Hyundai's new Sonata to charm US drivers

• Source: Gasgoo.com
• [08:58 September 22 2009]
• Comments

For Hyundai, the new Sonata's success in America is crucial to make its US business profitable. The current Sonata was the first vehicle built at a $1 billion plant in Montgomery. Ala. but the uninspiring model did little to convince consumers to buy it. While its Alabama plant is capable of making 300,000 vehicles, Hyundai only sold 117,000 Sonatas and 71,000 Santa Fe sport-utility vehicles last year. Auto analysts say Hyundai should sell close to 200,000 Sonatas in the US to make the Alabama operation really profitable.

Hyundai has gone extra miles to charm US drivers with the new Sonata. To appeal to them, the vehicle's exterior was designed by the company's studio in California. The Korean version of the car has a two-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The US version will be equipped with a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder motor with direct-injection technology to produce some 200 horse power against the Korean version's 163 hp.

Hyundai's goal is to sell 450,000 Sonatas per year globally when it enters full production in 2011, the year it will be built in China as well. The targeted volume compares with last year's 318,000 units and the peak sale of 381,000 in 2006.

(Business Week)