xcntuatd77

This interior is FIRST CLASS!!! EVEN BETTER THAN OME LUXURY MARQUE INTERIORS!!!!

http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/2010-hyunda-sonata/#6

TRDFantasy

For once I actually agree with you.

That's not exactly his point.

The point is, with all the praise that some enthusiasts are giving to Hyundai, and with all the praise from the media about Hyundai's new products, most of the people praising Hyundai still would not actually buy one to own for themselves.

It basically amounts to "Hyundai's new vehicles are great, offer good value and quality, but ..."

It's interesting you bring up the point of the Genesis being oversized. I'm sure you're not the only one who feels that.

Also very interesting what you brought up about the Genesis coupe's manual, I never knew that feature existed. So you're telling me, on a supposed performance sports car that Hyundai markets as being very sporty, it has a "safety feature" that reduces power if you shift hard? Talk about ironic. Something like that will definitely turn off a lot of enthusiast buyers.

I read this thought in another forum about Hyundai, and it really makes a lot of sense. The thought was pretty much that it's easy to go from terrible to being good, like Hyundai has done over the past 10 years. Thing is, to go from good to great, or from great to class-leading, that is much, much harder to do.

Hyundai's new vehicles are competitive, but they don't excel in any way or have any unique, defining features. Styling, both inside and out, mimics that of many competitors. Feature and options-wise, new Hyundai models also mimic the competition.

The Japanese competition offer something unique to buyers that Hyundai will find hard to beat. Hyundai also does not have a good reputation that the Japanese automakers have.

At this point, a lot of Hyundai's conquest sales are coming from American brands.

Entry-level sedans are not supposed to offer a lot of excitement. That is not what the market segment is about. Not offering any excitement is bad yes, but so is offering too much excitement, whether it's styling-wise or performance-wise. Mazda sedans are niche sellers for example because they offer too much performance for the bulk of buyers in this segment, turning them off a bit. Mazda's new styling is also alienating some buyers in the segment.

This new Sonata will do the same thing. It will alienate and turn off some buyers in the entry-level sedan segment due to it's almost-gimmicky styling.

Hyundai is starting to really stretch itself with it's new models, and it shows.

The interior looks good at a glance, the stop-start button seems to have been taken directly from Toyota.

Once you examine the interior however ... what is with those horrible cheap-looking beige door panels? The mirror and window controls, the power locks, everything below the door handles is just ... beige. No other colors or trim is used at all.

The piano-black trim in the car also seems like an afterthought.

dunnojack

it's always the hyundai character line that keeps me from liking their cars. same with the genesis coupe.

i think it would have looked better if it ran parallel to the window. not go limp toward the front wheel like it ran out of vaigra

The character line ridge is so thick and deep in the rear, and fades to nothing in the front. it just looks unbalanced.

The G Man

Dont be so sure, the last 2 year and the next few year will be Hyundai's version of an all out blitz and we all know what happens when a all out blitz fails. If all these money Hyundai is pouring into their new designs dont sell, they will be in very bad shape, but I think you are right, the future looks good for Hyundai.

IS-SV

At this price point, looks pretty good. I predict another successful sales run for the Sonata.

speedflex

I like the original better because the crease dives right into arc of the front wheel. It's not just going nowhere as you suggest. If anything you've made it more generic.

dunnojack

in this class, better generic than "unique" and awkward.






you can't really appreciate how awkward the line looks unless you see it in exaggerated form.

speedflex

And you completely missed my point. The arc is relating to the front wheel, not diving into an arbitrary point as you've done here. Just because you think something is awkward does not mean it is, in fact, awkward.

Lines don't need to be completed (meaning they start at a definite point and end at one) to make sense. They can be implied in how they relate to other forms. You seem to a have a very literal design sensibility.

IS-SV

Mercedes C-class is a good/successful example, note the character line.

LexFather

Looks great inside and out. Every freaking thread turns into some awful design analysis. Its fine, its not perfect and its not going to make everyone happy.

I've heard people say Aston Martins are bland. Besides if you disagree with me, I think your eyes need checking.

LexFather

2008


2009


2010 Beautiful

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

It is indeed nice looking. All cars have design flaw, but what do you expect out of a midsize family sedan?

I'm really diggin' the glossy black trim.

LexFather

Everyone wants a freaking rental car to look like an Aston Martin but not "copy" Aston Martin.

IS-SV

Looks way better than the current Accord.

speedflex

That interior, and yes, I recognize some of the stylistic cannibalization of other cars, is a knock-out. So many nice touches and quite dramatic i must say. Materials looks top notch.