Remember the Hyundai Azera, the anonymous-looking near luxury sedan with much of the refinement and (non-)personality of the Lexus ES? Lately it has been sandwiched into oblivion by the excellence of the Genesis and the flash of the Sonata….
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Hyundai Designers and engineers spent four years developing the new Sonata. Its sleek coupe like design is a refreshing change from other sedans. The new 4 cylinder engine boasts 200hp while still offering great mileage. There are three trim levels available the GLS, SE, and Limited. Below is an overview.
Engine- All 3 trim levels come equipped with a 2.4 liter 16 valve DOHC engine. The GLS has 198 horsepower @6300rpm with 184 foot pounds of torque. The SE has 200 horsepower @6300rpm with 186 foot pounds of torque. The Limited has 198 horsepower @6300rpm with 184 foot pounds of torque. Even with this impressive horsepower from a 4 cylinder engine the Sonata is able to average 22 mpg city and 35 mpg highway according to their online auto brochure. This fuel efficiency is accomplished in part due to a new fuel injection system called “Gasoline Direct Injection”. This gasoline direct injection or GDI system injects a precise amount of fuel directly into the combustion chamber of each cylinder allowing it to squeeze the most fuel efficiency out of every gallon. The Hyundai Sonata is the first vehicle in its class with standard “Gasoline Direct Injection” technology.
Safety-Every Sonata comes standard with Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, and an advanced ABS braking system. Electronic Stability Control or ESC detects when things are going wrong. Based on how hard or quickly you steer, the sensors which measure yaw, lateral G-force, steering wheel angle, and the speed of all four wheels the ESC system determines whether your intended path or your actual path are in sync. If ESC determines that the car is turning less than you wanted or plowing, it provides extra braking force to the rear inside wheel. If the car is fishtailing or turning more than intended it provides extra braking force to the front outside wheel for correction. All of this happens in fractions of seconds. The “Traction Control System” or TCS monitors your tires. If it detects that you don’t have enough grip it will reduce wheel spin, allowing you to accelerate on snow and other slippery or uneven road conditions. The Sonata’s Advanced Braking System or ABS has many safety features to it. “Break assist”, which measures the speed with which the brake pedal is depressed. This can help determine if the driver is in a panic situation. If the brake pedal is not pressed hard enough in an emergency situation “Brake Assist” adds that extra bit of stopping power. How your car responds to braking can vary depending on your speed, road conditions, and even weight distribution in the car. “Electronic Brake Force Distribution” uses sensors to calculate the appropriate amount of brake pressure to apply to each individual wheel. Sonata also has a reinforced unibody design and advanced front airbags.
Convenience Features- The optional Navigation system not only gets you from point A to point B it also can direct you to gas stations, ATM machines, restaurants, and even playgrounds. The systems voice recognition software is programmed to recognize a range of commands. It even adapts to each individual, actually learning preferences and speech patterns. Every Sonata comes standard with 3 months of XM radio, and navigation equipped models come with real time XM. The navigation system also integrates into the Sonata’s audio system. To use your iPod just connect it to the input jack or wirelessly stream music from mobile phones and potable music devices using Bluetooth. All Sonata’s come equipped with built in iPod and USB input jacks. The trip computer calculates your miles per gallon and tells you exactly how far you can drive with the fuel left in your tank.