Hyundai Sonata NFC “Ling Xiang”: redesigned Sonata NF for the Chinese market
Hyundai, or rather BeiJing Hyundai has created this new look for the Sonata based on Chinese tastes and preferences, which seems right now to be in tune to a wackier version of the Toyota Aurion/Camry. Since the Sonata NF was designed to look a certain way, the Sonata NFC (NF China?) ends up looking like a mish-mash of the front and rear ends of another car slapped onto the mid-section of the Kia Optima.
The Sonata NFC will be called the Hyundai Ling Xiang in China, in order for it not to be confused with the Hyundai Sonata NF. It measures 4,815mm x 1,832mm x 1,475mm with a 2,730mm wheelbase. Price tags come in at 155,800 yuan for the baseline 2.0 liter model (cheaper than the cheapest Sonata NF at 165,800 yuan) and up to 228,800 yuan for the top of the range 2.4 liter model. There are a total of 6 variants.
Other than the different exterior looks, the interior also gets better rear seats to ensure a more comfortable ride for the rear passengers.
Coming up next: Beijing Hyundai is taking the previous generation Hyundai Sonata platform to develop another D-segment sedan that will slot in at a cheaper price than both the Sonata NF and the Sonata NFC. Production of the Sonata NF has now ceased as this Sonata NFC replaces it.
December 31, 2008 @ 7:20 am
i thought i was looking at a toyota camry.u sure it the sonata, paul? hehe..
December 31, 2008 @ 7:42 am
yep… it looks like a toyota…
December 31, 2008 @ 7:57 am
It doesn’t look half bad.
Yes, it reeks of camry. But I like the interior.
And its technology packed. I’m sure this is one of the first production cars that can drive itself. I mean look at pic 7. ;p
December 31, 2008 @ 8:02 am
Copy-cat…
December 31, 2008 @ 8:45 am
Is this a copy-cat or rebadge version?
December 31, 2008 @ 9:03 am
the front&rear looks are “similar” to that camry.
however, the side profile seems to be out-of-proportion?
offtopic>>
i like camry.
December 31, 2008 @ 9:24 am
corolla_KE70 said,
Copy-cat…
=============================================
Interseting that you said that……
Hmmmm, I wonder which other car manufacture is famous for being copy cats?
December 31, 2008 @ 9:27 am
looks like deformed camry.
December 31, 2008 @ 9:47 am
Pathetic Koreans. Stealing possible Camry customer. Mentang2 China piracy law tak strict.. apa lagi, Proton/Europstar copy lah BMW/Merc C-Klass baru.. aku suka seh ..
December 31, 2008 @ 9:49 am
v nice cetak rompak product!!!shame of the china ppl……always copy….copy…..copy…non stop….
December 31, 2008 @ 10:02 am
dont be such stupid until copy the whole camry nicely ..
make some modifications …
dumb ..!!
December 31, 2008 @ 10:02 am
Why Hyundai like to copy? Can’t they come out with their own? Even Proton does have their own trademark design. Shame Shame…
December 31, 2008 @ 10:11 am
Why Hyundai allow such a copy…..I guess that designer must be think on Camry quite some time……
December 31, 2008 @ 10:21 am
i always compare the product with the cost. the sonata 2.0 just cost RM70k, i believe it has its own market, even malaysean will purchase if this car sale at this price in the boleh-land. korean copy-cat japanese? i don care… it is commercially useless if we design ownself but no one buy!
December 31, 2008 @ 10:43 am
Wow!! They do some things good looking from copying…… But wat the heck, japanese also copy the us/euro at first la. Btw i like the interior design of this car hee hee :p
December 31, 2008 @ 12:08 pm
This car look better than the Apek Camry.
December 31, 2008 @ 12:11 pm
Hope that NFC can revive Beijing Hyundai’s D-segment market…
December 31, 2008 @ 12:20 pm
enough copy and paste job la…its embaressing
December 31, 2008 @ 12:41 pm
ha? i tot it’s face lift camry!!
December 31, 2008 @ 12:56 pm
hyundai socamry…
=))
December 31, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
lOOKS good.
Really have some Chinese-influenced design in it. Kudos
December 31, 2008 @ 1:16 pm
scottloeb said,
Pathetic Koreans. Stealing possible Camry customer. Mentang2 China piracy law tak strict.. apa lagi, Proton/Europstar copy lah BMW/Merc C-Klass baru.. aku suka seh ..
_________________________________________________________________________
hahaha…proton copy lar Aston Martin ka, Ferrari ka, Lamborghini ka…baru best siut!!!…x laju pun x pa…kita nak body design jer…Engine kita leh upgrade sendiri!!!!…:D
December 31, 2008 @ 3:14 pm
instead of camry, the Perak government should buy this car for their excos
December 31, 2008 @ 3:23 pm
Many here have conveniently forgotten that Proton and Perodua also literally copied the Mitsubishi and Daihatsu/Toyota models. Itu tak ape ke?
December 31, 2008 @ 3:27 pm
4G63T DSM
tat is gps , and this thing is just used to navigate not drive the car =.=
December 31, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
Copy or not, it’s sure better than ahem ahem our national disgrace.
December 31, 2008 @ 4:30 pm
Saw this Hyundai sonata many time and long time ago at Genting. Nothing new and very much similar as camry. Quite dissappointed with Hyundai which allow thic Copy Cat product to be marketed. Now being influence by China, the front look very same with the BYD new F6 if not mistaken.
December 31, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
legacy88 said,
December 31, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
Copy or not, it’s sure better than ahem ahem our national disgrace.
************
who? modenas?
December 31, 2008 @ 7:39 pm
Hmm, no long wheel base version for this car as chinese like to elongate their cars
December 31, 2008 @ 9:01 pm
Camry? I thought it was the Mark X from the 1st picture!
January 1, 2009 @ 1:48 am
camry clone!
hyundai, it’s bad for you!
January 1, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
AmiR said,
December 31, 2008 @ 1:16 pm
scottloeb said,
Pathetic Koreans. Stealing possible Camry customer. Mentang2 China piracy law tak strict.. apa lagi, Proton/Europstar copy lah BMW/Merc C-Klass baru.. aku suka seh ..
_________________________________________________________________________
hahaha…proton copy lar Aston Martin ka, Ferrari ka, Lamborghini ka…baru best siut!!!…x laju pun x pa…kita nak body design jer…Engine kita leh upgrade sendiri!!!!…:D
>>> Persona (n gen2) got Hoffmeister kink, copy BMW la tu
Even pre-facelift gen2’s rims n meter reminds me of pre-facelift BMW Z4. 
Got proton pm5 concept before, many say it looks like aston martin from back…
January 1, 2009 @ 3:09 pm
i though that dis is the camry facelift…unfortunately, it was a cetak-rompaked camry with nissan sentra’s rims:-
http://images.paultan.org/sentra_gal_med02.jpg
January 1, 2009 @ 6:23 pm
What a copy…of camry..in every way
Camry is way better looking, better quality….hyundai is just trying to steal buyers who cant afford a camry but wants a camry..ridiculous
January 2, 2009 @ 6:26 pm
Hyundai got no-brain to think edi !!!
January 2, 2009 @ 6:28 pm
guyz… if u take a look at da interior…. the centre dsahboard is copied from harrier….
January 3, 2009 @ 1:56 am
This time it looks like camry. last generation looks like accord. before that, looks like jaguar.
Sonata never has its own identity.
And it aged fast, design wise and technical wise.
January 5, 2009 @ 2:34 pm
Hyundai Sonata or Toyota Camry
January 8, 2009 @ 1:37 pm
yuck, so toyota looking