By Mark Elias
Monday, Feb 22nd, 2010 @ 12:01 pm

“Never waste a good crisis.” With those words, Hyundai Motor America’s president and CEO, John Krafcik laid out the company’s current motto. And the South Korean mega-corporation is certainly making hay of the situation.
Case in point: The 2011 Hyundai Sonata . Now in its sixth generation, the Sonata, like the company, is one that’s comfortable in its own skin. As a corporation, the automaker has never been higher. Confidence is oozing from Korea to California and everywhere in between.

It’s crowded out there
The conservative, outgoing Sonata was squarely in the thick a competitive set that included the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry , Nissan Altima and Ford Fusion , but with the new design positioned higher in the food chain, Hyundai hopes it will occupy “a modern, sporty, aspirational space” in marketing speak. Behind closed doors, they hope it sells a boatload, no matter who buys them.

Fluidity
With Hyundai’s California-based design center in control of the new “Fluidic Sculpture” design language, the company is pushing the style envelope further than many have thought possible for a mainstream sedan. Using design elements found in nature that convey motion and appeal to emotions, Hyundai has come up with cues that will, in time, work their way through the entire line of vehicles. Frankly, its good looks stopped us in our tracks the first time we saw it.

Start with a raked-back grille leading to a raked-back windshield to an equally laid back roofline and soon you are talking real wind-cheating lines. Slotting in with a 0.30 Cd rating, it sits in good company, including a variety of low-slung sports cars. Not only does this help performance, it helps fuel efficiency – but more on that later.

A chrome beltline leads from the D-pillar to the headlamps, and as on a fashion model, helps to define the waist of the car. The same chrome strip makes the top edge of a Zorro-like crease that adds interest to the side panels, while scalloping along the lower edge finishes things off with a de facto ground effects rocker panel.

Placing bets on four
With the new Sonata, Hyundai breaks from tradition that previously dictated family sedans were generally available only with a V6 engine in the premium level and then reverted back to the run-of-the-mill inline four-cylinder that would typically find its place in the loss-leader entry-level range. Glance at a 2011 Sonata order sheet, and you won’t find a six-cylinder engine simply because one doesn’t exist. This sixth-generation Sonata – has it really been that long? – is only available with a transverse-mounted, inline four-cylinder gas direct injection engine, but a twin-turbo four and gasoline/electric hybrid are both on their way.

Hyundai says that the V6 offered in the new car’s predecessor accounted for only a small percentage of sales and the automaker is banking on drawing in performance buyers with an upcoming turbocharged GDI four-cylinder. Not only will that turbo four weigh less than the V6, Hyundai is confident that performance and fuel economy will both be improved.

Ten years ago, we wouldn’t have said this, but now we predict other automakers will follow Hyundai’s suit by dropping six-cylinders in this category almost entirely. How things have changed.

For now, however, Hyundai is starting with the four-cylinder.

You won’t miss it
At 3,199 lbs., the Sonata is the lithe athlete of the class compared to its arch rival, Toyota Camry (3,307 lbs.).

At the end of the day, it all pays off: The manual transmission Sonata achieves 24/35 mpg, while the Shiftronic automatic-equipped car ticks off 22/35 mpg. During a hyper-miling exercise, the most conservative automotive journalists were able to achieve 52.8 miles per gallon – our lead feet forced that number down a bit. As it stood, we still averaged 28.5 mpg combined, driving well in excess of posted speed limits.

As a normally aspirated engine, the inline GDI four-cylinder is available in the GLS and Limited versions as a 198-horsepower, 184 lb-ft. of torque prime mover, while the same engine with dual exhaust produces 200-horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque in the SE. Getting the power to the pavement is the task of the MacPherson struts in front with the multi-link setup helping out the rear. Steering is good and offers positive feedback to the driver. Order the SE model, and the suspension and steering get even better.

A six-speed manual is available, but we would opt for the more refined six-speed Shiftronic automatic transmission with its overdrive lock up torque converter. You can row it yourself in the center console on the GLS and Limited, but order it as part of the sportier SE model and you get the ability to play the paddle shift levers.

Looks are deceiving
Although the Sonata is clearly in the midsize segment in terms of price and positioning, the interior volume has the EPA classifying it as a large model. Interior choices follow the exterior trim packages and offer loads of options for every taste and bank account. Fabric and leather together or full leather seating surfaces, standard Bluetooth and an eco drive indicator to monitor driving habits start off the checklist. Audi o entertainment includes a standard AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 and the introduction of the Dimension premium audio system, the first Hyundai-developed premium audio system. A full-blown Infinity 400-watt system rounds out the charge on uplevel trim packages.

SE models include proximity keys with push button starters and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Step up to the Limited and you’ll get the luxury of leather trim and a few more goodies. An available sunroof package and navigation system with XM Nav Traffic and data services is available on the SE and Limited.

In this Olympic year, Hyundai’s NVH engineers deserve the gold medal for ride refinement, especially when you stop to consider the Sonata is powered by a balance shaft equipped four-cylinder. The quiet four-cylinder powertrain showed its strength through the two-lane mountain passes near San Diego. We were impressed with the quick and smooth shifts of the automatic transmission and the Sonata’s general ease of use. The SE offers a touch more sport without being overly aggressive, but even the standard GLS and Limited proved comfortable, capacious companions. We liked the solid feel of the steering which was not overly boosted as we have seen in some cars. Although equipped with low rolling resistance tires, we did not get the impression of driving on a set of skinny Hot Wheels-style donuts. Instead, these offered us all the grip we could ask for.

Leftlane’s bottom line
We’ll wait for a full evaluation before issuing a final judgement, but our brief drives revealed that Hyundai has reached a new milestone. After years of playing catch up, and then a brief period of being equal to its foes, the Sonata is now the one to beat for mainstream refinement in the family sedan class.

Words and photos by Mark Elias.

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