WITH a whole new design philosophy and revitalised mindset of going head on against the Japanese, the latest Sonata (codename YF) has inadvertently crept up everyone's expectations of it. Newfound confidence taken into account, it should easily be the best Korean car to date. And surprisingly, it is.
The Sonata is quite a sight to behold. Those intersecting lines that appear to be a mess in pictures stand out under direct sunlight, where the complex curves and flowing body panels work together to harmoniously create a substantial shape that has an assertive presence not quite seen before in this class/segment.
It's no secret that Hyundai has taken inspiration from the first generation Mercedes CLS, the low-slung roofline and high-shoulder line. The designers have taken the four-door coupe concept even further by implementing it on a volume-selling model.
Fortunately the styling has not compromised the rear headroom as much as it appears to; the Sonata boasting near class leading interior space, humongous boot included. It's not all roses however as in achieving that the designers have had to mount the rear seats very low to the floor, resulting in a claustrophobic rear cabin that is further compounded by the high waistline.
Its dashboard controls are very clearly laid out and along with Japanese-matching build quality, very few will have complaints on the interior apart from minor niggles such as the unmatched leather upholstery used on the seats and door handles. The whole cabin layout is unshamedly European, right down to the organ-type accelerator pedal more commonly seen on German vehicles.
The said pedal provides a linear response from the creamy new engine, allowing drivers to smoothly accelerate off the line easily- more so that its rivals' overly sensitive setup. Mash it down to the carpet however and the 2.0-litre engine with its quick reacting 6-speed automatic gearbox with tiptronic has enough grunt to please all but the power-hungry.
Up to 140km/h the ride is top-notch. Around pothole-strewn urban roads the car refuses to let bumps and bangs through to the cabin. The chasis strikes a good balance between body control and comfort, a striking change from its lopsided-handling predecessors.
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