With its rather elegant 'fluidic' styling and generous spec sheet, Hyundai's latest Sonata caused more than a few luxury saloon buyers to ditch their prejudices when it hit the scene three years ago.
If there was one thing holding it back it was the rather old-school naturally aspirated 2.4-litre petrol engine, with just 131kW on offer. Now Hyundai is adding some horses to the stable and while it's not the turbo solution that many had hoped for, it is a meatier step into the modern age.
MORE GIVE, LESS TAKE
To steal a line from the advert for the Sonata's Kia Optima sibling, which underwent a similar upgrade recently, this new normally aspirated 2.4-litre engine makes more power and uses less fuel.
The big talking point here is its direct fuel injection system, signified by the 'GDI' badge on the boot. The unit, mated to a six-speed autobox, is good for 148kW at 6300rpm and 250Nm at 4250rpm, up from 228Nm. According to Hyundai, it'll get you from 0-100km/h in nine seconds flat and on to a top speed of 210km/h.
Fuel economy improves by four percent, which means a claimed combined consumption figure of 7.9 litres per 100km.
NOSE JOB
Although Hyundai says it's officially not a facelift, it's probably the closest thing this Sonata will get to a mid-life nip and tuck.
Stylists took a subtle path - meaning you'll have to look closely to spot the changes - but there is a new grille, front bumper, Xenon headlights and fog lights to admire up front.
New mirrors and a fresh 18-inch alloy wheel design marks it out from the side view and the rear end gains new LED taillights.
ALL THE TOYS
The Sonata's already-extravagant features list has been bumped up to the next level with a new touch-screen, twin-tweeter sound system with Bluetooth, iPod and USB connectivity.
Furthermore, those in front will enjoy seats that are heated and electrically adjustable, with full adjustment for the driver and slide/recline functionality for the front passenger.
Other goodies include six airbags, Hill Start Assist, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, dual-zone climate control, cruise control and a panoramic sunroof.
SWIMMING UPSTREAM
However, there has been a rather hefty price increase, likely due to the rand's plunge. Which means this sedan will now set you back R379 900, including a five-year/150 000km warranty and five-year/90 000km service plan.
It's big, adequately powerful and has more kit than you’d expect at the price. Even so, would you take this over a turbocharged BMW 320i, at R375 962? Or Kia's mechanically-similar Optima, at R336 995? Just asking…