Photo: SB-Medien
Hyundai's future growth plans in many markets depend heavily of the next generation Sonata, a midsize sedan that's due to hit showrooms this fall as a 2015 model year. We've caught glimpses of the car before, since development was going on in Germany last summer, but this model is slightly different.
The badging on the side suggest this is the hybrid morel, powered by a mixture of electricity and petrol. Besides this powertrain, there will be many others, ranging from large four-cylinder units in America, to small turbocharged ones in Europe. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder offered in the current Sonata 2.0T should carry over with a slight improvement in fuel economy.
Rumors suggest the European launch will be made using two engines, this hybrid and the 1.6 T-GDI which will be rated at exactly 190. However, these are only speculations. The platform for the 2015 Sonata is codenamed LF and is likely still based on the current model. But as with the Genesis, effort will be made to improve the welding and types of steel used in order to reduce weight and increase rigidity.
The mid-size segment is bread and butter in America, where Honda has just announced its Accord is more popular with retail buyers than the Toyota Camry, long considered to be a leader. There are however, other cars such as the Ford Fusion, Mazda6 and Nissan Altima which are all brand new and doing rather well. Hyundai will have to work hard to establish its car as more than just a pretty face and even harder in Europe, where the Passat and Insignia seem cemented in place.
Considering the advanced state of this prototype, look for the 2015 Sonata to debut at the New York Auto Show in April.
Rumors suggest the European launch will be made using two engines, this hybrid and the 1.6 T-GDI which will be rated at exactly 190. However, these are only speculations. The platform for the 2015 Sonata is codenamed LF and is likely still based on the current model. But as with the Genesis, effort will be made to improve the welding and types of steel used in order to reduce weight and increase rigidity.
The mid-size segment is bread and butter in America, where Honda has just announced its Accord is more popular with retail buyers than the Toyota Camry, long considered to be a leader. There are however, other cars such as the Ford Fusion, Mazda6 and Nissan Altima which are all brand new and doing rather well. Hyundai will have to work hard to establish its car as more than just a pretty face and even harder in Europe, where the Passat and Insignia seem cemented in place.
Considering the advanced state of this prototype, look for the 2015 Sonata to debut at the New York Auto Show in April.
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