Hyundai Reaches Higher Note With New Sonata

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday June 7, 2008

Richard Blackburn

HYUNDAI is gambling that Australians are now prepared to pay as much for a Korean car as they are for a Japanese or European one.

The maker's facelifted Sonata will cost $2000 more than the car it replaces and exactly the same as a Ford Mondeo or Toyota Camry in automatic guise.

The company's director of sales and marketing, Kevin McCann, says that after more than 20 years in the Australian market, the brand is ready to sell on value and reputation rather than price.

He says Hyundais will still have more equipment than their Japanese competitors but the sticker price will be the same.

McCann says Hyundai is still seen as a budget brand by some buyers but the cringe factor was "not as significant as it once was", he says.

"It used to be a problem for us and it didn't just exist with customers, it existed with our own dealers. We've had to change the way our dealers think about the brand and the cars," he says.

The new Sonata range starts at $27,990 for the 2.4-litre petrol five-speed manual, with a five-speed auto costing an extra $2000.

An all-new 2.0-litre 110kW diesel replaces the previous V6 model in the range, with prices starting at $30,490 for the six-speed manual and $32,490 for the four-speed auto.

Hyundai has discontinued the V6 Sonata to create a clearer gap between the car and its larger stablemate, the Grandeur, which is now the company's only V6 sedan.

The new facelifted Grandeur also gets a diesel engine for the first time, although it is the slightly larger and more powerful 2.2-litre version currently available in the Santa Fe soft-roader.

It puts out 114kW of power and 343Nm of torque. Grandeur prices start at $39,990 for the V6 and $41,990 for the diesel.

Changes to the range include interior and exterior styling tweaks and a USB/iPod connector with a free 1Gb memory stick.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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