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Hyundai Sonata unveiled in the US
By Yoann Besnard on 10 February 2008 | 
(1) Comments | Permalink
Hyundai has unveiled the facelifted Sonata outside South Korea for the first time at the Chicago Motor Show. The revamped Sonata features a bolder front fascia and an all-new interior. Under the hood, the company's best-seller comes with revised powertrains.
The exterior styling of the current Sonata looks a bit tame so Hyundai decided to slightly spice it up by featuring new bumpers, headlights and an enlarged grille whose new frame takes inspiration from the Azera model. But the main changes are in the interior which gets an all-new dashboard. Forget the current cheap dash. Hyundai wants the Sonata to move upmarket and this time Hyundai has put all its expertise into the best dashboard it has ever designed. Gossip mongers won’t hesitate to notice the different styling cues, but the result is rather appealing.
The revamped Sonata will be available with a choice of two petrol engines, a 2.4-litre four cylinder unit and a 3.3-litre V6 engine. The 2.4-litre engine is the Hyundai's second-generation Theta and has an output of 175bhp and a torque of 168 lb ft. The V6 engine gains 15bhp to 249bhp and has a torque of 229 lb ft. The V6 is hooked up to a five-speed automatic gearbox while the four cylinder unit can be associated with either a five speed manual gearbox or a five speed automatic gearbox. Exact spec for Europe remains unknown but the V6 engine won’t likely come to Europe while there will be a diesel engine.
Comments
Posted by: Nestle | Apr 22, 2008 5:07:03 AM
i have a 2008 and i like how hyundai redid the interior. i have this body style so ill wait till they redesign it and see if ill trade my 2008 in for the next generation model. overall excellent job on an excellent machine!
