The Hyundai Sonata () is a mid-size car that has been manufactured by Hyundai since 1985. The first generation Sonata, which was introduced in 1985, was a facelifted version of the Hyundai Stellar with an engine upgrade, and was withdrawn from the market in two years due to poor customer reaction. While the nameplate was originally only sold in South Korea, the second generation of 1988 was widely exported.
The Sonata is currently manufactured in South Korea, China, and Pakistan. It was named after the musical term, sonata. It was formerly manufactured in the United States from 2005 until 2022, though after 2022, American production was phased out.
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First generation (Y1; 1985)
The first Sonata was introduced to compete with the Daewoo Royale series and was a more luxurious version of the Stellar. It included cruise control, power seats, head lamp washers, power brakes, electric operated adjustable side mirrors and chrome bumper trims. The Sonata was available with two trim options in Korea: Luxury and Super (the latter only available with a 2.0-liter engine). In the domestic market Hyundai attempted to sell the Sonata as an executive car using catchphrases like "Luxury car for VIP"; however, as the Sonata was based on the Stellar without any major changes, it was seen by the public as no more than a luxury version of the Stellar. In 1987 Hyundai added two tone color schemes and a trip computer option, but sales soon went down and the car was discontinued in December of that year. The Sonata was sold only in the South Korean domestic market. The vehicle was unveiled in South Korea on 4 November 1985.
Engine choices included 1.6-liter Mitsubishi Saturn (only available outside the domestic market), 1.8- and 2.0-liter Mitsubishi Sirius inline-fours. The latter unit also found its way into the 1987 and later Stellar, and in MPI form the 1986 Hyundai Grandeur. The body was a largely unchanged Hyundai Stellar.
It was sold in New Zealand (right hand drive) with the 1.6-liter Mitsubishi engine with the five-speed manual gearbox; an automatic transmission was an optional extra. The original importer was a unit of the Auckland-based Giltrap Motor Group.
The final version of the Stellar was known as the Stellar 88 and was launched to celebrate the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Afterwards, Hyundai discontinued the Stellar and replaced it with the all-new Sonata.
Second generation (Y2; 1988)
The Y2 Sonata was part of Hyundai's expansion in North America after the success of the Excel. It was introduced in South Korea on 1 June 1988. It was then introduced in Canada in September 1988 as a 1989 model, where it also entered production locally during 1989. It was presented on 14 November 1988 in the United States as a 1989 model, with sales beginning early 1989, and in March 1989 in Australia. The exterior was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign. The vehicle received a mid-term facelift in 1991. It replaced the Stellar as Hyundai's large family car. Sonatas were built in Ulsan, Korea, and in Bromont, Quebec. Hyundai and Chrysler had planned to sell 30,000 Canadian-built Sonatas yearly in the United States beginning in 1991, under Chrysler's Eagle brand.Ward's Automotive Yearbook 1989, p. 193 This, however, was not to be. Some Canadian Sonatas, starting with 500 cars in 1989, were exported to Taiwan to avoid that country's import quota on South Korean cars.
The Sonata was launched in Europe in June 1989, as the third model to be sold there following the Hyundai brand's European launch in 1982. It was aimed at buyers of cars including the Ford Granada Scorpio, but was priced to compete with smaller cars like the Ford Sierra.
The Sonata was designed by Hyundai and featured Mitsubishi's engineering, including the platform from the Galant Σ and its 2.4-liter, Mitsubishi-designed engine. The engines were made under license in South Korea, and had Hyundai codes stamped on them, but otherwise were almost identical to Mitsubishi's Sirius inline-four engines. A 3.0-liter V6 engine based on the Mitsubishi 6G72 arrived in 1990. In European specifications, the 2.4 develops at 4500 rpm, identical to the federalized version. Other markets also received 1.8- and 2.0-liter engines carried over from the first generation, but equipped with Hyundai's own MPI, replacing their carbureted counterparts used in the Y1 Sonata. The U.S. model received the DOHC 2.0-liter G4CP engine for the 1992 model year, replacing the original 2.4-liter SOHC G4CS engine.
Trim levels offered in the US: GL (1989–1991) with a 2.4 single overhead cam engine [G4CS], (1992–1993) a 2.0 DOHC engine [G4CP] GLS with a 3.0-liter V6 engine
Third generation (Y3; 1993)
The Y3 Sonata debuted in 1993. The base engine in most markets was a 2.0-liter Sirius inline-four, but there was a 3.0-liter, Mitsubishi V6 option in some markets. This generation continued after the demise of the Bromont, Quebec plant in September 1993. After that, all Sonatas would be built in Korea, until the opening of the Beijing Hyundai plant in December 2002.
The third generation Y3 model was also produced as the Hyundai Marcia between 1995 and 1998, selling alongside the Sonata in South Korea only. The Marcia differed from the Sonata with its restyled front and rear fascias.
Facelift (1996–1998) A facelift for the Y3 in 1996 saw modifications to the front and rear. The four-cylinder engine output was also increased to for that year as well. The Y3 facelift was the last Sonata produced in Ulsan.
At one time, in the South Korea, there was a rumor that if students had the S-shaped emblem, they could go to a prestigious university (Seoul National University), and if they had the letter III, they could get a score of 300 on the College Scholastic Ability Test, which led to the Onata incident in which test takers secretly removed the Sonata III emblem. Therefore, there were many Sonata IIIs with the letters S and III missing from the emblem and for this reason, Hyundai Motors implemented a free emblem replacement service.
Fourth generation (EF; 1998)
The new EF series Sonata arrived in 1998, debuting the Hyundai-Kia Y4 platform. Compared to the Y3 predecessor, the EF grew slightly in size, but shared the same wheelbase. It also introduced double wishbone front suspension and independent, multi-link rear suspension. Initial engines from launch were the 2.0-liter with , and a 2.5-liter V6 with —the G6BW model of Hyundai Delta V6.
The EF Sonata shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai Trajet and first-generation Hyundai Santa Fe, which became the company's first compact crossover SUV. The first generation Kia Optima (marketed as the Magentis outside the United States) was also based on the EF Sonata, sharing doors and roof panels.
Facelift (2001–2004)
Hyundai facelifted the EF series in 2001 for the 2002 model year as the EF-B series, revising the hood/bonnet, grille, headlights, which now resemble those found on the second-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class, tail-lights and rear license plate location from the fascia to the trunk lid — as well as revising the dash and seats.
Hyundai strengthened the body shell and firewall, widened the rear track, included anti-submarining front seat pans and added thicker front brake discs for the update.
The EF-B model featured an all-aluminum, G6BAY series 2.7-liter Delta V6 with and , as well as the Sirius II 2.4-liter inline-four rated at and of torque.
This Sonata continued in production as of 2002 and was marketed in China from December 2002, by Beijing Hyundai. A facelifted Sonata was produced by that company in August 2009, marketed as the Moinca. This model is only available in the Chinese market and comes with a 1.8 or 2.0 liter engine with transmission choices consisting of a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.
The Sonata was manufactured by TagAZ in Russia until 2012.
Safety
Fifth generation (NF; 2004)
The NF Sonata was launched in August 2004 in South Korea, based on a new platform created from the project NF. The company's first all-aluminum I4 engine, dubbed Theta, debuted in the new Sonata. Engine choices at launch were a 2.4-liter I4 rated at 5800 rpm with 4-speed automatic by Mitsubishi, and a 3.3-liter V6 rated V6 with 5-speed automatic. In Korea, the 2.4-liter option was sold as the F24S (24 = 2.4L, S = Special). The 2.0-liter gasoline version was only sold in Korea and proved more popular there due to added gas, tax and insurance savings. Diesel versions are available in Europe, New Zealand and Singapore, where they are a popular replacement for the Toyota Comfort taxi cab.
The U.S. May 2005 launch of the new Sonata coincided with the production commencement at the company's first U.S. assembly plant, in Montgomery, Alabama.
Classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a mid-size car, the fourth generation was longer and taller and wider than the previous generation. Standard features in U.S. models included anti-lock braking system/electronic stability control/traction control system as well as six airbags (driver/front passenger front and side, and side curtain).
Safety Europe: 2006 year models received the following European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) ratings:
In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests the Sonata received a "Good" overall in the frontal impact crash test, an "Acceptable" overall score in the side impact crash test, and a "Good" rating for rear crash protection. In the roof strength evaluation 09 and 10 models were rated "Marginal".
2006 Hyundai Sonata tested by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): Frontal Rating (Driver): Frontal Rating (Passenger): Side Rating (Driver): Side Rating (Passenger): Rollover:
Recall On June 28, 2005, when the IIHS tested the 2006 Sonata in the Moderate Overlap Test, the driver's seat went past the crash test dummy's head due to the seat belt getting tangled with the seat recline lever, giving the car a “Poor” rating. On August 1, 2005, the company put a plastic tag on the seat trim next to the lever to prevent the seat belt from hitting the lever, giving the car a “Good” Rating when retested in September, recalling nearly 36,000 cars in the process.
Facelift (2008–2010)
The redesigned vehicle was unveiled at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show as a 2009 model year vehicle. The production version was sold as the Hyundai Sonata Transform in Korea, and the model debuted elsewhere as an 'early' 2009 model.
The styling was done primarily at Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI) in Superior Township, Michigan in 2006.
The redesign features revised engines, front fascia and chrome 3 bar grille, taillights (turn signals became red in North America only), jewel-projector headlights, new 10-spoke alloy wheel design for the Limited models (as opposed to sharing the 5-spoke design from the SE model), and an extensively revised IP (Instrument Panel). Hyundai adopted "slush molding", a production technique that enables a much higher grade of texturing and shaping of the IP surface.
Redesigned gauges feature a blue backlight, and a touch-screen navigation system, optional on the Limited trim level only, includes satellite radio capability. Bluetooth capability is available as an optional unit, separate from the audio or navigation system, and all models include both a USB port along with an auxiliary input jack. An optional USB adaptor cord allows integration of an iPod, and chrome interior door handles are standard on the Limited trim.
The 2.4-liter G4KE Theta II engine was rated at 6000 rpm and at 4000 rpm, 2.0-liter G4KD Theta II engine was rated at 6000 rpm and at 4250 rpm and the 3.3-liter Lambda V6 was rated at 6000 rpm and at 4500 rpm.