Part V - FinalSince the media preview of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata read on
Paultan's Blog, the said launch was expected to be by end of April 2010.
It took almost about 2 months later for the launch to take place from the expected date.
After all the hype and rumors in Blogs and Forums, finally the long waiting is finally over.
The latest news heard was about a Preview Launch at Hyundai Glenmarie on the 24th. June 2010 but only more of a private function.
The 26th. - 29th. June Public Preview was then open to or by invitation from local SA's, Hyundai Events Reservation in Facebook or by calling to Glenmarie Showroom Center for appointment. The function was held on the 1st. Floor of a Conference Center at the back alley of the main Showroom Hall. Five units of Silver Sonatas parade outside the entrance and was made available for test-drives in these particular visiting days.
As I walk-up the stairs towards the Show Center, the stairway was bluish lit with hanging white curtains all the way up. It's like climbing up the stair to an aisle. Visitors will be greeted by beautiful models with sexy white dresses before had to do a registration near the Show area entrance. Visitors can either opt for refreshment first or go straight to see the cars directly.
Visitors will have to walk-by a bluish lit hallway with running laser lights on the floor and walls.
Upon reaching the end of the hallway, there seen 4 units of Sonatas nicely arranged in the Show Hall.
The first impression was how good looking the car is in real live better than what I've imagined in the web or video reviews.
It takes some time to walk through the car inside-out to see the features and specs of the said car.
I was then given a brochure by the SA.
The first question that comes to mind is "Why should one buy this car?".
Besides the 300,000km or 5 years Warranty, what else do people look for in their investments before they buy a new car that cost roughly more that RM140,000.
The previous Hyundai and KIA model had a long history of problems and the most common question to potential buyers are it's resale value. Any car bought from day one depreciates but what matter most is the percentage of the said depreciation value. Since mobile phones and PC models changes almost every 6 months, it's a common trend nowadays, people tend to change them now and then.
If these so called gadget which cost about RM1,000 surely doesn't matter much to enthusiast, but buying a car for the sake of changing them when a new model comes by is just not worth the investment. Since, it has become a trend, no matter what, changing cars after 3-5 years are plain normal nowadays. The Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc. brand had long been rooted in the minds of Malaysian before the existence of Proton or Perodua. This make them a strong brand in the local car market today.
People that buys these common said brand are considered the wise ones upon making their decision of their long term investment.
Hyundai and KIA have been at a long time following the tail of the Japanese car makers, and they foresee that building cars for a small particular segment/ region won't bring them far. So, they follow suit what the Japanese makers had done before which is building their brand name in the Western and European market.
What Lexus, Infinity, Acura did from the past, is now copied by the Koreans but they take it one step ahead.
By building Manufacturing Plants in USA and Europe, they are able to create jobs for the local and build a sense of fonding bond with the locals. They also appoint and utilize the Western creative design ingenuity in their products line with strict local safety standard to win the heart of locals and this popularize their brand extensively.
The Test-Drive...
After spending almost an hour mingling among crowd, had some beverages, I was finally called for my test-drive session.
Upon walking down the stairs, my awaited test-car was already waiting for me. Step in, do some adjustments with the steering wheel, seat, side-mirrors etc., I was then on my way. The Sonata is of a CBU unit, 2.0L High-spec version. Build quality is refine and flawless with little gaps in-between body seams. The car felt sturdy with butter-smooth gear shift on the 6 speeder drive transmission. Either, up or downshift, the smoothness is the same.
Steering felt direct and NVH is quite sedate. It's more like a cool premium feeling rather than the previous Camry or Accord tested before. No doubt, all these same cars are hugh with interior space and leg-room, but that six-speeder gear-change does give some peace of mind. Rear passengers gots lots of leg-room and headroom space, because by comparison, the dimension of the Sonata is almost at par with the one in the Accord. Maybe the Accord design have got that "look at me" impression, but the Sonata is just darn pretty with futuristic curvy lines and contours.
The ride suspension absorbs well. On full acceleration and full emergency braking, the car felt compose with stretching tires biting the tarmac, but passenger and driver felt only slight nudge forward during the test. During a Mr. bean round-about test, body roll felt minimal. All in all, the Sonata is a better car then what the present Camry and Accord had to offer.
Since no highway test is been done, there is no way to know whether the car will wallow at higher speed like the Camry. On the other hand, driving and handling have to beat the Mazda 6 or Accord if owners felt the urge to take it to the limit.
Having said that, it's up to SD Hyundai to make the best marketing and after-sales services, because it's will be the future benchmark for Hyundai brand in the local market. My main comment is the mono-tone black interior that exist like the one in the Tucson and the foot-brake pedal is exactly on top of the foot-rest which is to me, it should be placed a bit to the left so as not to hinder the movement of the left foot. Some will hate Hyundai for the brand and low re-sale value, but the car dynamic and fluidic styling will tell the rest of the story.
Thanks to SD Hyundai for sharing this experience and good luck in their future en-devour.
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