Hyundai Sonata NF 2004 test drive - 2008 sedan

All photos of Hyundai Sonata NF 2004 - 2008

On the threshold of high society

She not just changed her name. She became completely different.

Would we swing ...
And this is Hende? No, it can not be. What do you want to do with me, but believe that the car is Korean is not at all. It is painful in her European design. Take a look at the front headlights. And now on the rear lights. It seems that for Hende and Audi the same person painted them. Or the line on the doors and wings, passing just below the window sill, this is the branded feature of the inholstadt six.

Koreans are not at all embarrassed by such a similarity. Of course, they do not say that they decided to copy A6. But they simply say that they carefully studied the trends of modern European automotive fashion and painted NF, based on this experience.

Condemn them for plagiarism? There are cases when more eminent firms did not shy away of this approach. In addition, and this is much more important, I definitely like the car. Like a solid, noble appearance and purity of lines. Especially the fact that NF does not remind his predecessor to the sonata. No, the latter did not cause me hostility at all. It's just tired when cars of different generations are so similar.

What does sonata have to do with it? So, after all, in Korea, States and Europe, an ordinary model change occurred. In our Taganrog, at least another two years will be produced by the previous generation sonata. And in order not to sell two different cars under the same sign, they decided to assign the NF name in Hende. Moreover, they even figured out how to decipher these letters the phrase Never Ending Fame in English sounds like unfading glory. Feel free, isn't it? Moreover, in the hande, they unequivocally hint that the new car moved to a step above the average into a more solid business class.

Let's listen to what the numbers will say. In the length of NF 55 mm more than a sonata of 4800 mm. The increase in growth is exactly the same, and in the width the car was heard 12 mm. Well, the size for the business class is quite suitable: NF is only one and a half centimeters shorter than Camrei.

But far from the help of a roulette, the status of a machine is measured. It is equally important how convenient and rich the salon is. So we check what is here and how.

But I do not believe everything that they say
A large piece and mouth rejoices. So I am joyful that the NF salon is so spacious. You feel this especially strongly on the back sofa, where you yourself can sit behind yourself even with a growth above 185 cm, almost stretching your legs. Where did so much space come from? The NF wheelbase is 30 mm larger than that of the sonata, which has a salon, it is also far from cramped. Which, in fact, ensured an increase in the space of the legs by 10 mm for sitting in front and 33 mm for passengers of the rear sofa. In addition, in the salon of the new car and in the shoulders it became more spacious, and the place was increasing above the head.

But we turn to the most important, in my opinion, place in the driver’s car. Not too hard and without pronounced side support of the chair for a large solid car what is needed. I found a convenient landing easily, especially since the steering column is adjusted both in the angle of inclination and in length.

So, as they say, with the quantity everything is in perfect order. And what about the quality? In the interior, it is immediately noticeable that Hyunde designers not only considered pictures of modern European models, but were also closely interested in their internal performance. Hence the elegant front panel, made in the classic style, black top, light bottom. And the plastic lining, visually dividing them, is very similar to the one that the Mercedes S-class has. Of course, it was not without their own original dashes. For example, a shooter of devices with silver drop-shaped bases and finishes for carbonate of the climate control unit, and on all NF, regardless of the configuration. In my opinion, deliberately sports paraphernalia is not very suitable for this machine. But, again, as you like.

Hyunde-nf devices look elegant, and most importantly, they read well

In the armrest between the front seats there is a convenient box for trifles

The back of the rear seat folds in parts in a ratio of 60:40

NF has a full -sized spare wheel, and the necessary tool is laid in a special container

The volume of the trunk is impressive 462 liters

And what frankly upset was very meager, by modern standards, the level of equipment. After all, I chose the car for dating in the most expensive configuration. Yes, the seats are sheathed with the skin, only the driver’s settings do not even have electric drives. The heating of the seats is present, but, alas, is not regulated. Separate climate control, which can be obtained in a golf class, the owners of NF will not even get an additional fee. Without buttons of distance control of the audio system on the steering wheel, you can do, but you can agree that only audio cassettes can lose ... Yes, they will not buy them in every store now! True, NF has a full set of electric windows, mirrors with heating and board comprehensive comprehension. But all this can boast of Elantra, and far from the most expensive.

And you are talking about going to a business class ... somehow I can’t believe that with such a set of equipment, Korean newcomer will have to go to the courtyard there.

We are in no hurry
From birth, the NF received two new engines of the V-shaped 6-cylinder and in-line four with a volume of 2.4 liters. That's just in Russia, it can be bought only with a 4-cylinder engine. The engine with an aluminum block and two distribution shafts develops a power of 161 liters. With. For a car weighing a little more than one and a half tons, this is a good result. So I did not feel the shortage of dynamics.

Together with a 4-speed automatic box, the motor disperses the car quite confidently. Even 120 km/h, pressing the gas pedal, you can accelerate well. If someone wants to play the rider, then there is such an opportunity, the box has a pseudo-corner. But honestly, I liked to ride calmly and leisurely. In this case, the machine changes the transmission carefully and softly, and the engine is not heard. Just beauty.

In short, no sports dashes, which some elements of the interior decor are hinted at, is not in sight in the character of this machine. Another thing is that in general, NF on the road behaves more confidently than sonata, at which at a speed above 150 km/h, without much stress, one could go only in a straight and perfectly smooth road. Now this barrier has grown by about 20 km/h. The enlarged base and a different suspension in a different way are affected. The machine began to pass small joints and irregularities somewhat harder, but, unfortunately, on longitudinal and transverse waves, she continues to sway noticeably.

And almost the same manners as her predecessor demonstrates NF in corners. The rolls, however, were a little reduced, but a completely not sharp steering wheel and the complete absence of feedback beat off any hunt to quickly pass turns. Therefore, we will understand for ourselves as an axiom: squeaking with tires on such a car is simply unsalually.

Experimenters

Perhaps the next year we will have NF with a cunning rear suspension. It is called adjustable, with active geometry. All this works as follows: when turning the tires with the road surface to be closed, electric drives at the signal of electric sensors turn the suspension levers along with the wheels, thereby ensuring the best terminal stability to the car. Until now, such devices in the mass automotive industry have not been used.

Twisted in the clouds
However, the nuances of the behavior of the car on the road, its sled habits are important primarily for those who can and love to recognize and evaluate these nuances. How much the car costs a completely different matter. This category will be clear to everyone without exception.

This is where it turns out that NF at a starting price of 23 190 euros (or $ 28,300) is more expensive than the most affordable sonata by more than $ 10,000! And if you take the most expensive NF for 25,200 euros, then the difference will be more than five thousand dollars, which, too, agree, a lot. Of course, for this money you will receive ESP and heating the windshield wipers, six against two at the sonata of airbags. You think that all of the above ten thousand. e.? So I also doubt it. Moreover, for ґ25 200 ($ 30,700) you can really buy a business class car: Camry or Maxim.

So what about it? Alas, there is nothing comforting. The Koreans turned out to be a very good car modern, attractive outwardly, large, well finished inside. Noise insulation, comfort, controllability everything in it, albeit not much, but still better than that of the predecessor. In a word, a wonderful replacement for the old sonata if the difference in prices was not so huge. That's just her claims to the high school are completely groundless. So while both models will be produced in parallel, NF’s chances in Russia to find unfading glory in Russia. It's a pity.

PER

A solid appearance, a spacious salon, the best, compared to sonata, handling
AGAINST

Meager equipment level, lack of choice of engines, high price

Hyundai NF

common data

Body, number of places/doors
Sedan, 5/4

Equipped mass, kg
1532

Length x width x height, mm
4800x1832x1475

Base, mm
2730

Front/back, mm track
1565/1550

Speed, km/h
201

Acceleration time 0100 km/h, with
10.4

Fuel consumption, l/100 km highway/city
9/13

Engine

Location
Front transversely

Design
gasoline, in-line, 4-cylid

Working volume, SMZ
2359

Power, L.S. at rpm
161/5800

Torque, kgsm at rpm
22,1/4250

Chassis

Drive unit
On the front wheels

Transmission
Automatic 4-speed

Suspension:
with reptile stabilizers

front
on double transverse levers

behind
Mollycent

Steering
rhealenic type with hydraulic power steering

Brakes
disk, in front ventilated

Tires
215/60 R16

Car
0.37 $/km

Andrey Koltun, photo of Maxim Goncharov