January 11, 2005

2006 Hyundai Sonata roomier than Camry

Detroit, Michigan - An all-new 2006 Hyundai Sonata begins production in March at Hyundai's all-new plant in Montgomery, Alabama. Hyundai says the new Sonata was designed specifically to meet the needs of the American consumer and is the product of three years of intensive collaborative development at Hyundai's global R&D operations, including those in Michigan and California.

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The new 2006 Hyundai Sonata is so roomy, its U.S. government size classification is "large car"; a class above Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Nissan Altima. The Sonata offers over 120 cubic feet of total interior volume. As well, the Sonata features six standard airbags (front, seat-mounted side-impact and side air curtain), standard active front headrests, standard ABS, and for the first time in the mid-size sedan segment, standard Electronic Stability Control (ESC).

The 2006 Hyundai Sonata was designed to achieve five-star ratings in all National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) frontal and side-impact test conditions.

"The new Hyundai Sonata is a milestone vehicle for Hyundai in the United States," said Robert F. (Bob) Cosmai, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. "It offers contemporary style, class-above roominess, segment-leading safety features, and outstanding value; it's been developed specifically with American consumers in mind, and it's the first Hyundai built in the U.S. at our new plant in Montgomery, Alabama. The new Sonata also features two all-new, powerful, fuel-efficient engines -- the 2.4-litre Theta inline four-cylinder and the exciting 3.3-litre Lambda V6."

The 2.4-litrer four-cylinder engine is rated at 162 horsepower and features all-aluminum construction, a balance shaft design, Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT), a silent timing chain, stainless steel exhaust manifold and hydraulic motor mounts. It is standard on Sonata GL and Sonata GLS four-cylinder models.

Standard on the Sonata GLS V6 and Sonata LX models is an all-new 3.3-litre V6 engine producing more than 237 horsepower. This engine is the first member of Hyundai's new Lambda engine family and emphasizes an aluminum cylinder block, aluminum cylinder heads, DOHC 24-valve CVVT technology and a Variable Intake System (VIS). The Lambda V6 is fitted to the Sonata front subframe with hydraulic motor mounts to ensure outstanding NVH characteristics.

A five-speed manual is standard on Sonata GL models equipped with the new 2.4-litre engine. A four-speed Shiftronic automatic is optional. V6 Sonata models are fitted with Hyundai's all-new five-speed Shiftronic automatic transmission.

More News from the 2005 Detroit Auto Show ....