Hyundai Sonata NF 2004 test drive - 2008 sedan

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Hyundai plays the new Sonata
The ways of buyers of foreign cars are non -incomprehensible. Today they prefer to visit Hyundai car dealerships. For eight months, 28,175 cars of this brand were sold in Russia, the best indicator among foreign automakers.
Hyundai in Russia is bought, not only because of democratic prices for all indicators, Korean cars came close to European and Japanese competitors. They are clearly not going to rest on his laurels in Hyundai. A good example of the new generation of the Sonata model.
The European sales of the new Hyundai Sonata have not yet begun, so to meet the car I had to go to South Korea. The format of the event provided an extensive excursion trip to the company's factories and a short test drive of a car. Why short? As the organizers of the trip, the Russian distributor of Huundai, explained the company Karnet-21, in South Korea, European driver’s certificates have no legal force, so it was possible to test cars only on the factory test track.
The new generation Hyundai Sonata is produced at the factory in the city of Asan. An enterprise with a staff of 3800 people manufactures almost 300,000 cars a year. For comparison: AvtoVAZ makes about 700,000 cars a year, but almost 100,000 people work on it.
Robotization at the factory in Asana reaches 99.8%. Production is similar to shots of a fantastic cartoon: a huge mechanism of a stamping press, combined with a welding line into a single production unit, spits out the body ready for coloring. A person approaches the car only at the stage of final assembly and during visual quality control. A similar level of mechanization is the most important factor that affects the quality of the assembly of cars. Robots, unlike people, do not make mistakes.
The feeling of solidity is felt in every detail of the new Sonata, but first of all it is expressed in design. Outwardly, the car at the same time resembles the new models of Audi and Mazda, but at the same time it is impossible to reproach the people drawing it in blind imitation. The Hyundai Sonata car is original. Koreans seemed to be able to create their own, recognizable style.
Formally, in terms of dimensions and the size of the wheelbase, Hyundai Sonata refers to business class cars, but it is more likely that he will have to compete with middle-class representatives (according to European classification): Toyota Avensis, Peugeot 407, Volkswagen Passat, Opel Vectra. The company is very representative, but Sonata has a lot of trump cards in the market struggle for the buyer.
Firstly, this car has a very spacious interior: the rear passengers can sit in Sonata by throwing their feet on the leg. In the second row, three adults will be able to accommodate quite comfortably. The trunk will easily accommodate a collapse for a monthly vacation of a family of four people. There is a hatch for long objects in the back of the rear sofa.
Secondly, the new generation of the Sonata model distinguishes the high quality of materials used in the interior decoration and assembly of the salon. In this Korean car is now in no way inferior to European classmates. In addition, in the basic configuration, all Sonata is equipped with leather salons.
Thirdly, Hyundai cars do not cause increased attention in criminal elements.
In general, Sonata left the impression of a very whole car. Two 2.4 liters (with a capacity of 154 hp) and a V-shaped six with a volume of 3.3 liters (power 228 hp) are offered to choose from a choice. Both of them provide the car with a very acceptable dynamics. The automatic gearbox works very gently and without delay.
Sonata resembles American Road Roads to set up the suspension, it overcomes imposingly, swinging slightly. With sharp rebuilding, the suspension seemed even excessively soft rolls during the snakes was slightly scared. However, perhaps we got cars for the American and Korean markets, where the comfort of the driver and passengers is appreciated by more honed controllability, and the excessive softness of the suspension is manifested only with frankly provocative actions.
Every year, Hyundai plans to sell about 250,000 Sonata around the world. The main sales market North America. It accounts for almost 50% of Korean imports. However, judging by the first impressions, Sonata is able to shoot in Europe (including in Russia). With the price/quality ratio, this car has a complete order. True, Sonata prices for the Russian market in Kornet-2000 are not disclosed. It is only known that in South Korea this car costs from $ 21,000, and the prices for cars are comparable to the cost of foreign cars in the Russian market.
Igor Komarov
 

Source: Wheel (company)