After its debut at the New York Auto Show this spring, Hyundai has begun rolling out the all-new 2015 Sonata sedan in US dealerships. Easily their most important launch of the year, this new mid-size model is now the recipient of a big-budget marketing campaign to promote its family-friendly side.
Two commercials have been released a few days ago, one called "Co-Pilot", the other "Family Racer". One promotes the safety tech that helped earn the 2015 Sonata a Top Safety Pick title, the other its fun side. We don't want to spoil the videos for you, so just watch them and come back to the story for the full lowdown on the Hyundai model.
The South Korean automaker Hyundai just announced a day ago that August was their second-best month ever, with 70,003 sales in America, up 6% from 66,101 a year ago. The star of the show was the 2015 Sonata, demand for which increased by 25% from a year ago to 21,092.
The aggressive and modern design is the Sonata's biggest forte, moving Hyundai ever closer to the premium side of things. Prices start at $21,150 and for that you get a 2.4-liter GDI four-cylinder that produces 185-hp (138 kW) and 178 lb-ft (241 Nm) of torque. Standard kit includes LED daytime running lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning and a six-speaker basic sound system.
Nevertheless, the model we're interested in is the one from the "Family Racer" video. It's the new Sonata Sport 2.0T, which as you'd expect comes with a 2.0-liter turbo engine. This produces 245-hp (182 kW) and 260 lb-ft (352 Nm) of torque, sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission, which can be controlled via paddle shifters.
It costs a whopping $28,575, which is a lot for Hyundai, but features HID Xenon headlights, a sporty body kit, quad exhaust and 18-inch wheels.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News