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By
EWAN KENNEDY
9 June 2008
Pleased with the success of its small i30 hatchback in
turbo-diesel format, Hyundai has decided to import a version of
the Sonata with the option of a fuel-sipping diesel engine. So
keen is the South Korean maker to push the now powerplants it
invited two senior engineers from the company’s research and
development to Australia to explain the operation of their new
diesel engines.
Sonata is a mid-size
model that, while enjoying less sales success than its smaller
brothers Getz and Elantra, has found its way into the hearts of
canny Australian buyers looking for value for money. With prices
starting at only $27,990 (with a petrol engine) Sonata is crammed
full of luxury equipment, including safety gear like ESP and
multiple airbags on all models.
The
latest diesel engine, installed in a model called the Sonata CRDi
is a modern, four-cylinder, common-rail design. It has a capacity
of 2.0 litres and produces 110 kW, with torque of 305 Nm in a
handy spread between 1800 and 2500 revs.
On
the road we found the turbo-diesel to have good performance, but
to be a bit marginal when climbing long steep slopes in a car of
this size and mass. Intelligent use of the six-speed manual
gearbox kept it on song in most circumstances. However, the
six-speed unit carries on a Hyundai tradition of being on the
sticky side in its actions at times. Though most of the time it
was slick and pleasant to use.
Should
you not want to do the gearchanging yourself, Hyundai can also
provide a four-speed automatic transmission. We were unable to
test one of these in our introductory test drive in the south-west
region of Sydney, but will borrow one later and carry out a full
test in our home area.
Hyundai
tests to official Australian Standards on fuel consumption show
the manual to use 6.0 litres per hundred kilometres and the auto
7.0 litres. These figures felt about right during out initial
tests.
The
price premium for the diesel engine is $2500, about par for the
course on today’s Australia market. At the moment there's a
price premium of around 20 to 25 cents per litre on diesel fuel,
but Hyundai expects the gap to narrow in the not-too-distant
future.
As
well as the turbo-diesel, Hyundai has introduced an improved
version of the existing petrol engine. Now using variable valve
timing on inlet and exhaust valves for greater efficiency, the
2.4-litre petrol unit has maximum power of Fuel figures for this
engine are 8.0 litres per hundred kilometres for the five-speed
manual and 8.4 litres when a five-speed auto is specified.
In
a clever touch, Hyundai supplies a packet of latex gloves with
each diesel vehicle it sells (Sonata or otherwise) to help keep
the potentially sticky fuel of your hands when you make one of
those rare visits to the service station.
Also
new in for the 2009 model season (Hyundai tends to follow the
American system of bringing next year’s models out way ahead of
the actual date) is the face of the Sonata. It’s been given a
cleaner Euro-type look with a reshaped radiator grille carrying a
generous covering of chrome. There are also changes to the shape
of the front and rear bumpers and to the design of the
tail-lights. There's nothing major in this facelift, but it does
freshen the car neatly.
Inside,
the instrument panel has received a reworking in style and
functionality, with blue lighting being a feature. As a go-ahead
company, Hyundai is at the forefront of in-car entertainment, so
has provided MP3 connections that can let you handle your
favourite music through the standard audio controls and screen.
The
South Korean maker has made its name in Australia on generous
warranty and Sonata carries a five-year scheme with no limit on
distance travelled. Buyers are finding this warranty increasingly
attractive in these uncertain times of rising interest rates and
fuel prices according to Hyundai's marketing chief Kevin McCann.
The
complete Hyundai Sonata range, with prices (excluding on-road
costs) is:
SLX 2.4-litre petrol: $27,990 (manual), $29,990 (automatic)
SLX CRDi 2.0-litre turbo-diesel: $30,490 (manual), $32,490
(automatic)
Elite 2.4-litre petrol: $34,490 (automatic)
Elite CRDi 2.0-litre turbo-diesel: $36,990 (automatic)
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Marque Publishing Company
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