2011 Hyundai Sonata Gets HD Radio

The 2011 model year of Hyundai's Sonata will be offered in dealerships starting this month featuring HD Radio, making the car, in Hyundai's view, "the first popular midsize sedan to offer HD Radio Technology as part of its unique audio environment."

With this digital infotainment, Sonata enthusiasts will be able to enjoy unique content and new channels in crystal-clear digital sound. HD Radio Technology offers more than 2,000 stations in the country broadcasting in digital, and over 1,000 HD2/HD3 channels - all for no subscription fee," Hyundai says in a release.

The Sonata features same diesel units introduced on the ix35 and Santa Fe, with several other gasoline and diesel powerplants available as well. The car, still to be released onto the market, will be powered by a 1.6-liter diesel and gasoline engines as standard. Using Hyundai's direct injection technology, codenamed GDI, the 1.6-liter units develop a power equivalent with that of a 2.0-liter powerplant.

The gasoline engines will include a 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit producing 172 horsepower and a 2.4-liter Theta GDI unit rolling out 200 horsepower. The latter will be only available on the top-of-the-range Hyundai i40 (the name of the European Sonata. .

"The Sonata will set a new standard for world class mid-size sedans with state-of-the-art technology, superior build quality and emotional design," said Euisun Chung, Hyundai's vice chairman. "The new Sonata will raise Hyundai's brand values."