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66 | FireFlyz
Car
Review
ZacharyHo
plays thesecondact ofHyundai’sfluidic sculpture.
W
hen
Hyundai
d e c i d e d t o
c h a n g e i t s
bland tune,
the Sonata was
the first piece
in its fluidic
sculpture orchestration. Now a little over
five years since the 6th generation Sonata
was revealed comes Hyundai’s new act.
LOOKS
Sporting what’s called Fluidic Sculpture
2.0, the 7th generation Sonata, codenamed
LF, shows off a sharper, sleeker but more
grown up look. It may be a small world but
the varied preferences of different markets
can be a huge headache. While some
markets will embrace this new matured
look, others might prefer the flamboyance
and flashiness of the previous one.
Chrome accents are used sparingly
to highlight rather than draw attention.
The rear spells ‘executive sedan’ but
risks getting confused with some other
marques. I personally prefer the new look,
knowing consciously that it won’t stand
out as much from the slew of D-segment
sedans on the road but sometimes a little
understated-ness doesn’t go unnoticed.
POWER
As far as engines go, there is awide variety
available as long as you’re only eyeing
the 2-liter multi-point injected one from
Hyundai’s Nu series. No direct injected
version is available yet. Regardless, this
sole 152hp-194Nm engine shows it is
capable of holding up the badge. It’s been
retuned for lower horsepower (previously
160hp) to compensate for better fuel
economy and low-end torque; it’s the
same amount of torque but available at
4,000rpm instead of 4,800. This translates
to speedier pick-up and a lighter petrol bill.
At high revolutions, the engine has
Composed Melody/Sound of
Music/Sweet Sonata
a gruff grunt but daily driving will
rarely bring out this pubescent note.
Petrolheads will whine and pick this
engine to pieces because it sounds (and
behaves) very composed and tame but it’s
not unexpected of an executive mid-sized
sedan. The 6-speed automatic gearbox
attached to the engine complements this
character with smooth shifts, up and down
so there’s very little to surprise.
DRIVE
The new Sonata was tested at the famed
Nurburgring track in Germany so it
definitely shows some competence in the
handling department. The ride is refined
and almost continental in feel. Front and
rear suspension have been redesigned
and tuned for enhanced stability while
still maintaining a comfortable ride. A
good way to compare is to step into the
previous generation Sonata immediately
after driving the current one and you