Hyundai Australia Announces i45 Arrival

Hyundai Australia said that it will launch its i45 sedan in the second quarter of 2010. The car is practically the new US Sonata, dubbed i45 for the Australian and European market. The car has been on sale for some time in America and apparently it’s quite a hit.

"We are very excited to be launching the all-new i45 mid-sized sedan in Australia in the coming months," said Oliver Mann, Hyundai Motor Company Australia's Marketing Director. "Already breaking records in South Korea and receiving awards in the U.S., i45 is going to make a considerable impact in the competitive Australian mid-sized segment."

In the US, the most appealing engine is Hyundai’s new Theta II 2.4-liter gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine and in-house six-speed automatic transmission, developing 198 horsepower standard and 200 horsepower on the SE trim. This allows the car to deliver a fuel economy of 24 mpg city/35 mpg highway, which Hyundai says is the best in its class.

The 2011 Sonata GLS with automatic transmission received a 36-month residual value of 54 percent of manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) from Automotive Lease Guide (ALG). Sonata had the best residual value, topping important competitors like Toyota, Nissan, Ford, and Chevrolet, or even premium brands such as Lexus, BMW and Mercedes.

Hyundai will bring the 2011 Sonata Turbo and the Hybrid version at the 2010 New York Auto Show, with both models likely to hit the market by 2011. Product Planning head Scott Margason confirmed the news on the company's Twitter page but said that more information will only be released at a later date.