Hyundai Sonata (2005)

• Totally new design from the ground up
• All-new 2.4 litre ‘Theta’ all-aluminium four-cylinder petrol engine
• Active head restraints and six airbags - front, side and roof
• Electronic Stability Program (ESP) as standard
• Full leather trim as standard
• 17-inch five-spoke alloys as standard
• Manual model just £16,495 on-the-road
• £17,495 for the automatic model on-the-road

Hyundai’s all-new 2.4 litre Sonata saloon went on sale on Friday 29 April 2005, at Hyundai dealers across the UK.

New Sonata is the fifth generation of the model and is a complete redesign from the ground up. The result is a sleek, modern and confident upper medium (D Segment) saloon, brimming with the latest technologies and set to compete with the best in its class.

Longer, wider, taller and roomier than the outgoing model, all-new Sonata is also quicker, stronger and safer than the car that it replaces.

New Sonata also has a significant size and space advantage over its predecessor and, equally importantly, many of its key competitors.

For example, despite Volkswagen’s added dimensions to its latest Passat, size increases VW hopes will help it to find new buyers in the small executive segment, Hyundai’s new Sonata is still a further 35mm longer, 12mm wider and 3mm taller and has a 20mm longer wheelbase.

What is more, when it comes to road holding and handling, just like its Germanic counterpart, new Sonata meets the class standard with its independent multi-link rear suspension.

To enable the driver to enjoy Sonata’s supple ride and compliant handling to the full, Hyundai has also fitted as standard Electronic Stability Program (ESP), which, as its initials could imply, provides the car with extra sensory perception, or a sixth sense, to assist the driver.

By reacting to inputs from computer sensors, ESP regulates brake and engine outputs to maximise control and help maintain the vehicle’s stability and direction under all conditions.