There has always been no shortage of "tough generals" in the domestic joint venture B-class car market, but it is not easy to lead the way. From individual winners to decathlons, this is the inevitable result of a shift in consumer expectations. Camry has long abandoned the "moderate", Maiten's business role is also weakening, the transformation of the market to the appearance of the Korean car put forward higher requirements, the tenth generation sonata is the vanguard of Beijing Hyundai's top-down product reform, at least from this test drive, its hard power is convincing enough.
The model of the test drive is the flagship version of the 10th-generation Sonata 380T GDi, equipped with a 2.0T+8AT powertrain, and the official guidance price is 205,800 yuan. In the domestic joint venture B-class car market, the price of the top distribution is indeed not expensive, which also reflects the fine tradition of high cost performance of Korean cars.
From the beginning of the Sonata 8, an avant-garde and sharp design boom began to sweep the entire Korean car camp, and the Sonata 8 can be said to lead the design trend of the B-class sedan at that time. The 8th to 10th generations, which seem to be a simple product iteration, are actually an improvement in the concept of Sonata models.
As the consumer group continues to grow younger, the appearance value has become the primary condition affecting the purchase of a car, if the first level can not pass, even if the inner excellence is in vain. The first image of the tenth generation sonata is sports, the visual impact is very strong, which is the most direct embodiment of the modern Sensuous Sportiness design concept, which is quite lethal for young consumers who want to buy A-class cars. Although the current joint venture B-class cars all flaunt sports and personality, there are not many who actually do it in their bones, and the tenth generation Sonata is one of them.
With a large grille, a low center of gravity, and a big slipback, the tenth generation Sonata looks more like a coupe, with a large 19-inch wheel and through-type taillights, the return rate of driving out is certainly not low. In terms of body size, the length, width and height of the tenth generation Sonata are 4955 * 1860 * 1450mm, the wheelbase is 2890mm, the size exceeds the Camry, Maiten and other competitor models, more like a B+ class sedan.
Inside the car, the 10th Generation Sonata emphasizes luxury and technology. The entire interior design belongs to a more attractive category, the material is also very solid, using a large area of soft viscose and leather wrapping, each material in the splicing and excessive, the use of red stitching design, whether it is with the eyes to see, or with the touch of the hand, the texture is very outstanding.
The double screen naturally can not be absent, the tenth generation of Sonata's two screen sizes are up to 12.3 inches, the LCD instrument design is very simple, easy to understand, and can be replaced by the theme; the central control large screen display effect is outstanding, the UI design is also very modern, the fluency of the entire car machine can be praised. In addition, the bottom also added an independent touch panel, used to adjust multimedia, volume, de-fog and other functions, in terms of actual operation, personal or prefer physical buttons.
The traditional gear handle has also been completely removed and replaced by an electronic button shift mechanism, which not only saves the space in the central control area, but also increases the sense of technology. At the configuration level, this top-of-the-line Sonata is also armed to the teeth, in addition to the conventional speech recognition, Bluetooth, online navigation, mobile phone remote control, 360 ° panoramic image and other functions, but also added to the steering real-time picture assist and NSCC navigation full speed adaptive cruise. During the driving process, just turn on the turn signal, and the meter will show a real-time side and rear screen. In the NSCC navigation adaptive cruise system, it will actively control the speed according to the road speed limit marking, and automatically calculate the optimal passing speed according to the size of the curve before entering the corner, which effectively improves the comfort and convenience of driving.
In terms of comfort configuration, you can think of this top-of-the-line Sonata. For example, the 8-way electric adjustment of the main passenger seat, the heating and ventilation of the front seat, the multi-functional central armrest of the rear, the partition automatic air conditioning, JBL image, etc., combined with the price of this top-mounted model, Beijing Hyundai has indeed come up with enough sincerity.
In the static experience, the tenth generation Sonata impressed me with a lot of details, at least in the visible place, as best as possible. For example, tires, this top-equipped Sonata adopts a Michelin Haoyue 4 tire with a specification of 245/40 R19, the main silent comfort, the single market price of this tire is 1500 yuan; and then the chrome decorative strip above the cover, adding a gradient daytime running light strip, which can project the light of the daytime running lights and have a good recognition at night.
The tenth generation sonata is also considered in terms of passenger comfort, especially the seat, which is wide and soft, and has the feeling of sitting on a large sofa, which is relatively rare in the previous Korean cars, and the seat ventilation and heating are also matched, which greatly improves the riding experience. In addition, the co-pilot is also equipped with a boss button to facilitate the rear passengers to adjust the seat position and angle, and the rear central armrest has also added a multimedia control button, which greatly increases the business attribute.
The tenth generation of Sonata is based on the i-GMP platform, and the models from this platform have the characteristics of short front suspension and long rear suspension, and the center of gravity is also reduced a lot, which will be directly reflected in the driving level. In terms of powertrain, the 10th-generation Sonata, which was test-driven, is equipped with a 2.0T turbocharged engine, which matches the 8-speed manual transmission, has a maximum horsepower of 240Ps, and a peak torque of 353N.m.
From the actual driving point of view, the power reserve of the engine is very sufficient, starting briskly, instantaneous acceleration and overtaking is also a breeze, even if the speed is pulled to more than 100km/h, as long as you continue to step on the accelerator, the power output is still strong. In terms of power tuning, this Sonata still has hard kung fu, not simply with a hardware so simple, low torsion stage, the frustration suppression is in place, especially in the congested section, even if it is a long time to stop and go, frequent start, always very linear. The gearbox's clever working logic makes driving this car easy, even if you are driving for the first time, you can get started quickly. When stepping on the throttle deeply, the downshift is crisp and clean, and the upshift is also very positive when the pine oil is lifted, coupled with sufficient power reserves, it is still more pleasant to drive it.
Finally, looking at the chassis performance, this is a plus for the tenth generation Sonata. In terms of suspension structure, the tenth generation Sonata adopts the front McPherson, rear multi-link independent suspension, compared to the previous generation model, the body height is reduced by 35mm, the vehicle center of gravity is also correspondingly reduced, the purpose is only one, to improve the handling. This is especially evident when driving on mountain roads, where the suspension is well supported at the bend, the tire grip is excellent, and it gives the driver enough confidence to seem to remind the driver that the speed can be a little faster.
When encountering some undulating pavement, the rebound of the suspension does not feel very abrupt, coupled with the already wide and soft seats, the comfort performance is satisfactory; in the face of gravel pavement and some fine bumps, this suspension shows a strong tenacity and integrity, a bit of a German car flavor.
From power, to tuning, to handling, the tenth generation sonata can make people shine, its driving style is more friendly and textured.
After the test drive of the 10th generation Sonata, my mood is happy, and you will find that this Korean car begins to cut the details and pay attention to hard power. As the flagship sedan of Beijing Hyundai at present, the product strength of the tenth generation Sonata is worthy of the word "flagship", and the top price of 205,800 yuan is also very competitive in the same level, as for why the sales volume does not go up, it can only be explained by "applauding and not calling".