Hyundai Sonata GL V6 2001 Review

The fifth generation Sonata is the clearest indication yet of Hyundai's determination to be taken as a builder of quality automobiles.

Launched in October 2001, the Sonata sports a completely new, bigger body, an impressive range of four and six cylinder engines, and the option of 'Selectronic' sequential gearchanging.

Form the outside you'd be forgiven for mistaking the Sonata with a number of other newly launched cars. The 'ears pinned back' headlight design, while an evolution of the previous generation Sonata, bears an uncanny resemblance to the new Mercedes-Benz C-class. And the rear view, with its sweeping boot crease is reminiscent of the Jaguar S-type - though that car certainly wasn't the first to use such as design cue. Then there's the side aspect...

Perhaps Hyundai's designers came upon the Sonata style independently, perhaps not. Either way, to associate the Sonata with cars from such prestigious brands as Mercedes and Jaguar is certainly a compliment to the mid-sized Korean.

Physically, the Sonata is 37mm longer, 12mm taller and 2mm wider than the car it replaces. According to Hyundai, the only internal gain from this growth is in the boot, which is five percent bigger.

That's not to say the Hyundai's short on useable interior room. Quite the contrary, we found plenty of room inside for four adults, and the boot easily swallowed our monthly shopping load. Ever practical, the Sonata's cabin offers plenty of storage areas for mobile phones, keys, CD covers and sunglasses. Hyundai afficionados will spot the more supportive front seats from the bigger, pricier Grandeur - a definite improvement over the previous ones.

The Sonata's cabin is not short on little luxuries, with the $28,000 price tag (for the top of the range V6 GL we drove) including air conditioning, remote central locking, CD player, cruise control and power windows and mirrors. The steering wheel features controls for the cruise control, as well as a drivers' airbag. A passenger airbag is optional, costing around $2000 with antilock brakes.

We were particularly impressed with the 2.7 litre quad-cam V6 nestled under the Sonata's bonnet, also found on the Santa Fe and Trajet. A claimed 132kiloWatts seems by our reckoning to be understating the matter, the Sonata eagerly attacking the horizon on request. The engine is rev-happy and super responsive to throttle inputs, though the throttle itself is heavy, requiring a firm, commited foot.

The four speed 'Selectronic' automatic gearbox we tested features a slightly taller first gear to limit wheelspin on takeoff and shorten the leap to second. Even so, there's still a sizeable gap between first and second and the gearbox is somewhat reluctant to kickdown when a quick burst of acceleration is needed. 

Hyundai has spent money and time improving the automatic gearbox for the Sonata, and it shows in the smooth gearchanges, adding a level of refinement to a gearbox much maligned in previous iterations. The gearbox can be a little slow to respond to upshifts in manual mode, especially under a full throttle.

The overall result from the engine room is a good one with plenty of power on demand. It's not perfect, and there are a couple of minor surges in an otherwise seamless power delivery, though we'd defy you to find a similarly priced V6 to match the Sonata for performance and polish.

Sonata's brakes have been boosted to cope with the extra power, the discs now 5mm thicker to combat brake fade and judder. Hyundai has also fitted Brake Assist to increase brake force during hard braking, and antilock brakes are available as an option package.

Hyundai has also focused on redressing past criticisms of the Sonata's suspension. Handling ability has been improved by widening the rear track and boosting tyres to 15-inch on all models. Ride quality has also benefited from the bigger tyres, but more so from an increased ride height (up 12mm) giving more suspension travel. On top of this, the springs have been retuned for the 86kg heavier new Sonata, and the dampers replaced with high performance German Sachs gas dampers.

Much of the weight increase is the result of improvements in body rigidity and chassis stiffness. This means sharper handling and a substantial reduction in noise and vibration levels on the new Sonata.

The end result is a Sonata reborn, and finally a fitting rival for class-leading Holden Vectra. No longer is Europe the sole source of capable, accomplished, affordable mid-size sedans, and this is testament not only to how far the Sonata has progressed in twelve years, but also to Hyundai itself.