The seventh-gen Hyundai Sonata LF has appeared on oto.my, signalling that a local launch is imminent. The D-segment sedan was officially teased by Hyundai Malaysia on Facebook last week, and was spotted peeking under the covers at a roadshow held recently in KSL City Mall, Johor Bahru.
The ad mentions an estimated price of RM150k for the high-spec 2.0 litre variant (current Sonata 2.0 Sport costs RM148k). The car pictured in the ad appears to have the same projector headlamps, 14-spoke alloys and bumper-mounted LED DRLs as the one we saw in JB.
Additionally, two separate ads have surfaced. One pegs the entry-level 2.0 Elegance with an estimated price of RM140k (current 2.0 Elegance costs RM134k), while another estimates the mid-spec 2.0 Executive Plus at RM154k (current 2.0 Executive Plus costs RM146k).
The new LF is 35 mm longer, 30 mm wider and sits on a wheelbase that’s 10 mm longer (now 2,805 mm) than the outgoing YF Sonata, so you can expect a roomier cabin. You can also expect a more upmarket interior with more soft-touch surfaces.
Engines available in other markets include a 165 hp/201 Nm 2.0 litre GDI, a 177 hp/265 Nm 1.6 litre GDI Turbo, a 185 hp/241 Nm 2.4 litre GDI and a 245 hp/352 Nm 2.0 litre GDI Turbo.
They’re all connected to a six-speed auto, except for the 1.6 litre GDI Turbo, which is mated to a new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox in the US-market Sonata Eco.
Which begs the golden question – will our Sonata get GDI engines like our i40 Sedan and Tourer, or will the non-GDI 2.0 and 2.4 litre motors be carried over? Not long to find out now!
Hyundai Malaysia has already uploaded the promotional video below on to its Youtube channel:
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14 spokes? from the picture i counted it has 15 spokes.
~eagle eye reader~
btw, even though the GDI turbo seems to have punchier power, i dont think Sime Darby daring to bring this Gasoline Direct Injection version here. high sulphur content will clogged the injectors with carbon deposits.
I believe Jonathan has done it right when he says the sport rim has 14 spoke based on the white Sonata picture. Thumb up for Jonathan and I and thumbs down for alldisc.
Why buy this junk when you can support Proton? And buy a Proton at a big discount? BN Government cares for us all. That is why they are giving Proton cheap now RM5000 off.
I fully trust our Government. they mean well for us. It is stupid Malaysians that cannot see the truth that BN cares.
Yeah yeah yeah, once Anwar Al-Juburi in power the car price will drop hell a lot. You can buy Accord at RM10k, BMW at RM50k. Double Storey Link house at RM100k only, Bungalow RM200k. REHDA with all sorts of chinky in the cartel will have mercy to the Malaysians to lower down drastically the house price.
Was at the Hyundai dealer yesterday. 2.0 only, 2.4 has been dropped. Lots of new electronics included though.
2.4 has been dropped? No more 2.4 for the Sonata? How sad…
2.4 was dropped off on the basis that the 2.4 with all the toys will make it too expensive. And the Genesis is coming.
Surprise to me. I thought i40 is a 2.0 liter model as well. So the market of Hyundai would become 2 2.0 liter D seg model.
Another thing to note is that the Genesis comes with 3.3 liter (or 3 liter if i remember correctly) and 3.8 liter, there is no reason why not to slot in the 2.4 liter of 2015 Sonata. So i think its better to wait and see.
If they are dropping the 2.4, then my ears have perked up.
That leaves a big gap between the Sonata (and the even smaller i40) and the Genesis.
Perhaps the 2.0 GDI Turbo would be slotting in where the 2.4 once was.
The best car in segmen D. Excellent RV.
Dual clutch gearbox? Yes please. I’m too lazy to drive a manual and I hate that “slipping clutch” feeling when accelerating on an auto gearbox.
From the picture, that is a left hand drive model.
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Im driving KIA cerato.
it fun and interior feel betul2 elegen i call it —- korean bmw.
You cant compare old kia or hyundai to now new kia hyundai.
they do very2 well than “masak roti” yang awak bawa…
haha joker…
precision in driving???
ERK; please la…
unless u can outrun the 3Series for truely precision in driving than different story..
erk feel and elegance?
kidding me
What car are you driving? 1997 3rd times re-finance from ah long Honda Civic VTEC with topspeed of 80km/h otherwise white smoke…. ?
Go kia show room sit in KIA CERATO.
Compair la same sagment
civic, altis, slyphy, preve, jetta…
how thier interior feel like.
Haha thanks you joker to us.
korang ni gila ke? korean BMW? k
orean BBQ leibh kurang la …
I’m sure if your logic applies, Toyota sure face off from earth during their last generation design disaster.
toyota has done really well with the new altis and im sure they are more to come, hold ur horses if you are getting a new car soon and stay away from any korean junks, thats my unbiased opinion
Well, not everyone can afford the best in the segments,this would their better choice. And b****h please, you better have a nice car to say these words.
i have a few cars to start with, and none of them are Korean junks.
Unbiased? Lol
It is ok that you have your own opinion about the design. But you said 20 years old audi and BMW is better look than this?
Doctor is what you need now.
well yes.
look at the a4 B5, which still looks elegant and timeline against any cars that kimchi land produced
or look at E36, which single handedly defined the unknown territory of classicaly modern
I would take any of these beauty over a wannabe korean junk
Well, maybe I’m still a young man. I still not feel that old fashion looking car is better looking than this. But if you said 90s japanese sport car like RX7, Honda Integra, I will agreed with you. But not those car you mentioned.
so this kimchi or japan sushi accord?
The real light look horrible, all those chrome, yacks..
What with the 1980 dashboard with RM 100 China Tablet ICE ??
Junk..Muahahaha
first thing to advice you is please improve your english before coming here. It is REAR not REAL
Aiya. Kasi chance la to these Toyota salesman. Gelabah already cincai type dunno how to spell rear ma…
IMHO the interior design is way to old fashion and the exterior is also not that fluidic anymore …for RM150k …I rather go for the new accord ….more bang for the buck !!
the current gen 2.0 is going for rm12xk now…which is pretty good value i think..
i dont think the interior is dated like many have mentioned , i didnt like the overly sweepy dash it has now…this looks more grown up…i bet thy had an eye on some bmw dashboards though…
overall looks good , frankly speaking im jus tired of the accord and camry…anybody who buys sting else in this class deserves my respect !
Design so so for me. I still prefer the current model. Sonata now with huge discount only selling about 110k++. Really value for money. New Sonata RM 150k and price higher than Accord high spec?? hmm Good luck.. You know this won’t work especially in Msia. Even with RM 90k, most malaysian will still go for Honda City than bigger Elantra 1.6…
I really enjoy these post where butthurt japanese car fans trying so hard to bad mouth the Koreans.
I thought i saw a mitshubishi attrage.
150k for a Korean car? I am not being biased but would rather settle comfortably with Japanese quality. It’s not about resale value or safety, but in the sense of quality.
how come you know the quality is not as good as japanese car? you owned it? Or it is just your subconscious make you feel like japanese car = high quality? Please look forward, don’t always look backward. You didn’t see there are so many recall cases happening is western country for japanese car?
In fairness, we have a 2.0 Kosong Spec Honda Accord and a 2.4 Sonata YF in our families. And To be honest, the Sonata has been more trouble free than the poorly put together melaka built Accord.
Maybe we just got an Accord that was poorly built.
Trouble free yes,Hyundai win Honda but not toyota ,if you say comfort ,both kimchi cant beat Japs.
It depends on how the car is set up. The Camry is undeniably the more comfortable of the D segments. Both the Sonata and the Accord (as is the Mazda 6) are more stiffly sprung for better handling, and both suffer as the result. The lower profile standard tyres don’t help either. The Accord is even worst when it comes to NVH…as typically honda, sound deadening is often lacking.
Our very low mileage Accord has been suffering “proton” issues. Like power window motors, broken cable release and failed 02 sensors…. stuff that don’t even affect Protons anymore.
Couldn’t agree more bro. I bought the face-lifted Optima not too long ago because I really love the restructured frontal and rear looks of it. Especially the ice cube fog lamps are unique. It is indeed a joyous drive, day in day out. Then I hop in to my mother’s Camry, the 2.0G XV50. Compared to the ‘korean junk’, the interior is just yawn-inducing. Performance wise, the bimbimbap wins hands-down. And for 10K more, the Camry actually offers smaller cabin with shorter rear legroom. I am 5’11” and to be sitting in the rear in the Optima is way roomier. And of all things, the kimchii really knows how to pack the car with some of the best things anyone can find out there. I really LOVE the Infinity sound system that comes with a subwoofer as standard in the K5. I have a mixture of Japanese and Korean cars at home for me to really compare and I must say, the Koreans, for the past last 5 years are coming back with a force.
My drive is Hyundai Tucson (facelift version) and I can tell you the quality and most importantly the refinement has been top notch. My next family car will be Hyundai again.
Many worshiped the Korean since, say, 12 years ago as to i know, the reason i bought my first Korean 2003 Kia spectra. It’s not the resale value that hurts me most, but the OVERALL quality, or useability you say. It broke here and there along 10 years of my ownership, almost 50% of the major parts under the hood, if you can name it. It’s a fun car to drive, but it’s not built to last, unreliable i would say. Expensive parts, fuel-inefficient, poor RV, rotten electronics, fragile plastics. I don’t see why i will pay RM150k for a Korean car. Maybe it just me, no offense.
really? did you really own 1 or really go test drive 1?
please go showroom and open up your eyes to see more thorough… jangan jadi katak bawah tempurung anymore with narrow mindset… no wonder malaysia never improve
Test drive the sonata, handling near to Proton BLM.
Really value for money.
RM150K? Good!!!
Test drive good?? Havent launch where u test drive? Now school holiday u very free ah? No need do homework u day dreaming wholeday. goodlife
6 airbags I assume?
Should be more than your current 4g63 ride gua…
Of course it should be. It would be travesty at the highest order for a D segment to not have the full complement of safety gear (ahem.. Honda…er… Toyota)
….. is a striped out “track car”…so it doesn’t have airbags…or an interor to speak off.
good good, handsome , hope its the new engine
how much is a sonata 2002 on the road. rm4k only
Hey where’s Sam Loo? Come give your most ‘unbiased’ input here ya hahaha
Sam, your Camry 2.0 with a 15 yr old engine and gearbox will beat the shit outta any Korean products right? It will go even faster with those awful looking bodykits.
15 month old Camry can trade in for RM120k.
15 month old Sonata can only get RM35k to RK40k
it’s a K5 rebadge
salesman said no turbo engine .. its gona be the tucson engine in new sonata..
Get the 15 month old unit for around RM45k now
Sam Loo
Where can I get the 15 month old unit for RM45k.
Please kindly help. Tq.
went to showroom in Glenmarie, saw it live actually much2 better than previous funny looking Sonata…
In term of look, Camry is much more ugly.
Inside dunno…hv to test drive first!! But it is a looker..
Hope no more manual aircond
For me,the look for this car is so so only especially interior…I just hope this car will get GDI engine at least…If the equipment equal to the price,maybe i consider 1.
Who cares about the RV. At least i don’t care, as long as their safety feature could save my life. Well done Hyundai.
You must be a kopi O licensed driver that gets into an accident every 2nd day