Last month, we went over the five standout features of the 2021 Hyundai Sonata 2.5 Premium. Today, we take a more incisive look into the Korean D-segment sedan to see if it has the chops to take on the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and even the Volkswagen Passat.
To quickly recap once more, there’s just one variant of the Sonata on sale, and that is the 2.5 Premium. It’s fully imported from South Korea and carries a price tag of RM189,888 (with 50% SST exemption). Note that this is the introductory price for the first 50 units, after which it will go for RM206,888. Each purchase comes with a five-year or 300,000 km warranty coverage.
For powertrain, it gets the automaker’s 2.5 litre Smartstream four-cylinder MPI engine making 180 PS and 232 Nm of torque, with drive sent to the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission (with shift paddles). There is a GDI direct-injection version of this engine that’s sold in other markets, offering 193 PS and 245 Nm of torque, mated with an eight-speed auto. Unfortunately, that is not available in Malaysia due to fuel quality concerns, we’re told.
So, as far as D-segment sedans go, how appealing is the eighth-generation Hyundai Sonata? Find out what we think in the video review, above. Also, tell us what you think of it! You may also check out the full details and specifications on CarBase.my, and compare it against its rivals.
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Who in their right mind would pay this much for this? Same question popped out when Camry was launched at around this price last time, but apparently there still are those who will buy.
The gearbox is much much better than any jepunis CVT
Better top up abit for G20 BMW 3Series 197HP,
60k extra you top up for me i buy now
Saved 60K and get more superior P1 Accordana,
where did you see proton still selling perdana?
This and Kia counterpart sells less than our Perdana so why even bother with this review.
jokers. x70 better.
true. the age of car began with ford model t and peaked with proton x70. no car will ever come close.
180PS is about the same figure produced by Hyundai i40 2.0 GDI, launched some 8 years ago.
D-segment sedans just don’t make sense anymore. This is worse. Its Korean is priced more than the ones with Japanese badges and worse, it doesn’t have the safety features of most c-segments!
Kpop fans will buy la. Malaysian is brand conscious and they won’t spend RM190K for the Sonata. If it’s priced at RM160K, maybe people will consider.
whatt?? sekarang ni semua mahal. this kpop pon mahal. apebenda.
Mazda say Hi to you ..
This car is strictly for K-pop fanatics/Kimchi supporters only. Biar bayar mahal, janji look handsome/beautiful like immaculate korean star.
PT attacks many carmakers for poor active control suites in their cars, yet here Hyundai was given just a slap on the arm. A gentle one at that. Why the double standards?
Speaking of double standards, why did they omit the active safety suite for Malaysia? Price points. Speaking of price points, why isn’t this built in Malaysia? Volume. So speaking of volume, why bother?
Be like Proton; ignore the D-segment. It won’t justify the cost of about 200m to PROPERLY convert to RHD against a volume that keeps slipping annually.
We are totally against car brands short changing Malaysian consumers on safety equipment, that is for sure. But we all have different presentation styles, and Matt here is a little kinder compared to Jonathan and I.
dont worry they realised they couldnt keep on shortchanging malaysians and also realised they never can change the perception of their kimchi brand. reason why they packed their bags and left for another country.
200k car but with 6 speed box only.well,good luck in selling that ‘first’ 50 unit..