New Chinese-market Hyundai Sonata revealed
Click above for image gallery of the Beijing Hyundai Sonata
Apparently the looks of the Hyundai Sonata were deemed not bold enough for the Chinese market, so Beijing Hyundai has made some adaptations for the local market. What is being called the Hyundai Ling Xiang or Sonata NFC is based on the same car that we get over here. However, the Chinese have given the car a nose job and new tail-lights to make it stand out more. Unfortunately, as Michael Jackson has proven conclusively, rhinoplasty does not necessarily make you stand out in a good way. While no one would describe the current gen Sonata as exciting, this grille surround just doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the car. At the back, a new trunklid provides slightly different tail-lights. A new rear seat is claimed to be more comfortable, as well. Next year the Chinese operation will reportedly develop a larger D-segment sedan based on the new Sonata that will debut at this fall's LA Auto Show. Hat tip to reader Joe.
Gallery: 2009 Hyundai Sonata for China
[Source: PaulTan] [Autoblog China shots]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chubaka 12:11PM (1/09/2009)
Hmmm...the front looks all right to me. Doesn't look as tame as the Sonata in the U.S. However the back just screams "Camry!" to me.
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j 12:37PM (1/09/2009)
the back seems more Corolla-ish than Camry-like, and the front seems fine to me better than the back in fact.
Robert 12:56PM (1/09/2009)
Toyota just called and asked for their Camry back.
Eric C 1:10PM (1/09/2009)
The first person ever to walk the earth also called....he wants his joke back.
jsjs 2:20PM (1/09/2009)
"Toyota just called and asked for their Camry back."
That remark would have more weight if the current Camry, itself, was more original.
dukeisduke 2:48PM (1/09/2009)
Or Toyota Corolla.
Randy915 3:58PM (1/09/2009)
Eric C. 1, Robert 0.
En Garde!
Craig 12:13PM (1/09/2009)
Wasn't this already reported? Because I already posted about it looking like a Toyota Crown before...
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Guy 12:15PM (1/09/2009)
much better pics here:
http://photo.auto.sina.com.cn/exhibition/2008gz/#14_74_1_1_0_0
http://photo.chinacars.com/albumshow.aspx?p=/cxsp/scsp/nfc/&PageIndex=1
http://photo.xcar.com.cn/photo_1.php?id=737&pn=1
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Nick 12:49PM (1/09/2009)
Hopefully with the next US full model change they will bring back the folding side mirrors.
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Jj 12:37PM (1/09/2009)
I like it, especially from the front.
I had a Sonata rental and I was very impressed with the car. It’s conservative both inside and out but the car was comfortable and felt very solid.
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Gregg 12:47PM (1/09/2009)
I like it. Makes the boring looking Sonata stand out a bit. The car itself is decent and a good buy, but they saddled it with nondescript lines front and back. Whye the Chinese only get the better looking Buicks and Sonatas is a mystery. I also think the LWB versions of the cars they sell there should be available here as well. But oh well, I don't run that world.
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hypermiler 12:51PM (1/09/2009)
That's not what US, Europe, and Korea are getting. They are getting YF whose images have been posted here.
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XJ 12:56PM (1/09/2009)
This was definitely reported before with the pics of the black one. Anyway, I have to disagree with the poster and say that the front looks decent. The back however, looks way too much Toyota-ish for my taste. And the wheels are just plain ugly.
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ConspiratorialGenie 1:15PM (1/09/2009)
Not long now before we are riding bikes and the Chinese are driving full-size cars and SUV's.
6 months to economic collapse.
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dausman 1:41PM (1/09/2009)
Liked the Genesis-like Sonata rendering that was posted a short while ago....it is really nice.....this is to much like many others being produced now.
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Pengwin 7:18PM (1/09/2009)
I like the fact that interior and exterior updates occur at different times. It allows people who like the old body style to buy it with an updated interior and people who like the new sheet metal and interior to just wait 1 year for a completely new model.
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P.V. 7:25PM (1/09/2009)
This was already posted (on Autoblog, no less) before.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/11/hyundai-sonata-gets-redesign-for-china-we-want-too/
At any rate, it look way too much like a Camry. I'll take our Sonata please.
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J 9:44PM (1/09/2009)
+1000. it looks almost identical to the camry the rest of the world gets (besides usa).http://images.paultan.org/images/Toyota_Camry_Aerokit_2.jpg.