For the model-year 2017, Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) has rolled out some extra features to make their Sonata a better value proposition to Australian customers.
The updates span the all the Sonata variants from the entry-level Active, the mid-tier Elite, and the top-spec Premium. Updates and new features that will be added to all three include premium tyres from either Michelin or Continental as well as steering-mounted paddle shifters.
On the switch to new rubber, HMCA’s General Manager of Product Engineering, Hee Loong Wong, said: “We were very happy with our Australian-focused suspension tune of the all-new Sonata, including the tyres, when we released it last year.”
“However, earlier this year Hyundai head office, in South Korea, gave us the option of testing the Continentals and Michelins on the car, and we jumped at the opportunity.
“We engaged former Hyundai WRC driver Chris Atkinson to evaluate them at the limit of adhesion under controlled conditions. His feedback, along with that of HMCA chief test driver Andrew Tuitahi, was very pleasing. We have seen gains in outright grip level, ride comfort and quietness.”
The base Sonata Active stays pretty much as it was before in terms of specifications, powered by a 138kW/241Nm 2.4-litre GDi petrol engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Pricing, too, remains faithful to the MY2016 at $30,590. However, the aforementioned paddle shifters are new and all four corners get new 215/55 Continental Conti Premium Contact 5 rubber around the 17-inch wheels.
The mid-spec ($38,350)Sonata Elite’s list of standard equipment grows even longer now for MY2017, gaining those aforementioned paddle shifters along with the same Continental tyres fitted to the Active. Additionally, rain-sensing wipers, heated front seats, front park assist, an electronic parking brake with auto-hold are now standard equipment. Should buyers want the panoramic sunroof from the more expensive Sonata Premium, they can now spec it for the Elite for an extra $2,000.
Finally, the flagship of the Sonata range, the Premium, now gains a set of 18-inch alloys shod in 235/45 Michelin Pilot 3 tyres. It also receives a raft of safety tech as standard such as blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane change assist, rear cross traffic alert, as well as radar cruise control.
Both the Sonata Elite and Sonata Premium share the Hyundai’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder T-GDi engine that generates 180kW and 320Nm that’s mated to a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
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