2006 Hyundai Sonata
Saturday, October 28th, 2006
Hyundai, the largest car company in South Korea, invested in North America with a new $1.1 billion Alabama assembly plant, a vast technology and engineering center located in Michigan, $30 million worth of studios for research and design in Irvine, Calif., plus a $50 million test track pitched near California City in the Mojave Desert.
As a result, many of the vehicles in Hyundai’s extensive line slant directly toward the American market,such as a new generation of designs for Sonata, a four-door and five-passenger sedan which is the first Hyundai to come out of that Alabama factory. Consider the Sonata for 2006 completely new in size, style and mechanical components.
It fits in the class of a mid-size sedan, although generous space in the five-seat passenger compartment seems more like the cabin of a large-size car. Two new engines were developed for Sonata through three different trim grades, with all stocking extensive equipment for safety. And Hyundai applies aggressive price points for all trims.
MSRP leader is the entry issue Sonata GL, listing for $17,895 with a four-cylinder engine and standard five-speed manual shifter. Middle model Sonata GLS with the four-cylinder engine and a four-speed automatic transmission tallies to $19,395, or $20,895 with the V6 upgrade and a five-speed automatic.
Top tier Sonata LX, packing the V6 plus lots of luxury goods including leather upholstery, starts at $22,895. Then Hyundai supports each new Sonata with a warranty which goes beyond the protection for other vehicles the powertrain insured for 100,000 miles and a 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper shield against defects plus unlimited mileage for a roadside assistance program.
With body styling drawn now in the mainstream of designs, a high content in comfort features, extensive safety equipment, the generous warranty program and prices whittled to keen low points, Sonata for 2006 makes a persuasive case for inclusion on any sedan shopper’s list. The new structure for Sonata is considerably larger and far more sophisticated than the predecessor.
It measures several inches longer and taller and half an inch wider, with the wheelbase stretched out 1.1 inches longer and the wheel track 1.4 inches wider in front and 1.2 inches in back. Styling of the body appears clean and simple with a smooth front fascia setting off bold contours on a concave-dimpled hood dome and followed by a windshield raking high to an arching brow of the roof.
Sonata’s side view reveals a beltline that’s nearly level above rolled shoulders and curvy door panels with large round wheelwells added to house big wheels and tires. Windows rise high to meet the arching roofline with support frames and middle pillar in black to blend with a dark tint of the glass and kindle the image of a sporty coupe. A brief decklid on the rump-side trunk conceals the compartment’s generous interior dimensions — there’s more than 16 cubic feet of cargo space in there.
The passenger compartment also seems big, but it is, as Sonata’s riders will find far more room inside than on the previous edition. Headroom increases by more than half an inch, legroom in the back seat improves by 1.2 inches and there’s as least an inch more room at the shoulder level of rear riders. Layout of the cabin shows a pair of bucket seats up front flanking a floor-mounted console and a broad bench in back with two articulated seat positions but room for three.
The rear seatback splits 60/40 in sections and both fold forward to expand cargo room in the trunk. Driver’s seat faces a leather-wrapped steering wheel and an instrument cluster containing analog gauges with a large speedometer in the center spot ringed by chrome. Stow spots are scattered around the cabin, map pockets mounted on the front doors, the center console with integrated cupholders and cubbyholes, a hook in the footwell of the right front seat that flips out to hold a handbag, a fold-down armrest in the rear seatback which houses more cupholders in a pop-open section.
For responsive handling as well as a comfortable ride quality, Sonata employs a four- wheel independent suspension system with double wishbone design up front and a multi-link arrangement in back. The rack and pinion steering mechanism brings a direct touch with power boost keyed to engine-speed sensors. Brakes include a disc at every wheel with computer-controlled equipment for all trims, an anti-lock brake system (ABS), electronic brake force distribution (EBD), electronic stability control (ESC) and a traction control system (TCS).
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