The Street's Already Abuzz About 2011 Hyundai Sonata
November 18, 2009

Think of four words you might use to describe a Hyundai Sonata.  Got 'em?  Did any of the following come to mind: "Sharp"? "Distinctive"? "Aggressive"? "Radical"?  If not, then perhaps you haven't seen the all-new for 2011 Hyundai Sonata because that's how car shoppers and enthusiasts on Edmunds' CarSpace Forums are talking about Hyundai's latest design.

A formal introduction doesn't come until the Detroit auto show in January -- and the car likely won't hit showrooms for months after that - but Edmunds.com members are already buzzing, calling it "probably the most original of the new Hyundai lineup" and "the first Hyundai design that has attitude" -- high praise considering the award-winning Genesis sedan and coupe that Hyundai already released this year.

And the kudos aren't limited to the Sonata's new sheet metal, with folks commenting that the redesigned interior "simply looks amazing for this class of car" and "puts some 'luxury' cars to shame."  One post calls the inside "a total Infiniti/Lexus ripoff -- but in a $23k car that's a good thing."  And another notes that if a "high quality interior is what sells in this segment, I think they might have a winner."

Perhaps not surprisingly, those least pleased with the Sonata's extensive changes are fans of the existing model, who describe the new look as "a bit melted," "too busy" and even "mad."  One current Sonata owner says "maybe I just need to see one in person, but it loses a lot of the 'semi-lux sedan' styling I like," later concluding, "I'll probably not end up buying a (new) Sonata."

While this crowd worries that Hyundai is "abandoning the more 'traditional' niche" with the new design, perhaps with negative sales consequences to come, others suggest the opposite -- that they will gain market share by capturing shoppers "who like the sleeker styling and the kinds of features the new Sonata offers."

The latter is exactly what the model needs.  According to recent Edmunds.com data, the now four-year-old Sonata is enjoying a boom in post-Cash for Clunkers shopping consideration on the site - jumping from 6 percent of all midsize cars researched in May to 9.1 percent in September. Yet the aging design is struggling to translate those additional looks into better market share. In fact, its share of the midsize market actually fell from 7 percent to 5.8 percent in the same period.

But if early enthusiasm for the new look is any indicator, Hyundai won't have to wait long for those figures to turn around.  Indeed, Edmunds members are already proclaiming: "Considering trading-in my '07 Camry" and "I'd buy one over an Accord."  

Plus, others point out that by the time the 2011 Sonata finds its way to dealers "the auto industry might be coming out of its slump" thus paving the way for "these cars to be become major players" and giving Hyundai "quite a serious lineup of sedans" -- "attractive, well-built vehicles that are affordable and a little more interesting than the competition."

Clearly then the 2011 Sonata represents another leap forward for Hyundai -- and is practically light years ahead of the original version that the company introduced back in 1989, a car the Edmunds.com Editors once called "cheap in more ways than price."  Indeed, as one member sums up the latest edition, "It doesn't look like a Sonata anymore."

And that's the word on the street. -- Mark Holthoff, Edmunds.com Manager of Customer Support

Photos by Hyundai 

Posted by Michelle Krebs at 4:46 PM under Commentary , Companies , Featured | Comments (6) | digg this | Seed Newsvine

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