Remember when Honda was the sole four-cylinder holdout in the mid-size sedan market? The company insisted that there was no need for the extra thirst of a V6 in the Accord, despite the demands of a horsepower-hungry US market. These days, there's an Accord V6, but for 2011 the Hyundai Sonata is doing without a six-cylinder version.
If some of the major players in the mid-size family sedan market don’t get it into gear quickly, they’re going to be looking at the tailpipes of a Korean juggernaut leaving them in a cloud of unhappiness. Hyundai is finished playing nice.
South Korean automaker Hyundai has accomplished much over the past couple of years including the creation of the new mid-sized Sonata sedan that has become a benchmark for its segment.
If the Genesis is its flagship until the Equus comes galloping in, what is the sixth-generation Hyundai Sonata?
Hyundai designers threw out the playbook and started with a fresh sheet of paper with the 2011 mid-sized Sonata. It breaks new styling ground inside and out in a segment loaded with “me-too” designs.
Hyundai has taken a back-door approach to accessing the American automotive market. Originally, they basically copied other successful models and sold them at a lower price with longer warranties. Not a bad strategy.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
So it is no surprise that after the Hyundai Sonata’s “fluidic sculpture” design was so well received, its baby brother would want a similar new set of clothes.
Achieving some of the best highway fuel economy yet for a hybrid, the all-new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid pioneers several technologies with its Direct Hybrid Blue Drive system. "It's all about the fuel economy, stupid," is driving Hyundai engineers to keep the brand at the top of the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rankings. The 2011 Sonata Hybrid is simply another step forward in a strategy aimed at a corporate 50 mpg CAFE by 2025.
Just the latest project in a busy 2010 that saw Hyundai launch redesigns of the Tucson and Sonata, as well as introduce the all-new Equus flagship, the Elantra total makeover nudges this small sedan upmarket and into a more serious competitor for the likes of Honda Civic, Chevy Cruze and Mazda 3.
