IN 2024, HYUNDAI OFFICIALLY UNVEILED THE 11TH GENERATION SONATA IN CHINA, AND THE "ONE MODEL" MAY BE A SUMMARY OF THE CAR'S STREAMLINED DESIGN. In fact, as early as the end of December 2023, the official picture of this new car was circulated on the Internet, and many netizens thought that the new car was still the familiar "Sonata" after seeing the pictures of the new generation Sonata. In fact, the new generation of Sonata is indeed not a "skin-pulling product" of overseas models, and this car has a clear global product route when the model is established.
The new car was developed using Hyundai's globally harmonized data, molds and standards, all of which are global standards and have not been specifically modified for a region or market. Perhaps it is precisely because of the non-targeted design that the audience of the new Sonata in the Chinese market may not be as large as imagined. But for young consumer groups who care about sportiness, handling, and appearance, this car may really be underestimated in China.
After changing to the new "Starship" design language, the appearance of the Hyundai Sonata will be reminiscent of the ideal L series that is widely popular in the domestic medium and large SUV market at first glance. In addition to the LED light strip design on the front face, the rear part of the car is also designed with an echoing "H" type through tail lights, and the overall design is highly complete. It is worth mentioning that the 2.0T version comes standard with a sports exterior package, the rear adopts a double-sided quad exhaust layout, and a wide-body blackened spoiler has been added above the tailgate lid, which further enriches the sporty appearance of the car, which also hides the rear camera.
In addition to the unique exterior design, the design of the new Sonata in the passenger compartment is also eye-catching. The new 12.3-inch + 12.3-inch curved dual screen is centered on the driver, the system UI interface adopts a card-type design, the menu supports drag-and-drop movement, and the operation fluency is good, which is the mainstream car machine level on the market. Even if it is the entry-level version, although there is no Internet of Vehicles and voice recognition control functions, the car machine integrates CarPlay and CarLife functions at the same time, and the functionality of the car machine is guaranteed, and the performance in the joint venture model is considered to be in the middle and upper reaches.
In addition, features such as active braking, lane keeping assist, road traffic sign recognition, front side airbags, tire pressure display, side curtains, departure reminder for the car in front, power sunroof, leather steering wheel/gear shift, inductive rear tailgate, faux leather seats, front keyless entry, adaptive high and low beams, one-button lifting of all windows, automatic folding of exterior mirrors, automatic dual-zone air conditioning, and on-board air purifier are all present in the entry-level version of the Sonata. Paying more attention to the richness of configuration is actually a change made by Hyundai to meet the needs of the domestic market.
As a globally standardized sedan product, this time the biggest sincerity of the new Sonata should be the price, the new car retains 1.5T power and 2.0T power, the whole system is equipped with a self-developed 8AT gearbox as standard, the starting price has been reduced from the original 171,800 yuan to 139,800 yuan, and the time-limited rights and interests of the deposit to deduct the purchase price (3,000 yuan to deduct 10,000 yuan) have been launched at the same time, compared with the price of the overseas version, it is obviously more sincere.
Judging from the previous test drive in the store, the all-new Hyundai Sonata is truly an underrated treasure model. First of all, in terms of the underlying architecture, the new car is based on the third-generation i-GMP platform, which integrates the most advanced technology of Hyundai, which means that the new car is still in the first echelon of the corresponding level in terms of lightweight, handling performance, and comfort.
For consumers who don't know much about Korean cars, the new Sonata's handling stability may come as a surprise. The moment you step on the accelerator, a little oil is more conducive to a quick start, when encountering corners, as long as it is not a particularly sharp corner, it is difficult for the vehicle to push the head, and the suspension provides good lateral support when steering, so that I gain full confidence when driving. In addition, the matching 8AT gearbox plays well during driving, whether it is intense driving or stable driving, the gearbox action is relatively smooth, and the downshift is also relatively neat. But there is one thing that can be improved, and that is that the transmission is still not coherent enough to connect the power during intense driving.
epilogue
Overall, the performance of the all-new Hyundai Sonata in terms of product power is remarkable, especially in product design, and once again returns to the aesthetics of Chinese consumers. At the same time, the new car has also shown the corresponding sincerity at the moment of domestic new energy involution, which is an increase in allocation and a price reduction. So, judging from the performance of this car above, do you think the 11th-generation Sonata can make a good comeback?