As one of the local dealership of the Hyundai brand in Malaysia, Oriental-Hyundai Sdn Bhd and their marketing arm Kah Bintang Sdn Bhd belong to the Oriental Group. The Group is no stranger to the automotive industry as they have an automotive manufacturing subsidiary and also a motorbike subsidiary. In fact, the automotive manufacturing facility located in Johor, is one of the oldest plants in the country. Over the years, the Group had been the custodian of a number of automotive brands and this has made them very much a part of the local fabric of the industry. In addition, they have managed to firmly establish themselves with a strong dealership presence.

The Sonata was first launched in the Malaysian market in 2002 and after facing the usual difficulties in gaining market share from other very strong Japanese models in its class, it has over the last couple of years managed to find its own niche and even managed to gain some volume from its rivals. It is a global model for Hyundai and therefore much effort has been put-up to develop the 2007 Sonata CVVT-i as the main flagship model. It offers so much more than its competitors for so much less that many will be very surprised.

There are a total of 48 sales outlets comprising of 14 branches and the rest are 50% 3S centres. In addition, there are 42 authorised service outlets throughout Malaysia and this goes a long way into owning/maintaining a Hyundai so much easier especially for the fleet industry.

The new 2007 Sonata is a totally redesigned model and this is unmistakable as the overall exterior is much more improved compared to its predecessor. In our opinion, this is indeed a salient factor for the success of this model around the world. It is now better poised to cater to the main target of young professionals, mid/senior executives and businessmen making it a very appropriate fleet vehicle. The frontal is impressionable with smart shoulder lines and a nicely proportioned grille. The dominant integrated front bumper with the fog lights add to the good looks. The rear is where much changes has been introduced with a new combination lamps and a well designed rear.

One of the key factors a potential fleet customer will consider in selecting a vehicle in this category is the interior space and the Sonata boasts of a 3.0 m3. This makes it the biggest in its category even when compared to some well known European brands. Besides just more space, the interior is well constructed with the good choice of soft colours to match a very smart dashboard with its wood-grain finish highlight. The leg room is ample for the front and rear occupants who can enjoy the comfort of leather seats. The driver can also enjoy the electronically adjustable seat for the ideal seating position in addition to the adjustable wood/leather power steering wheel. There are many more extras available like the 6-function trip computer and the radio CD with a USB-in/aux-in for the iPod and WMA and MP3 playback. To support these competently, there are 7 speakers composed of 4 door speakers, 2 tweeters and 1 subwoofer. The stand out highlight must be the reverse talking sensor and indicator which makes this car so much easier to manoeuver in tight parking situations.

The engine is made of lightweight aluminum which is in-line with the current trend of most major automotive manufactures and it comes with CVVT-i or Continuous Variable Timing. The 4-cylinder, 16 valve DOHC engine has Electronic Throttle Control System or e-TC which means it is ‘Drive-by-Wire’ to provide fast response. The maximum power offered is 161PS at 5800rpm while the maximum torque is 22.3 Kg.m at 4250rpm. The transmission is the

automatic gate type with IDMA which has the feature of adapting to the style of the driver and has a manual override function. Our view of the couple of days drive in the Sonata 2.4L is positive and this car is a capable car delivering a good ride comfort plus a quiet cabin. The chassis felt firm and even though it is assembled locally, it scored well in most of the critical areas.

 

The other essential aspect of the car is the safety area, where the Sonata scored 5-Stars in the NHTSA crash test for both the front and side impact. There are 2 airbags available for the front occupants and the front seatbelts come with pretensioners. ABS and EBD are also in place while the stopping power is provided by ventilated disc for the front and disc for the rear.

The warranty offered is 50,000 km or 2 years whichever comes first with 3 free service excluding materials. A typical service cost after the 3 years service period is RM226.70 inclusive of semi-synthetic motor oil change and RM349.70 for fully-synthetic oil. The service maintenance package includes inter-alia engine oil, filter and drain nut washer replacement, engine flush, engine treatment, fuel system treatment and inspection with Hyundai’s computerised testing equipment.

The insurers on the panel are Asia Insurance and Lonpac. The motor coverage comes with 100% money back guarantee on the sum insured together with Hyundai’s 24 hours assistance which includes assistance in auto, travel, medical, home and other services. Amongst the other services are free roadside repair, emergency towing services, car replacement service, arrangement for hotel accommodation, information transmission during emergency and emergency travel assistance.

The colours choices are Bronze Silver, Mystic Black and Sunbeam Silver.

For all further enquiries, call 1 800 88 6822

All prices quoted valid as per 31 July 2007.