First Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T brings turbo power to Main Street America

Chris Paukert — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Hyundai, First Drives, South Korea

2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T - Click above for high-res image gallery

We've watched with a sense of awe as Hyundai has gone from a discount also-ran brand into a genuine industry powerhouse in startlingly short order. But we've also long suspected that its vehicles have gained so much ground by being among the best values in their respective segments - not because they've necessarily been the best vehicles to drive. The addition of the Genesis Coupe may have served notice that Hyundai isn't content to just be the industry's value leader (see Battle of the Sixes), but the keystone draw of most of the brand's offerings has remained their affordability. Which is not to suggest this is a bad thing - Hyundai's steroidal growth speaks to the inherent soundness of its strategy. But as enthusiasts, we've been waiting for the company to not only out-value, but to categorically outsmart and outplay its rivals. With introduction of the 2011 Sonata, Hyundai appears to have done exactly that.

The Sonata has proven to be far more than just a styling stunt.

We admit that we weren't sure whether the Sonata's outré styling would play in that most milquetoast of markets: the family sedan segment. When the sheet was pulled on the 2011 model, it was as if Hyundai had strolled into a Sunday morning prayer breakfast with Kathy Griffin on its arm - we didn't know exactly what was going to come of it, but we knew it was going to be fun to watch. Thankfully, the Sonata has proven to be far more than just a styling stunt. Packing big space, a rock-solid chassis, accomplished handling and unmatched power and fuel economy from its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, the Sonata has gained widespread acceptance and acclaim in a historically conservative slice of the market.

But while the normally aspirated sedan got our attention, the promised 2.0-liter turbocharged model had our enthusiast hearts bound up in anticipation. The specifications revealed at this spring's New York Auto Show were enough to have visions of a proper cut-rate sport sedan dancing in our heads: 274 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque plunked into a chassis that's among the very lightest in its class. So when Hyundai invited us to hop a plane to Seoul to sample their new force-fed family schlepper, we had our bag packed and were at the airport before you could say "pass the Kimchi."

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T

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First Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T brings turbo power to Main Street America originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Hyundai Sonata a sweet addition to mid-size sedan segment

Michael Harley — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Hyundai, First Drives

2011 Hyundai Sonata SE - Click above for high-res image gallery

Imagine, for a moment, that you're forced to invent a new candy with the specific objective of taking a bite out of the market segment comfortably satisfied by M&M's, Skittles and Reese's Pieces. Sounds daunting, right? With that in mind, the all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata is being placed right back into the middle of the hotly-contested family sedan segment, already occupied by such established players as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu, to name just a few.

Completely redesigned for 2011, the Sonata is freshly styled and more spacious than its predecessor. It brings a few innovations to the game, including a new direct-injected four-cylinder powerplant mated to a six-speed automatic - yet it has no V6 option. We put a couple hundred miles on the new Sonata in San Diego. The weather was nice, but how was the car? Does Hyundai's all-new family sedan have what it takes to be an outstanding sweet in the candy dish? Find out after the jump...

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata

Continue reading Review: 2011 Hyundai Sonata a sweet addition to mid-size sedan segment

Review: 2011 Hyundai Sonata a sweet addition to mid-size sedan segment originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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