Hyundai Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) has now begun accepting bookings for the all-new Hyundai Sonata, which is scheduled to be launched here in Malaysia by the end of this year. Fully imported from South Korea, Hyundai’s latest D-segment offering will be priced at “RM20X,XXX”.
The Hyundai Sonata will be offered locally in only one single variant, powered by a Smartstream G2.5 MPI engine. The 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder mill makes 180 hp and 232 Nm of torque, sent to the front wheels via a six speed automatic transmission.
The biggest selling point of the all-new Hyundai Sonata, however, is its looks – a stark difference in appearance to its predecessor. Sporting the brand’s latest ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design philosophy, the coupe-like roofline and sharp body creases makes the Korean executive sedan truly stand out from the crowd.
Up front, the face of the all-new Hyundai Sonata is characterised by the large Digital Pulse Cascading Grille, divided into two segments by a chrome strip that runs from the air inlets at both ends.
However, the standout feature in front is the daytime-running lights, which actually extends into the chrome strip that runs across the entire length of the bonnet, and forming the window surrounds. Thanks to the laser-cut perforations on the chrome strip, the lights disappear completely without a trace when turned off.
On the side profile, the exaggerated three-dimensional character line extends from the front fender to the taillights assembly – which resembles the “prawn” from the Honda Civic, but joined at the bottom by a strip of light. The all-new Honda Sonata rides on 18-inch wheels on all four corners.
The extravagant design continues inside, which Hyundai says is inspired by stealth aircrafts. The two-tone colour scheme highlights the floating dashboard design and the free-standing instrument cluster, which is an eight-inch unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
Other interior highlights include a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, cooled wireless charging pad, push-button gear selector, power-adjustable seats with driver’s side memory, dual-zone climate control with rear air vents, as well as automatic headlights and wipers.
As for safety, the Sonata comes equipped with a Blind-Spot View Monitor – much like Honda’s LaneWatch system, but with a few key differences. Chiefly, it uses cameras on both sides of the car instead of just on the left, and the camera feed is displayed within the digital instrument cluster instead of the infotainment display.
The Malaysian-specification Hyundai Sonata also comes with six airbags and stability control as standard, but unfortunately misses out on the Hyundai SmartSense advanced driver assistance systems which includes features such as autonomous emergency braking – a feature that will be available on the (cheaper) Hyundai Kona.
The all-new Hyundai Sonata is now available for booking at all Hyundai showrooms across Malaysia, with a booking fee of RM888.
