HYUNDAI Sonata 2001-2004 Photos, engines & full specs

Hyundai looked very determined to enhance its lineup and get its spot in the world's top charts, and the refreshed fourth generation of the Sonata was solid proof.

The Korean carmaker started to build its name slowly, in a trial by fire method. It didn't get down on its knees with the first generations of the Elantra or Pony. Its partnership with Mitsubishi helped the Korean engineers build a better car and their marketing department what to offer on the market. First, Hyundai improved the quality, and then, it started to improve its products. While the 2001 Sonata was not on top of its class, it showed a clear sign of understanding of the learning curve.

After the facelift, the Sonata lost part of its bland design, but now it showed some inspiration from European carmakers such as Mercedes-Benz or Jaguar. The headlights resembled a similar shape of the quad-headlights design from the E-Class, while the car's back resembled the Jaguar S-Type. The car's flowing lines were in the same trend as those from the biodesign era.

Inside, the Sonata featured standard amenities, which were available only at extra costs on its competitors. The Korean carmaker understood that to sell a car for those looking for a premium vehicle. It has to offer a leather-wrapped interior, wood-trims, and lots of standard equipment. The Sonata had them all, including automatic climate control, CD-stereo, and power-seats. The sunroof was on the options list.

Under the hood, Hyundai installed its 2.7-liter Delta engine, developed together with Bosch. It offered enough power for the car. For the European market, the top-selling version was the 2.0-liter version. All versions were available with either a 5-speed manual or an automatic transmission.