LA Auto Show 2009: 2011 Hyundai Sonata

Hyundai has introduced the 2011 Hyundai Sonata for the U.S. market at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Bearing a design seemingly inspired by Mercedes-Benz CLS and Volkswagen Passat CC, Sonata looks like a four-door coupe with a low, sweeping roofline. Sonata's new-look falls under Hyundai's Fluidic Sculpture, a design language that revolves around “the interplay of natural, fluid elements with more rigid surfaces and structures to create the illusion of constant motion”.

Surprisingly, Sonata is barely larger than the car it replaces: A 2.6-inch increase in wheelbase will bring more legroom, but the key concern would be the availability of rear headroom considering how steeply raked the roofline is. More significantly, the increased use of aluminium and ultra-high strength steel in various parts of the car has resulted in a lower weight and higher body rigidity.

In order to meet future CAFE standards, Hyundai has decided against introducing V6 engines, focusing instead on four-cylinder engines. Available from launch is Hyundai's new Theta II direct-injection 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with CVVT that produces 198 hp and 249 Nm, mated to either a six-speed automatic or six-speed manual. Future engines include a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and a 2.4-litre Hybrid Blue Drive engine.

Production of Sonata will begin later this month before the start of US nationwide sales in January next year. As it stands, however, it seems Malaysia would not be getting this car anytime soon, since the all-new Tucson is not even here yet.