Test drive

When it comes to Sonata, the impression of Chinese people may be just a Korean mid-level car. But for Hyundai Motor and even the whole Korean automobile industry, Sonata's status is quite high.

It is one of the oldest models of modern automobile, which witnessed the process of modern automobile and even the whole Korean automobile industry from a corner to the whole world. Since its birth, Sonata has sold more than 7 million vehicles worldwide in 35 years, and sold 3.5 million vehicles in the Korean market alone. It is a veritable national car in Korea.

For Beijing Hyundai, which has experienced ups and downs in the China market, the 10th Sonata, which will be officially listed on July 22nd, also shoulders the heavy responsibility of rebuilding brand value.

So, for Hyundai, what strength does this new generation model that can't fail have?

There is no doubt that the appearance of the tenth generation Sonata has changed obviously compared with the previous generation.

From "fluid sculpture" to today's sensibility? Sports, the change of design concept makes the new car more publicity and radical. Such changes have obviously made the tenth generation Sonata break away from the identity of ordinary household and commercial vehicles in the past, but attract young and individual consumer groups with a more emotional and dynamic appearance.

Although the front mesh grille maintains the hexagonal design, the slimmer "corners" like Fista make the front face of the vehicle lower visually. From the perspective of bionics, the front face has a sense of sight of "big catfish". However, the unique front face shape also makes the tenth generation Sonata a car that needs to pick an angle to look good.

Although the shape of the headlights is satisfactory, the design of LED daytime running lights is quite eye-catching. The tenth generation Sonata has two LED daytime running lights, which form a corner shape. One of the LED daytime running lights uses gradient lighting and is connected with the unique decorative strip on the engine cover, which forms a high recognition. Taillights also use a large number of corners, supplemented by a C-shaped through design. I have to admit that Hyundai Motor is also an expert in "playing with light".

Coming to the side, the posture of the tenth generation Sonata, which is built with a modern new i-GMP platform, has changed obviously. The style of short front suspension and long rear suspension is similar to that of rear drive. The height of the car is reduced by 40mm, and the shape of the sliding roof is adopted. With the low flat ratio of 19 inch tires and the rear spoiler formed by the upturned trunk, the visual effect of the whole car is very sporty.

Of course, the 19-inch Grand Hyatt Michelin 4 tires are only available on top-mounted 2.0T models, and the 1.5T models are basically equipped with 17-inch and 18-inch Nexen tires. However, in terms of appearance, only a few details such as wheel hub style and vehicle tail logo can make people see the difference between the two models.

Compared with the publicity of the appearance, the interior style is obviously "calm" and the overall shape is simple, and the design of large screen+touch button also adds a lot of sense of technology. Different from the design of overseas models with physical buttons, the domestic tenth-generation Sonata adopts the design of double 12.3-inch LCD dashboard+central control large screen, which belongs to the mainstream level in both display effect and functionality.

12.3 inch LCD dashboard can display quite a few functions. After pulling the turn signal pole, the picture of the rear side will be displayed on the dashboard in real time (the left rear side will be displayed on the speedometer and the right rear side will be displayed on the tachometer). This function is worthy of praise. In addition, the NSCC navigation adaptive cruise carried by the tenth generation Sonata can automatically control the speed according to the interval speed camera and speed limit sign after the cruise starts, and can also automatically calculate the optimal passing speed according to the size of the curve before entering the curve, making driving safer and more comfortable.

However, the touch panel below the central control panel uses a piano paint panel, and the backlight brightness is average. Although there is key sound feedback, it is still difficult to operate blindly under strong light. In this case, voice control can be used, which will reduce the difficulty of operation.

In terms of configuration, this top-of-the-line 2.0T model naturally has nothing to complain about. Front seat ventilation/heating, rear seat heating, rear multimedia control buttons, boss keys and JBL stereo are all available. It is worth mentioning that although the shape is not moving, thanks to the leather material with moderate hardness and high friction, the front seat can still provide good wrapping.

In terms of spatial expression, we have to say that Beijing Hyundai has made great efforts. The length, width and height of 4955/ 1860/ 1445 mm and the wheelbase of 2890 mm bring good front and rear row space, and the retractable cup holder with hidden compartment below is also quite distinctive. Panoramic skylight adds a sense of openness to the back row, but the lighting area can only be said to be quite satisfactory.

Although the shape of the trunk is regular and the space is good, it is a pity that the rear seats can't be laid down, so the loading capacity is WYSIWYG, and there is no more expansion capacity. However, it is interesting to hide the trunk button in the logo, which also improves the integrity of the tail design.

In terms of power system, the 10th Sonata provides two powertrains: 1.5T+7DCT and 2.0T+8AT. The 1.5T engine is equipped with CVVD continuously variable valve duration technology. The maximum power is 125 kw( 170 PS) and the maximum torque is 235 N m. The fuel consumption performance and performance are improved, and the emissions are also reduced. The maximum power of the engine is176.5 kW (200).

In addition to the key shift mechanism, the tenth generation Sonata also comes standard with five driving modes: comfort, sports, energy saving, intelligence and customization. Among them, the intelligent mode can automatically adjust the engine and gearbox according to the driver's usual driving habits.

From the test drive experience, the power in the front and middle sections of the 2.0T model is quite abundant, the overtaking at the start is quite brisk, and the power output style is relatively smooth. Even if it is adjusted to sport mode, the throttle response is still not as sensitive as expected, and the deep throttle downshift basically takes about 1 second. Obviously, the 8AT gearbox slightly limits the sports "skills" of the tenth generation Sonata. On the 1.5T model, although the power output style still tends to be smooth, this slightly "sluggish" power performance has been improved due to the adoption of the 7-speed dry dual-clutch gearbox.

As the first new car of i-GMP, the first modular platform of modern automobile, the evolution of the tenth generation Sonata in driving quality is quite obvious. The reduced height of 40 mm and the weight of 75 kg bring down the center of gravity of the vehicle. The configuration of the front McPherson/rear multi-link independent suspension has not changed, but the handling and comfort have been improved after adjusting the position of the swing arm and other optimizations.

The overall feeling of the front middle section of the suspension is quite tight, and the slightly soft adjustment of the rear section can also ensure comfort, which has done a good job in solving road bumps. However, when facing the long undulating road surface, you can still feel a certain sense of swing and floating, which is slightly less advanced.

In addition, NVH is also a point worth voicing. The tenth generation Sonata only used double glass in the front row, which led to greater environmental noise of the rear passengers and room for improvement in the sound insulation of the engine compartment.

Beijing Hyundai just announced the pre-sale price range of the 10th generation Sonata at Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Auto Show: 65,438+064,800-205, 800 yuan, which is obviously lower than many popular joint-venture B-class cars. Younger design, rich configuration, strong dynamic performance and good driving texture all make the tenth generation Sonata show a different temperament from the past. Judging from the past performance of Beijing Hyundai, the official listing price of the tenth generation Sonata is likely to be more sincere.

However, at the moment when the B-class car market is already quite anxious, it is more difficult for the tenth generation Sonata to reproduce the glory of Basso and lead Beijing Hyundai to revitalize its brand.

This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.