Hyundai has introduced its 2.7-litre Delta V6 engine sonata which would effect a sea change in perceptions about the Sonata.

The front grille of the earlier Sonata had vertical chrome slats resulting in the oft talked about toothy Korean grin, the newly launched Sonata gets a grille with horizontal slats. Though the earlier grille was flashier, the newer one is more subtle and adds stateliness to a car that exudes flash. Apart from that there is the small matter of rebadging, with the new Sonata getting 2.7 V6 in Gold where the ‘Gold’ badging used to be, under the Sonata badge on the right rear of the car. The car now runs on 16-inch 10-spoke aluminium alloy wheels in place of the earlier 15-inch 9-spoke ones on the 2.0-litre Sonata Gold. The new 10-spoke alloys are better looking than before and add to the slightly subtle look that has been cultivated by the horizontal front grille.

The Sonata’s body structure is one of the major attributes of the car in that it is highly rigid and flex free making for superb dynamics and great occupant comfort. Cabin space management is truly world class for a car of its size while the boot area has been increased marginally from its predecessor.

The Hyundai Delta 2.7 V6 is a new addition to the Indian Sonata. The transversely installed (to drive the front wheels) 2656cc V6 engine has double overhead camshafts operating four valves per cylinder and produces 164bhp at 6000rpm. With a maximum torque of 226Nm developed at 4000rpm, the engine has a lot of grunt too. While the difference in power over the earlier 2-litre power plant is just 32bhp, the V6 engine is much more torque, producing an extra 62Nm of max torque at 500rpm less.

The power and torque are there on tap but that is not the best part of this V6 power plant. Turn on the ignition and the engine purrs to life. Wait for a few minutes as the engine settles into its rhythm and then comes this quiet calm - and you begin to wonder whether the engine has died down.

The V6 Sonata gets the most advanced transmission that Hyundai has developed. The H-matic auto ’box, so called because of the way the gates and the crossover to the manual mode is shaped, is a 4-speed gearbox with the option of switching into a manual mode at the flick of the wrist. The H-matic is easy to use, providing the convenience of an automatic with the flexibility of indulging in some spirited driving if you so desire. Overall the engine is at par with the best in the world and the gearbox and offers flexibility and easy driving.

The 100kmph comes in an 11-second flash and 150kmph comes up in third gear before 27 seconds have elapsed. These figures are comparable to any car in this class of cars. On the highway run with the air con switched off and the car being driven in the auto mode, the car returns 9.8kmpl.

The Sonata V6 employs the same suspension set-up that does duty on the 4-cylinder engined car, which is a double wishbone front suspension layout with gas charged dampers and an independent multi-link layout at the rear. Brakes are the same as on the Sonata Gold with 206mm ventilated discs upfront and 226mm dia solid discs at the rear.

The interiors of the Sonata one of the most luxurious in India but add that there are a few deft touches that make the Sonata V6 even more so. The chrome surround for the gauges adds a touch of class and spottiness and things like the leather wrapped gearshift knob, a luggage net and the electro-chromic rear view mirror are welcome pieces of equipment.

Filed under: Hyundai Cars in India