- 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T Turbo will start at $24,865.
- Sonata Limited 2.0T will start at $27,765.
- The turbocharged Sonata goes on sale at the end of the 2010.
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, California — Hyundai said its 2011 Sonata 2.0T Turbo will start at $24,865, including a $720 destination charge, when it goes on sale at the end of the year. The uplevel Sonata Limited 2.0T will start at $27,765, including shipping.
In its pricing announcement, Hyundai said it is pitting the Sonata 2.0T Turbo against such rivals as the Volkswagen Passat and the Ford Fusion Sport V6. In comparison, the 2010 Passat starts at $27,945, including a $750 destination charge. The 2011 Ford Fusion Sport starts at $27,380, including a $725 destination charge.
The Sonata 2.0T gets the Korean automaker's first four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline direct-injection engine. The 2.0-liter engine produces 274 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. Hyundai estimates fuel economy at 22 mpg in city driving and 33 mpg on the highway.
The Sonata SE 2.0T bundles such features as sport-tuned suspension and steering, a dark chrome front grille and dual automatic temperature control. The Sonata Limited 2.0T offers a power sunroof, leather seating surfaces and an HD radio and deletes the sport-tuned suspension and steering, said Hyundai.
Inside Line says: Hyundai keeps its promise made earlier this year to keep the Sonata Turbo under $25K. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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tbone85 says:
02:52 PM, 10/05/2010
"So Accord and Camry have passed the test of time and customer from a quality perspective. Anything else, is denying the truth."
Denying the truth is a problem, but the problem rests with those who believe that reputation and past glories are going to have a disproportianate and permanent impact on buying decisions. This line of thought absolutely infected Detroit for decades before people started to go back to delivering products instead of posturing on their sterling reputations.
The FUD you are ascribing to the Koreans also sounds eerily like that which was assigned to the Japanese marks years ago. Times change. New products and leaders emerge. Paradigms shift. Adapt, or die a slow death. It's the way of life.
Toyota and Honda have clearly fallen back to the pack in terms of quality, and perhaps behind in design. Reminiscing about the good old days instead of producing world leading products today is a sure fire recipe for a shift in hegemony.
"Torque Steer anyone?"
Honda Accord 6 cylinder 271 HP, 254 ft-lbs torque
Toyota Camry 6 cylinder 268 HP, 248 ft-lbs torque
Hyundai Sonata Turbo 274 HP, 269 ft-lbs torque
The Hyundai has a 6-7% increase in torque over its competitors. If that can't be tamed by modern electronic management techniques, then somethings wrong. What's more, without dyno testing, who knows which of these vehicles actually has the highest output? They are close enough in stated output that production variances for each sample may determine which produces the most torque. Like anything else, the proof will be in the pudding.
iskch says:
11:28 AM, 10/05/2010
Good job Hyundai. No doubt about it. They are selling these Sonatas like hot cakes. I think they are going to finish second to Camry by the end of the year. They will surpass the Accord very soon if sales keep the same pace.
andy999 says:
10:35 AM, 10/05/2010
Modern transmission, drive output, and traction control type technologies can be used to help reduce the amount of torque steer noticed by a typical driver. This car shouldn't torque steer any worse than any other front wheel drive, 270HP vehicle . . .
hondalvr4life says:
09:41 AM, 10/05/2010
Torque Steer anyone?
goaterguy says:
07:20 AM, 10/05/2010
For the "recall" haters, Rolls Royce had a recent recall on brakes.
andy999 says:
06:47 AM, 10/05/2010
A vehicle's overall quality, will clearly show up in the fit and finish quality that you can physically see in person, when inspecting a car on the lot. Hyundai and KIA both have absolutely excellent fit and finish quality, and design features, with panel fit, paint quality, assembly quality, and mechanical and functional layout that is excellent and intelligent. These are build quality elements that people can actually "touch", "feel", and "see", regardless of whatever words are printed in a magazine, newspaper, or typed by someone on an automotive blog site. Most people understand, that Hyundai has been on an aggressive rebuilding plan, with regard to every aspect of their company and the vehicles which it produces, during the past 10 to 12 year time block. Very few normal minded persons would even make an equation between the high quality vehicles which have been turned out within the past 5 to 6 years, versus what had been delivered in the late 1980's through mid 1990's.
The Hyundai Sonata is steadily increasing its popularity, success, and share of the mid size market, . . . and it's doing it with high quality function, design, and overall value.
The Honda Accord has been a very solid vehicle for many years now, and still is. However, recently, the design and styling language has been all over the map, with overly rapid changes and updates to the appearance without heading in a steady direction. It seems, that Honda is having trouble deciding whether to keep the Accord as a mid size, large car, or somewhere in between. Also, there seems to be difficulty for Honda in choosing whether to use curves or hard edges within their styling, and so they simply throw a little of everything into the recent design language, hoping that "something" will stick in a positive way. The Accord is a quality car, but seems to be hunting, right now . . .
The bloom is off of the rose, for Toyota in general, and the Camry. People purchased Toyota products for years, because they felt that they "had to", simply because it was the "popular" choice to make. A lot of this was caused by a constant media blitz telling us how excellent their quality and long term value was, and that Toyota could virtually do no wrong. Well, . . . now we all know better!!! Toyota is flawed and mortal, just like every other automotive maker out there. Many persons currently, are negatively put off by the way in which the company has handled and masked their quality concerns over the past 7 to 8 year period, or so. At best, many persons now see Toyota as being equal to, but not necessarily better than, any other of the upper tier mainstream brand labels. Toyota can't simply rely on their previous reputation, anymore, and will have to radically improve their overall styling and design in order to generate an increase in sales. I really can't even remember the last time anyone actually voiced that a Camry was "trend setting", "stylish", or for that matter, even "nice" looking. The fit and finish, and paint quality of a typical Toyota product isn't really any better than any of the top ten or fifteen mainstream, affordable automotive brands. The current Camry simply has to have radical updates very soon, if it will continue to be competitive. There are just too many quality offerings coming out in this size class, including some with very lively styling and features, from a variety of makers. For example, . . . the KIA Optima has never really been a threat to anyone in this size class within previous years. It was always a low production, low cost option for people who couldn't quite swing the payment on a Sonata, and simply needed something to drive. This all new, upcoming KIA Optima will grab a large portion of the market, compared to previous years, because people will actually "want" to purchase and drive it. People will actually "want" to be seen driving this very stylish, nice looking, and feature packed Optima. There are going to be many new, legitimate contenders within this category, . . . and Toyota's only real chance at retaining a large portion of their previous claimed territory, which the Camry has previously enjoyed, will be to take the "BORING" factor out of the equation. Toyota's reputation from years past simply won't carry them along in the way which it used to . . .
Just my thoughts.
lexuslvr says:
06:29 AM, 10/05/2010
carlos20 says:
"The Sonata limited start at $ 27,000.00 , so a 4 cilinders TSX look like a bargain."
??? Actually the Sonata Limited starts at $25k while the TSX starts at $29k and if you want comparible engines the 274 hp Sonata Limited turbo starts at $27k while the 280 hp TSX starts at $34k. Also you can get comparible power to the TSX for 10 grand less with the Sonata SE Turbo. Which one looks like the bargain again?
carlos20 says:
06:19 AM, 10/05/2010
The Sonata limited start at $ 27,000.00 , so a 4 cilinders TSX look like a bargain.
carpaul1 says:
12:43 AM, 10/05/2010
Let's be clear, Hyundai is flooding the market with new designs and technology, kudos to them for that. The quality is undoubtedly not where Camry and Accord are. If you want proof look at numbers 1 and 2 in this category year in and year out for so many years, except for years that Taurus used to compete. So Accord and Camry have passed the test of time and customer from a quality perspective. Anything else, is denying the truth.
The Korean manufacturer recent rash of recalls, plus a past of poor quality making it almost go bankrupt is the reason it has a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty, because no one would walk into their show rooms fearing those same quality issues. That stench you smell, is the smell of old memory not fading so fast into the past. They are fast trying to distance themselves, but recalls for Koreans have a different feel because of past quality fears. You want another proof, see how Koreans dare not price their hardware same as Camry and Accord.
Now relative to Sonoata, i personally think it has way too many curves and a strange "to be kind" grill. It does miss the symmetricity sense of Americans, hence why Malibu and Fusions are more handsome to us. Of-course Accord and Camry are not exactly BMW sexy either.
As for how it drives, putting a turbo, in a front wheel drive car is normally a bad combo. VW GTI pulls it off, because it is normally under-powered relative to V6 autos of same weight. So again, lets wait and see how a front wheel drive torque heavy mid-size sedan from Korea pulls it off before calling it the standard of anything. Right now, it has ways to go before then.
alex38 says:
11:58 PM, 10/04/2010
Wow, I am impressed. With these stats, I would have thought it to be a good deal at a start price of less than $28,000. But at less than $25,000, is simply unreal.
Safe to say that when it's time for my '00 Maxima to go (can't wait to get it off my hands) this moves up to the top of my list. No question.
Save for Ford, Hyundai is simply running circles around everyone else..