2.4 Litre Hyundai Sonata
Editor’s Note: ST Ooi has been a car enthusiast for more than a quarter of a century, and is a regular petrol head whose life revolves around cars. His attic, bedroom, and sitting room are full of motoring magazines, and it is rumoured that he has to sleep in the hall when he goes back to his dad’s place in Penang because his bedroom there is choked to the ceiling with car mags too. We asked ST to try out the Sonata. Here is his refreshing report….
The midsize Sonata sedan still shows bold and contemporary exterior styling with unusually smooth shapes contrasted against definitive creases and crisp edges. It looks elegant and dressy but also active and even aggressive — and clearly different from typical sedans from other Asian automakers.
Gone are the bold waterfall styled grille reminiscent of the 2.0 liter model. Instead a stylish new grille evoking cues from current German prestige cars of similar size adorns the front nose. The quad ovoid headlamps are retained, blending nicely with the new EF Sonata emblem on the subtle central power bulge.
The distinctive rear styling on the Sonata has been retained. On the 2.4 liter you will find the addition of a full width top trailing classic spoiler that helps to diffuse the ‘drooping tail’ look somewhat. The iconic jewel-like faceted lens taillights, hinting of design cues from a British prestige car, now come incorporated with new rear fog lights edged with chrome trim. Following the same theme, the rear number plate holder is also chrome lined.
Standard equipment in the new Sonata includes air conditioning, cruise control, ABS, traction control, power windows, power door locks, power outside mirrors, digital quartz clock, AM/FM/CD cassette stereo, fog lamps and alarm system, center console with storage box and dual cup holders, map pockets in the doors, cargo area lamp, 12-volt DC auxiliary power outlet and electronic remote releases for the trunk and fuel door.
The EF Sonata is also fitted with a split 60/40 folding rear seat, cut-pile carpeting, an illuminated ignition keyhole, a console with double storage boxes, and twin overhead map lamps. The rear center armrest has a built-in beverage holder and storage box.
Under the hood, the EF Sonata 2.4 is equipped with a Hyundai-made 2.4-liter, DOHC Sirius II four-cylinder engine rated at 138 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 147 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm. With four valves per cylinder, the long stroke Sirius II engine offers smooth performance and refined operating characteristics.
Advanced engine features include dual balance shafts, hydraulic valve-lash adjusters, an aluminum oil pan and a serpentine accessory belt. Efforts have also been made to reduce engine noise and vibration with the introduction and use of hydraulic engine mounts, a feature only found on high- end models.
The automatic transmission now comes with dual mode “ Shiftronic” function that allows the driver to select between automatic or manual mode. In addition, the transmission has HIVEC (Hyundai Intelligent Vehicle Control) that is able to sense road conditions and stops the gears from shifting up on inclines to minimize the loss of climbing ability, and also on downhill sections to allow for some engine braking. The 4-speed box also comes with a ‘lock-up clutch’ feature that reduces transmission slip. A 5-speed transmission, in the light of the new players in this class, is sorely missed, though.
Nevertheless, shift quality is smooth, precise and unobtrusive, thanks to the ‘fuzzy logic’ electronic control unit for the transmission. In normal driving, the Sonata is smooth and refined. Driven hard, it responds just as enthusiastically, much to the surprise of a Forester driver ‘testing’ power’ with us as the lights turned green at an intersection.
Thanks to power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, the Sonata’s steering is responsive and predictable, giving the driver a sense of confidence and control, although it did feel a little over assisted for my taste. Shod on 16-inch alloy wheels with 215/55 series low profile tyres, the ride is very comfortable and quiet, giving the Sonata the serenity befitting a car of this size and class. Suspension is 4-wheel independent, with double wishbones in front, and a multi-link set-up at the rear. A front sub-frame helps to improve rigidity and isolates road noise from the cabin.
Anti-roll bars (25.5mm front /11.5mm rear) and German Sachs gas-filled shock absorbers in both front and rear further enhance the Sonata’s handling characteristics without sacrificing ride quality. This is a step above the strut systems on most of its competitors.
Gas struts are also used for both the hood and trunk lid, and the trunk features a link-type hinge that allows the lid to open over-center to provide a large trunk opening for easy stowing of stuff into the 14.1 cubic feet of space.
The 2004 Hyundai Sonata offers advanced safety features such as driver and passenger front airbags, automatic front safety belt pretensioners with load limiters. The Sonata’s safety story begins with the vehicle’s basic structure – a highly rigid uni-body structure designed as a steel safety cell that helps protect occupants from crash forces in front, rear and side impacts.
Key structural components are reinforced with high-strength steel. Crumple zones in the front and rear absorb impact and deform in a predetermined manner, dissipating crash energy while protecting the driver and passengers. High strength steel beams in the doors provide side-impact protection.
Other safety features include dual front supplemental airbags. The airbags feature the Hyundai Passenger Presence Detection system, which prevents the front passenger airbag from deploying if the seat is empty. In addition, the seatbelts are fitted with pretensioners to limit the occupants’ forward movement and also helps position them optimally for airbag deployment.
A highly advanced sensor located under the center console controls the front airbags. Additional interior safety enhancements include Sonata’s childproof rear door locks, adjustable rear seat headrest and a three-point safety restraint in the rear middle position. The child safety restraint system featuring LATCH (lower anchors and tethers for children) is also standard.
On the road, the Sonata is well behaved. It is, after all, designed to pamper the highly rational and ‘proper’ executive; drivers in this category are generally sedate in nature, and the Sonata is perfect for the job. You can drive it hard if you wish, but the suspension is set up more for comfort. Top speed was a cool 200kph, and if you wish to know, the zero to 100 kph time was quite respectable at 11.7 seconds. Fuel consumption during the test was 14.1 litres per 100 kilometres.
In summary, the Sonata is an extremely well designed and engineered car from Hyundai. It is luxuriously equipped and packed with loads of safety features only found in more expensive up market competitors. It won’t turn heads cruising down Bangsar or Sri Hartamas but it represents value for money in the real world. Where else can you get a new 2.4 litre saloon for a little under RM125K?
