Hyundai India is all set to re-enter the D segment with their new contender – the all-new Sonata. The Sonata will pick it up from where the old Embera left off. Hyundai’s first Sonata was quite a successful product in the Indian market owing to its Mercedes-looking front fascia. However, the later attempts to revive the Sonata brand were a bit half hearted with the Transform and the Embera.
Now though the Korean car maker has a firm grasp of the workings of the Indian market. The i45 or Sonata was showcased at the Indian Auto Expo to gather feedback from the customers.
Hyundai, the world’s 8th largest automaker has been very successful worldwide in the recent past. The latest 6th generation Sonata, which was launched recently has manged very strong sales worldwide. The latest Sonata YF has been designed based Hyundai’s new ‘fluidic sculpture’ design language and looks fantastic.
Hyundai recently sold its 5 millionth Sonata. Hyundai launched the first generation Sonata way back in 1985 in the Korean market and the Sonata was launched in the international market only in its second generation in 1988. The largest market for the Sonata is Korea, where it is the country’s bestselling car. The next biggest market for the Hyundai Sonata is the USA.
When Hyundai launched the Sonata in India last decade, the car managed decent sales and the Indian car buyer developed a liking for it. But competition in the form of the Accord and the Camry, later joined by the Superb dampened Hyundai India’s hopes on the Sonata. The next gen Sonata Transform was an excellent car it also managed only average numbers.
We hope the latest generation Hyundai Sonata YF is hopefully given a favorable ecosystem in India. It has the potential to take over its plush looking Japanese rivals with looks and technology. Hyundai would be bringing the Sonata YF to India not anytime soon but in the distant future.
While Suzuki is firming up plans to introduce the Kizashi in India and the refreshed VW Passat set to be unveiled in Paris, we were curious to learn what Hyundai was up to with the Sonata YF (i40) in India.
We called up the company and this is what they had to say regarding the Hyundai Sonata YF‘s plan for India -
Hyundai’s Corporate Communications Head -
We have no immediate plans to launch the Sonata YF in India.
He declined to divulge any fixed time-line, and we infer the Sonata YF is at least a year or so away from a Hyundai showroom.
We also questioned him about the Santa Fe SUV, which according to the company in a previous statement would be launched this year. He was not forthcoming, and said no tentative launch date was decided.
The Sonata YF was unveiled in September last year and the Indian wing’ Managing Director at that time said the Sonata YF would come “sooner or later.” It seems like sooner isn’t any time soon.
Would you swap your Honda Accord/Skoda Superb/Toyota Camry/Nissan Teana for the lively Hyundai Sonata YF when it arrives in India by December this year?
Hyundai aims to sell 60,000 new Sonatas this year, and has set itself an annual sales target of 450,000 units for 2011. The new Sonata comes with a six-speed automatic transmission and a two-liter petrol engine. Prices start from US$17,600 in Korea.
Hyundai Motor Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun -
With world-class technology and innovative design, I’m confident the new Sonata will set a new standard for mid-size sedans worldwide
Hyundai also announced it has received in excess of 10,000 booking for the car even before the official unveiling.
Images of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata has leaked on to the internet. Expected to come with i40 badges in Europe, the i40 is arguably the best looking Hyundai to this date.
Its profile is somewhere in between a sedan and a coupe. Inspired by the sexy Mercedes CLS, you can’t point out one design element that’s common between the two. In India, the i40 will take the Accord-Camry segment to an all new level. If they price it in the Laura-Jetta segment, it is so going to be a steal for that price.
The 2.4 liter Theta II engine with GDI (gasoline direct injection) technology produces about 200 hp. A 2.0 liter petrol engine should be powering in the entry-level model.
Whether or not the 2.2 liter ‘R’ with 204 hp and the Euro 5 emissions standards busting diesel engine will make it to India is anyone’s guess. Even a Lambda V6 engine giving out about 250 hp is in the rumor mill. This could be a perfect candidate to eat into the Skoda Superb V6′ and Honda Accord V6′ pie.
6-speed manual or automatic transmissions will be available. A level of equipment is going to be up there – panoramic glass roof, stop-start technology and paddle shifts on the steering wheel will be bestowed on the new Sonata.
The Hyundai Sonata YF/i40 goes on sale in Korea in October andh in the North American and European markets by early 2010.
The Hyundai Sonata YF’s side profile was picked up when it was undergoing some kind of testing in Hyundai’s facility. But thanks to the extra large watermarks, it looks more like an ad campaign by the owners of the photo.
The tilting shoulder line and the pointed windows adds a unique element to the otherwise slopey design of the i40.
A smaller image of the Sonata’s front fascia also reveals class, but we hope the extra chrome on the grille is reserved only for the top-end variant.
Here are a few spyshots of the upcoming Hyundai i40/Sonata YF, a wild improvement over the existing Sonata NF. These shots, apparently taken during the car’s promotional shoot, have been doing rounds all over the internet. If you are interested to know more about this car, visit our Hyundai Sonata YF category page.
Hyundai India is all set to re-enter the D segment with their new contender – the all-new Sonata. The Sonata will pick it up from where the old Embera left off. Hyundai’s first Sonata was quite a successful product in the Indian market owing to its Mercedes-looking front fascia. However, the later attempts to revive the Sonata brand were a bit half hearted with the Transform and the Embera.
