Hyundai Sonata Transform [2009-2011] User Reviews

Exterior

I am a proud owner of  Sonata Transform Crdi M/T , it is a value for money car ,it has stylish looks with modern interiors.It is such a sad thing ,car with such high capabilities is being underrated bcos of its snob value. It has lazyboy couch type front seats ,the best ride quality in D segment ,6 airbags , ipod+usb comp. system with 6 speakers and a sub, blue interior illumination,leather seats,steering and dash, and the list goes on ,apart from the interiors it has the best diesel engine in D segment , it is so smooth and refined you won't even come to know if the car is on or off. The best part about the car is its torque and it  is addictive, at 1500 rpm the turbo kicks in and it becomes a rocket , trust me on the torque part it has the best torque with almost no turbo lag. I personally have touched 230 in this car and the noise level from engine was acceptable.This is the only car in which 3 adults can sit together on the back seat without touching each other.

Before buying i compared this car to Jetta and Laura.I even compared it to Camry,teana and Accord though they are petrols but still,din't want to take chance with my hard earned money.

It is my personal thought that before buying a sedan in lower D segment especially diesel one should not rule out this car ,it has too much potential.

The above comparisons were made to Laura ,Jetta ,Cruze ,Accord ,Teana.

 

I am really happy by purchasing shona.

 

Any queries please feel free to drop a mail at

harkiratvedi@gmail.com

Looks, Fuel Economy, Torque, Interiors, Features, Ride quality, SpaceOnly drawback no rear A.C vents

Exterior

 The Sonata looks a proper luxury car: large, well balanced and with those large twin oval exhausts...yep, any which way you look at it, its easy on the eye. The Headlight assembly could have been sleeker and more predatorish and the door mirrors could have been embellished with turn signals, but otherwise, it looks its part - a luxurious peice of transportation for the discerning buyer.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

 Very nice. Luxury look continues inside (leather seats are mandatory) lots and lots of space in the rear. Armrests, wood trim door open caution/puddle lights. Nothing really missing .

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

 Engine is smooth, refined and pulls along with a surge of power - but thats only after the annoying and potentially dangerous turbo lag. Nothing much happens below 2000rpm (were you'll be most of the time ) but cross that and she zips along nicely. No feeling of power shortage after 2000rpm. Were talking about the CRDI. Dont know about the petrol version.

Ride Quality & Handling

 No complaints here - shes handles as well as any large (4800mm) sedan without traction control or ebd does, slightly softly sprung, but thats fine, it adds to the luxo barge feel, as it wafts along over uneven tarmac.....no sports car feel but then she doesnt pretend to be one

 

Areas of improvement  

 Traction control, EBD, needed urgently. Xenons would be nice - they're not really much more expensive - about 3000 rs to the manafacturer, and would add that upmarket look to the car, something it could do with. Also need to add memory settings to the driver seat motorised adjustments.

Final Words

I never could understand why Hyundais Terracan, Sonata and Tuscon didnt take off. All three are fine cars with NO real defects and all were value for money(in comparision to other car prices in India, never mind that dars are approximately TWICE the price here in India compared to the USA and UAE).

All I can think of is poor marketing from the companys side. And no, I dont think they have a poorer image than Honda. No more that LGs image compared to Panasonic. Think about it.

Cheere

George Menon Goa

 

The interior makeover, the space the general luxurious feel.Refined engine, silky smooth gear shiftnoticeable turbo lag, no xenons, no usb port

Beware. I have an Embera. It is giving me teething problems. the car has a tendency to overheat. The car has been to the service center 4 times on this account but the problem persists. Imagine stranded in middle of road in a premium car like this.
even in its premium offering hyundai does not offer replacement vehice when they take away the car for inspection for weeks and no body senior is available to address the issue. The call center and customer care just call to say if everything is ok. If everything is not OK they do not know what to do except for escalating the problem. Like I said before, no one responds.
There seems to be no remedy but to go to a consumer court.
i can be contacted on 9967977335 for details if desired.

Exterior Sonata embera is a very nice looking car its large and handsome with wide proportions and broad shoulders, audi inspired front looks.transform is the upgraded version of embera its more bolder and agressive looking car than its predessor.dimensionally its a very big car it looks like a titanic moving on roads.ridges on the bonnet makes it look bold with large headlights and beautifully designed tail lamps with dual silencer makes this car a head turner.16inch 8 spoke alloys look sexy.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Enter the car and you will feel as if you are sitting in a jacuzzi at a 7 star hotel.front seats are like arm chairs to strech around your legs,back seat is the most comfartable which you can't find in a E class or A6 .its extremely spacious having acresof space inside.fully electronically adjustable seats makes you find right position in seconds.visibility is good for short drivers.its very luxurious with lots of wood panelling around the interiors.chrome lining in centre console looks shiny with an integrated audio system.two way adjustable climate control makes each passenger to adjsut for their own comfort.but the front seats are too softly bolstered which you feel uncomfortable at some times in long journeys.interiors are rich enough for the car at that price with lots of features which includes mp3,aux,usb,heated orvms,tilt steering,6 airbags (optional) etc...

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Its a 2 litre crdi engine with 150 ps on tap which produces tremendous amount of torque mated to a six speed manual gearbox. but this all will be seen after passing 2000 rpm,below that its just a bullockcart its hectique to drive in city traffic with frequent gear changes that too in start stop traffic signals,but once you pass 2000 rpm it will just takes off like a jetplane.old drivers have to hold their drenches.if you push it hard the engine becomes nosiy and the vibration passes through the pedals.if you are on an expressway cruising at 120kmph in 6th gear its dead silent and doesn't feel you are at that speed as you ill feel there is a speedo error. gear shift is slick and precise to use.it knocks out at a max speed of around 220 kmph.is it not enough?this oil burner gives 9 kmpl in city and 13.5 in highways for a car of that size.

Ride Quality & Handling This is the strongest point to mention it has fantastic ride quality which swallows bumps,patholes bad patches even some speed breakers which we will not dare in an suv also.it  just glides through the badroads.you can travel with out spilling a full cup of coffee sitting at the sofa like back seat. its a softer suspension setup which compromises handling.the steering is very light even at higher speeds which makes you unconfident and its not a sharp handler at corners. It lacks feedback from the road.but straight line stability is good and car feels solid.it uses 215/60 profile tyres for better road grip.

Final Words Finally its a relaxing car which pampers you like a baby in cradle with out knowing whats happening in the outer world because of its well insulated cabin and superior ride quality.if you want a car for driving at rediculous speeds at corners in a race track spinning the wheels then its not the car for you but if you love travelling and  want to hang out in a leather sofa like back seat enjoying the plush ride then nothing beats this luxo barge at that price.

Areas of improvement Steering feedback,turbo lag below 2000 rpm, harshy engine at higher revs.

Plush ridequality,styling,rearseat sofa comfortLight steering,turbo lag

its all nice in looking and over all rating is 5 and value for money but there is a problem it consume so much fuel interior is very nice and is very specious. its looking is great and its for mainly the business man because the person is vry lucky who s sitting inside.
evry thng gooodbad fuel economy

 

Exterior I somehow liked the exteriors eventhough many think otherwise. It's not a very flashy outlook but a good, decent one.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Space is very good. Legroom in the front as well as back is very good. Boot space is very large. The car has resonable features. I would have liked if it had latest features like bluetooth connectivity for this segment of a car (if they can do it for i20 why not Sonata?)

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine is powerful. I was happy with the acceleration. Cabin noise is resonably low (one has to consider it's a diesel car). Fuel economy is very good for this size of a car. On highways it gives typically 15.5 - 16 Km/Litre (Diesel version). City average is typically between 11-11.5 Km/Ltr. Gearbox needs lots of improvement. It takes lot of effort to put the car into 1st gear after braking. One expects a much smoother gear shifting at this level.

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality & handling was reasonably good.

Final Words It's a good car for those who are looking for space, milage & reasonable price. People wanting great looks, latest features may look for other options.

Areas of improvement Gearbox, internal features.

Good fuel economy, reasonable price, space insideGearbox, no latest feature like bluetooth connectivity