Hyundai spent the first decade of the new millennium reinventing its cheap and cheerful image, and now it's about to change again. Hyundai's foreshadowed its intention to add sporting flair to its current range of models, with the unveiling of the Sonata SXi concept.

The concept is based heavily on the Sonata Elite, and features a number of bespoke touches all designed to get pulses racing. It includes a 173kW V6 engine driving the front wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission, worked Eibach suspension, performance brakes and an all0new interior.

Hyundai Australia product planning boss Ben Hersham stressed that the SXi is a one-off car designed and built purely to gauge public reaction to a potential new model.

"Basically we want to know what the buying public think about such a move. The question is 'are they ready for such a move from Hyundai Australia?' Obviously we'd like to think so, or we wouldn't have done the concept."

Hersham said that while the concept was put together with the intention of taking it into production, it is still a long way from a reality.

"If we got favourable feedback at the show it wouldn't be a production reality before 2007."

Hersham said the Hyundai factory in Korea assisted with putting the SXi together.

"The factory helped out with the interior, which includes black leather and red stitching. We've also gone for silver instrument cluster and dials. "