New replacement out early to quickly replace the poor sales Sonata LF. Engines will carry forward the 2.0L, 2.4L, 1.6T, 2.0T except the 2.0T gets 8AT gearbox from genesis. Interior, the centre dash console doesn't seem to change much in which everyone wanted that rough looking part to go. Its design resembles new Elantra 2017, like i40 and elantra md.

The blue colour with beehive grille is sonata sports 2.0T mated to 8AT, having dual exhaust in the rear. What do you guys think about new Sonata? It's ready to take on the new 2017 futuristic Camry in America


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current sonata better looking for me.
a matter of individual taste

Hyundai and Kia used to have wow design, but lately this has been ordinary looking. Again, this could be based upon each individual taste

I'm not feeling this one either.

Ugly.

the fluidic sculpture is almost gone. current design is nothing to shout about

This what happen when they try to restrain from being unrestrained.

A 2.0 turbo Sonata? That should be interesting!

Back taken from Lancer GT?

Front from Mazda 6?

Pretty nice combo actually.

Haha i also thought the same thing. But the front is focus + mazda

Ugly car

All mid size sedans are facing hard sales , not only this , even superb sedans are being ignored

Same body

Thanks everyone for the feedback. My friend at Japanese company and another friend that applied for HMC marketing executive would like to thank you all on the comments. Looks like it'll be easy win for Japanese brand and harder for the other strategist that applied for hwontai to compete. If the other guy got the hwontai job, i'll grab popcorn and see how they fight each other. If he didn't join hwontai, then this new sonata really cannot rise anymore.

Looking at current car market, D segment sales drop but cars that can sell still getting healthy sales volume. Accord, Camry still see people buying brand new. Matsuda 6 that is priced way higher still got people buying. Optima less while sonata is very rare despite selling at rm9xk.

This post has been edited by jayraptor: Mar 15 2017, 11:17 PM

For d seg car I would rather spend money on jap car. The new sonata doesn't look appealing to me at all. I still prefer the current gen. Tbh, hyundai is not doing well in its D seg market. I rarely see any sonata on the road. Probably Jay's apprentice is doing so well to knock down hyundai and kia?

This post has been edited by coldfission: Mar 17 2017, 07:42 AM

I think it looks awesome. Very European influenced

Just the pricing. Sell between RM103-118k yes I think it'll sell well.

Anything above RM120k I think the Japs trumps

Fluidic Sculpture 1.0 Sonata still best/unique looking.

Now everything are combination of Ford Focus/Fiesta headlamps, Audi grill, Mazda rear lamp, 17/18" rims with expensive rubber but tiny disc brake/drums.

Just like the Tucson, and most Hyundai, I'm guessing this Sonata probably have HU/radio with resolution lower than the cheapest smart phone.


Well at least Toyota now has a front spandex grill. Weird but unique lol.


This post has been edited by dstl1128: Mar 17 2017, 07:59 AM

not my taste also. Prefer current design.

All brands want to appear edgy and sporty now; premium brands another story...

lol that is older mazda generation design lol

Everyone,

If compared to new Camry, which is nicer? Sonata new rise or Kamuri 2018?

This post has been edited by jayraptor: Mar 17 2017, 11:00 PM


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Oooo...wanted to have a bit of the lexus feel....

Then, prices will have at least a 5% hike. Judging by how honda priced the turbo civic, if toyota willing to drop in the rumoured 2L turbo engine as the top spec, expect at least 10k-15k increase in price for the high spec.

And by the way, the sonata you mentioned is a facelift exercise, Camry is a whole new model, not fair comparisons leh....

This post has been edited by wkc5657: Mar 20 2017, 04:48 PM

Sedan not my cup of tea.. Will always go for SUV or crossover like my HRV

Imagine how Toyota here priced their Camry RM155-175k

Don't be surprised to see the new Camry crossing the RM180k mark like the Mazda 6 and still only comes with 2 airbags.

These cars are bread and butter cars in many countries overseas, like our Myvi and Saga. But here it's premium car selling at a very premium pricing.

Scary...

The new camry rear resembles infiniti m45 more than lexus. 2L turbo, don't think toyota will bring in at all. 2L turbo will be categorized as 3.5L that such price will hit over rm190k mark.

The present Camry is rm150k, new Camry could be just mild few k increase. New rise Sonata is not FL but urgent total redesign to replace the failed to market Sonata LF but retain part of the interior dash.Mazda 6 is fully imported so it started from rm160k for 2.0L entry level. Camry is cbu from Thailand follow AFTA pricing, won't go far. Sonata new rise vs new Camry is fair comparison. Mazda 6 has been around longer toyota, honda and hyundai D segments yet it is still alive and kicking competing at disadvantaged pricing, still grabbing some volume.

Sedan d segment still has its market for those wanted extra passenger space and big car that cruise well.

Mazda 6 is fully imported from Japan while Camry enjoys tax reduction under AFTA. Less likely Camry 2.0L will price more than Mazda 6 2.0L.

put big font at bonnet is so 80-ish. ppl think its boring coz the design almost resemble audi. nothing new n not iconic... the yf sonata is the top pinacle design for me. the rest hampeh.

Honestly mazda 6, although premium price does feel a lot better than others

What i find from various sources tells that the Sonata new rice is a facelift, some examples :
http://www.caradvice.com.au/530970/2017-hy...ealed-in-korea/
http://www.motor1.com/news/138376/hyundai-...elift-revealed/
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/03/2...r-midsize-soul/

Anyway, the full technical specs are not given out yet, maybe by that time can really confirm whether this is facelift or not.

I realised i made a mistake on the toyota 2L turbo engine statement. I mistake their new Dynamic Force engine range for turbo. Actually, it is an enhanced inline 4, with the purpose of targeting the thermal efficiency towards what diesel engines can offer through high compression and direct injection, but no turbo (almost like Mazda Skyactiv engine).

Since Camry has always been a US first kind of car, my thoughts are that this new engine won't be introduced into Malaysian market that soon, but maybe through the facelifted version. They could still bring in the new 8 speed transmission, a nice selling point. Since it is so, then not much pricing premium can be expected. Or UMW Malaysia can do the lazy job of just new shell, but retain both the current engines and the 6 speed transmission, but still price it a little higher since the design has more "premium-ness"....

Although an uphill task, Sonata can put up a little more challenge to toyota if can bring in the 2L turbo together with the 8 speed transmission into the market latest by early next year to ride on the chinese new year car change wave. Can be a nice complement in the range after the elantra turbo as both are under the same design family.

But still Toyota can surprise all of us with a 2L turbo, since it has been rumoured for more than 2 years and the fact that there is already a 2L turbo on the lexus lineup that they can detune/modify....

This post has been edited by wkc5657: Mar 21 2017, 11:59 AM

Matsuda 6 is longest defending champion like Rocky. Whatever new models other brands came out, it is still holding its ground. Too bad it's beyond my budget, else I would buy too.

Toyota, honda D segment also mostly reuse the old platform and redesign.from.scratch on the unibody wraparound members. Sonata LF is made out of enlarged sonata YF platform anyway. New rise sonata changes considered major enough to be new model than facelift. Sonata LF owners can't convert into new rise.

If Hyundai wanted advantage, they should bring in 2.0L GDI to challenge new Camry 2.0L and Mazda 6 2.0L. If it's the 2.0L MPI engine, it's just another common D segment. Forget the higher end engines, local market mostly could afford 2.0L. 2.4L already on high side, if 1.6L turbocharged, that really saves road tax and petrol deserved to fork out extra. Or just give diesel powered. New optima also under planning to bring in but most likely only 2.0L based on Naza strategies.

u see D segment, Accord give u Earthdream new engine (even with non-gdi engine)
Camry got hybrid model, rest with GDI, 6 gear auto, VVT-iw
mazda 6, gdi as well, 6 auto, skyactive package

now we see KIA and Hyundai for our market. they still equipped us with junk 2.0 NU engine, which not other market use it. other region already use with Turbo engine. are we the dump place for their old engine?

Maybe here's the place for them to dump and clear the old stocks?

What I know is the NU engine is very NOT fuel efficient comparing with the rivals

There was a time where hyundai dumped the remaining stocks of i40 from europe over here, and guess what, it was so well received. I was itching to get that but already fully sold out when i enquired. It was equipped with the 2L GDI engine you mentioned. Power/torque number wise, very close to Mazda Skyactive. Also chain cam, so should be quite reliable. I believe hyundai used that batch of few hundred i40 to evaluate how the engine would withstand to our fuel, driving condition and our climate.

So this time, if owners of i40 till date doesn't have much complains regarding the engine, maybe, this new sonata will equipped with this engine for base model and possibly (hopefully) the 2L turbo for the high spec version. Or can do like what the US did to their mid spec sonata, use the 1.6L turbo and fit it with the DSG; high spec with 2L turbo. Quite a number of reviews in the US for Sonata/optima with the 1.6L turbo with DSG combo says it is a better choice than the 2L turbo option.

since KIA and Hyundai here are by Naza and Sime Darby, we can best assume that we still using that old 2.0 engine.
btw, the i40 do sell very cheap for 2nd laa

Over here, 2nd hand is low because it is Korean brand, not because it is a problematic/unreliable car.

The issue of parts availability and pricing is very much overblown; the car is not insanely complicated that workshops can't/don't know how to fix. My family owned Santa Fe before and i compared to the price of maintaining Japanese, +/- hampir sama jer.... only air filter a bit more expensive.

I40 was supposed for blue taxi fleet to replace its ageing vehicles. SD management saw weak sales in Sonata pandai2 changed the initial plan and sell to public. End up fighting sonata 2.4L, really dumb move. That was when they no longer get free strategies, they didn't know how to defend its sonata from new Accord.

If that's the case, then how would you suggest for Sonata to fight against the Accord that time?

I'm supporting Japanese King Strategist now. Why should I to tell you? Buy Japanese car better, safer buy. Won't end up like my ex-colleague's old optima only get sympathy trade in RM3k when wanted to buy Honda. He tried to sell for few months nobody buy.