Two views on the Hyundai Sonata

It looks like a Jaguar but drives like a Camry. On paper, and even in the flesh, the second-generation Hyundai Sonata midsized sedan looks like a winner.

What’s there to like? For starters, elegantly curvaceous styling that doesn’t rely on too many gimmicks that only make a car look aged two years down the road. For another, build quality and interior ergonomics that rival those of benchmark Japanese sedans. Yet another is a high level of riding comfort that will make a Camry or Accord owner feel right at home. Finally, a competitive array of safety as well as comfort and convenience features.

Performance starts with a highly rigid platform and body, a smooth-riding fully independent suspension and a modern 2.0-liter twin-cam 16-valve engine mated to a smooth 4-speed automatic gearbox with Hyundai’s H-Matic system that allows clutchless manual shifting like those found in Porsche’s Tiptronic, BMW’s Steptronic and Mitsubishi’s Sportronic systems.

On the road, these components combine to endow the Sonata with solid, if not awe-inspiring performance. The engine is smooth and refined even at high revs. The automatic gearbox shifts smoothly and smartly and adds the bonus of manual shifting when the driver wants a bit more involvement in the driving. Perhaps the only thing I’d ask for (and I like to drive fast) is about 20 more horses under the hood. Otherwise, the Sonata will effortlessly deliver calm and poised acceleration and cruising all day.

The car’s body stiffness is evident when you traverse EDSA’s notorious asphalt overlays. The car simply glides over them with little commotion from the suspension or body panels. Credit also goes to the supple tuning of the dampers and coil springs. Just don’t expect it to corner as responsively as a BMW. Think Lexus-comfy and you won’t be disappointed.

The new Sonata’s safety features include ABS-equipped 4-wheel disc brakes (with excellent feel and modulation) as well as a smart airbag system that utilizes a Passenger Presence Detector (PPD) and dual threshold control circuitry to avoid unnecessary deployment. This car has also earned the highest possible score in collision tests conducted by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Agency.

Inside, expect no surprises or gimmicks — just a well-designed cabin with all the features one would expect from a midsized sedan except, perhaps, for leather seats. Cabin space is generous, if not class-leading.

The Hyundai Sonata gives very high value for money, especially when you factor in its surprisingly low P997,000 sticker price, the only one in its class that falls below the P1million mark. All things considered, the Hyundai Sonata owner might not yet be the envy of Accord or Camry owners at the moment. He, however, will be the one having a cool P120,000 to P200,000 cold cash (the difference between the Sonata’s and the Accord’s and Camry’s prices) in his pockets the next time he drives up to them. Now if that’s not an astute business practice (even considering Honda’s and Toyota’s higher resale values), what is?

— Manny de los Reyes

I remember reading an article in Car and Driver years ago saying that South Koreans like their cars’ suspensions soft. Softer than the Japanese. Softer than the Americans, even, because it said that Koreans equate pillowy suspensions with luxury. So it doesn’t surprise me that the Sonata rides a lot softer than it looks. It’s sized roughly the same as a Mitsubishi Galant, which is smaller than the Toyota Camry, but it rides like the Camry. This is not the most athletic of suspensions, and the Sonata makes no apologies for it. It is a boulevard-type ride just short of cloudlike, and I suppose the floaty sensation can be quite relaxing to people with different driving priorities than I do.

It is, actually, the core of what the Sonata is about: relaxed, pleasant riding. Not driving, mind you. People will not be fighting over the keys to this particular Hyundai. They will prefer to just get in, shut their eyes, and be lulled into dreamland by the ride.

Styling is on the side of bland, but nice-bland. Four out of five friends initially mistook it for a Jaguar, and the way the front fenders are "tensed up" like flexed shoulders gives it some character. The dashboard is also logically laid out, but again, it stops short of interesting or original.

Steering, braking, and drivetrain response are all very good. It tracks steadily on the highway but has just enough steering assist, the all-disc brakes perform as strongly as can be expected, and the 2.0-liter engine and 4-speed automatic are well-matched. The transmission will still upshift for you even in the manual gate if you redline it though, once again emphasizing that this is not a car to go racing with while the boss sits in the backseat.

But it is at an iffy price-point. By itself, it’s a pretty good executive car. It has a decent amount of space, a comfortable ride, good fit and finish, adequate power, and a willing — if not exactly enthusiastic — demeanor. Like I said, the styling is rather bland, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. At this level of car though, the competition also happens to offer the same — if not more — of what the Sonata has. I suspect that price premiums can be readily absorbed by corporations and the kind of individual buyer that the Sonata is wooing. Besides loyal Koreans and really price-conscious buyers, it would be interesting to know how many other executives wouldn’t ante up the extra cash for a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.

— Andy Leuterio