2011 Hyundai Sonata

[TSX69]

2011 Hyundai Sonata Won't Offer a v6 Option

According to a report by Wards, Hyundai Motor America will not offer a V6 engine in its next-generation Sonata mid-sized sedan lineup. The 2011 Hyundai Sonata will go on sale in the United States early next year.

Instead, the new Sonata will be offered with Hyundai’s new 2.4L Theta II GDI 4-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 175-hp and returns an estimated fuel-economy of 22/32 mpg (city/highway). All engines will be mated to a 6-speed automatic.

The new 2011 Hyundai Sonata for the U.S. market is expected to debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show in January.

Wards said that Hyundai is also nixing the V6 engine from its Tucson Crossover model.

[ethankz750]

Not bad looking but based on the given information it wont be able to compete with others in its class. I imagine that with a 6spd auto it aught to be pretty quick but, with a 6th gear overdrive the mpg should be much higher. The specs on this car are right there with early 2000's model sedans. Great looking car Hyundai, but I have to say FAIL.

[2K6TSX]

+1

I think it's going to be way too underpowered.. it's a pretty big sedan that competes with cars like the accord, camry, malibu etc. all of which have a v6 option..

[mtler]

2011 and 175hp? looks great but that's only going to sell so much.

[TSX69]

2001 Hyundai Sonata Won't Offer a v6

Just a few days ago we saw the first images of the all-new Hyundai Sonata as it was introduced in South Korea. The Korean press release only mentioned two powertrain options, a 2.0-liter four cylinder and a 2.4-liter direct-injected four. No reference was made to a V6 such as the one offered in the current-generation Sonata. Ward's reports that they have been told even the North American-market Sonata will go four-cylinder only.

The current Sonata V6 only accounts for just 15 percent of total sales, and with the DI engine becoming standard in the new model, the larger engine likely be even less popular. We checked with Hyundai spokesman Dan Bedore, who responded "We have officially declined to comment further on that report." Bedore did tell us that further announcements would be coming at either the Los Angeles or Detroit Auto Show when the US model is revealed. The one thing we do know for sure is that a Sonata hybrid is coming later in 2010.

[scratchieepants]

Originally Posted by 2K6TSX

+1

I think it's going to be way too underpowered.. it's a pretty big sedan that competes with cars like the accord, camry, malibu etc. all of which have a v6 option..

This is true, but with the Accord at least, I don't see very many V6's being sold either (the official numbers might say something else).

I see lots of 8th Gen Accords, not a lot of V6's.

Then again the I4's that they use are 190hp, more than this Sonata with 175.

[bluefang08]

People who are looking to buy a sonata are not looking for a "Sporty" sedan. I think I would be underpowered but honestly to some housewife that has to pick the kids up probably not.

[ch1zo]

hyundai has come a long way since their Pony days, and think of these cars as simply as what they are...transportation from a to b. So I think with this model they are going after the consumers who cant afford a V6 sedan and those who want a full size but for a good price who dont want a domestic vehicle. 2 cents

[waybig]

Not sure where Wards got those horsepower figures, but from everything I've heard the new 2.4 4cyl will have between 195hp and 201hp. The current engine puts out 175hp. And Edmund's is reporting that the car will have the new DI 4cyl plus a turbo charged engine with ~245hp.

[geebra]

it reminds me of the RL

[TSX69]

Hyundai Launches 1st Direct Inject 4 Cylinder Engine

When the swoopy new 2011 Sonata goes into production at Hyundai's plant in Alabama early next year, it won't offer a V6 engine anymore, but it will get the company's first ever direct-injected engine. This week in South Korea, Hyundai took the wraps off its 2.4-liter Theta II GDI four-cylinder. Like similar engines from other automakers, Hyundai's engineers have taken advantage of the charge cooling effect of direct injection by boosting the compression ratio to 11.3:1. As a result the engine produces 198 hp and 184 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm in Korean spec.

The direct injection system is setup to use a two-pulse strategy similar to modern common rail diesels. The initial smaller pulse is ignited by the spark plug and then followed by a second larger pulse as the piston begins its downward stroke. GM uses a similar strategy for its 2.4-liter DI Ecotec because it helps warm the engine faster, heating the catalytic converter and reducing emissions. The GDI Theta II produces from 7-12 percent more torque across its rev range than the port-injected version of the same engine. Efficiency should also improve by about 10 percent although the final certification figures aren't complete yet. The Theta II also gets continuously variable valve timing on both camshafts to round out its high tech upgrades. In addition to the regular Sonata sedan, this engine will likely also be used for the new Sonata hybrid when it debuts late in 2010.

[ChinchillaX]

I think Hyundai should offer their CRD-i engines in the US. I see those engines in Santa Fe and Tucsons in Taiwan.

[TSX69]

Hyundai Issues Stop Sale on 2011 Sonata Over Possible Door Latch Malfunction

With the first units of its 2011 Sonata sedan having just begun hitting dealers, Hyundai is in the unfortunate position of having to issue a stop-sale on its most hotly anticipated new model in some time. According to Hyundai, an estimated 5,000 Sonatas may have a defective front door latch that could require replacement:

The [Sonata's] front doors incorporate a convenience feature that allows a locked door to be unlocked and opened by pulling the inside door release handle without first unlocking the door with the inside door lock switch. If a front inside door lock switch is held in the locked position while the inside door handle is pulled to open the door, the door latch may malfunction. If this occurs, the inside door handle will not return to its normal, stowed position and the door latch will remain in the unlatched position when attempting to close the door.

Because the two rear doors do not incorporate the automatic unlock pull-handle-to-open convenience feature, they are not affected by this issue, but both driver and passenger front door mechanisms could be in need of repair. Spokesperson Miles Johnson tells Autoblog that Hyundai will be working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall vehicles that are already in customer hands (roughly 1,300 units have been sold since the first examples hit dealerships over the past couple of weeks), and the company will begin shipping replacement latches to its 790 dealers tomorrow in order to fix both customer and dealer stock Sonatas as soon as possible. Once the new latches are installed (a process that Johnson says takes about an hour per vehicle), the stop sale will be ended.

Johnson also acknowledged that Hyundai is keenly aware that the eyes of the media, public, and Capitol Hill are on Toyota and NHTSA at this time, and the company hopes to effect a swift and complete fix for this door latch issue on a model range that is expected to remain the company's volume leader.

[pdpgps]

hyuandai's name has come a long way in the last several years, but they need to hire some designers that stop ripping off other cars on looks. The genesis looked almost like a benz, and now this car looks like the new lexus sedans from the front.