jar Binks.Watch the VW Get Happy adWatch the VW Jimmy Cliff adVW then followed up with a low-key but effective 'bad dog' ad, showing what to do when the dog eats your car keys.Watch the VW Bad Dog adAudi tapped into every adolescent boy's fantasy with a lad heading off to prom night alone being tossed the keys to his dad's Audi S6, kissing the football jock's girlfriend and generally making it a night to remember.Watch the Audi Prom adFiat has launched a trio of ads for the 500L, all aimed at emphasising how much larger it is than the garden variety 500. Date, Sisters and Wedding are all flavoured with Italian dressing and – while not as scorching at the Catrinel Menghia Abarth ads – still manage to be cheeky.Watch the Fiat 500L Date adWatch the Fiat 500L Sisters adWatch the Fiat 500L Wedding adThe Chrysler group turned on the patriotism for their slightly saccharine ode to a farmer and Whole Again ads.Watch the Dodge Ram Farmer adWatch the Jeep  Whole again adAnd even snack food Doritos has got in on the car act, with one of the finalists for its Crash the Super Bowl ad playoff featuring the perfect solution to a back seat dog problem.Watch the Doritos Road Chip ad 

We'll have to get used to it as the South Korean carmaker sharpens the edge on its new models

A tidier Elantra is the next newcomer from Hyundai as it accelerates its new-model plans for the next five years. The mid-sized Korean contender only gets a mild update for 2013 but there is much more to come.The upscale Genesis coupe is already confirmed and now comes news from Korea of an update to the Accent later this year, as well as the Accent SR developed in Australia to sit alongside the SR versions of the Veloster A warm hatch with a nice price - that's the bottom line on the Hyundai i30 SR and i30.Hyundai has a long-term goal to move up from its current fourth place in the Australian car business and chief operating officer, John Elsworth, is talking up the prospects. "Our results this year have been incredibly strong. Overall we are placed fourth in the market. We're number two in passenger cars and fourth in SUVs," Elsworth says.Hyundai is still short of models, including a ute to pitch into the red-hot pickup contest, but it's no worse than third in any of the showroom classes where it has a serious contender. "Our approach and goal is for consistent growth, versus peaks and troughs in sales, and having a good mix of sales across models and all buyer types," Elsworth says."Currently our sales mix continues to improve, with 66 per cent of sales going to private and small businesses, and add to that nine per cent dealer demonstrators, which are predominantly sold privately after their holding period. So that's 75 per cent of sales as private and small business."Against that background, Hyundai is bullish about its sales forecast for 2013 against an overall market it expects to hit 1.14 million. With the i30 SR ready now for showrooms, the next arrival is the updated Elantra."It will be here this year. In the third quarter," company spokesman Bill Thomas tells Carsguide. "It's a mid-life Elantra update. There are no sheetmetal changes, but there are new lights front and rear. One of the big improvements is inside., where we've put the central air vents higher, based on customer feedback, and that's give us the opportunity to give the cabin a more premium feel."It's got our new suspension as well. It's very nice." But there is still no chance of a diesel engine choice. "There is a diesel for other countries, but we're staying with petrol power for Australia," Thomas says.Apart from the Genesis, the star for 2014 is a new Sonata. It has a new body, a different interior approach and will - inevitably - get Australian suspension tuning. Hyundai is also expected to add a rear-wheel drive sporty sedan, in the style of the Lexus IS, by 2016. Its codename is RK and it could have styling based on the HCD-14 concept car from this year's Detroit motor show. But no-one is saying anything about RK, or anything beyond the end of this year. "No comment. That's it," Thomas says bluntly.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover