Hyundai i45

What Car?

There was a time when Singapore roads were teeming with largely European vehicles - Vauxhall (Viva), Morris, Fiat (124), Opel (Kaldett), Ford (Anglia, Capri), etc. Then came the Japanese invasion (of cars I mean) with Toyota Corolla, Mark II, Datsun (SSS) now Nissan since they were cheaper and gave better fuel economy. Along came a Pony from Hyundai which someone I knew bought. At that time after sitting in his Pony I told myself I would never buy one. The fittings were flimsy, interior lacked character, design quality was not there and the windows jammed after a few months. For many years after, cars continue to go rusty after a few years especially the Fiat and even Honda which buyers avoided because they used to make only motorcycles.

Fast forward to the present day, Toyota's name was synonymous with reliability to the current fiasco of their recalls even as they reached number one. Mazda for some years in recent times were reported to be the most reliable in J D Power's surveys. Continentals began to make inroads again as the Japanese Yen rose and the Koreans have a revival through Hyundai and Kia and it was during last year's global financial crisis that they truly rose in the sales charts everywhere. The Daewoo now re-badged as the Chevrolet too has been doing well. They have improved by leaps and bounds first by engaging Italians houses Giugaro and Pininfarina providing eye-catching designs and then they got confident and now even doing their designs and engines in-house no longer relying on Mitsubishi for their older engineering.

Hyundai

(Was that my friend Richard in "Red" showing off the car?)

In soccer we have the J-League, K-League and locally the S-League and in culture in terms of music and movies, we have J-Pop and now K-Pop have been ever popular. Wonder if we will ever have the S-Pop. Hyundai's Avante made history when the became the best-selling saloon car model in 2009 in Singapore with sales of 5,225 units leaving Toyota Altis in second place with 4,259 units (no wonder they advertised as the Corolla beater) with Kia Cerato (Kia is also owned by Hyundai) coming in at 3,148 units. 


This permutation is frightening for other car manufacturers as the Koreans were given this great opportunity of a lifetime with the financial crisis where purses shrunk and they achieved stellar performance in the sales charts in the USA, Australia and many parts of Asia. This is an excellent chance for drivers to discover their unbeatable values, the great improvements in stylish vehicle design and now even with much better fuel economy. The quality of Hyundai cars today is beyond doubt. It seems to have changed perception from a brand to settle for since you could not afford others to a name to aspire, to want it as a matter of choice in design and quality. Fortune Magazine called it "The toughest car company of them all", "competitors hate them, customers love them".

Avante

The Avante was reported to be giving an amazing 14.5 km per litre of gas and in a fuel economy challenge here last year, it achieved a winning 17.9km/litre. That is probaby why it was crowned the king here in 2009 with record sales. Can 5,225 owners be wrong?

Sante Fe

Hyundai's bigger SUV the Santa Fe rolled out two million units worldwide achieved by the third quarter last year and when piled up on top of one another will be 390 times the height of Mount Everest. It was awarded 2008's Top Safety Pick from USA's IIHS.

Tucson

For the SUV, I personally like the stylish look of the slightly smaller 2.0 Tucson which has all the right angles and arches. It has six-speed auto gearbox instead of the usual four, cruise control, panoramic sunroof, keyless start, ESP and a state-of-the-art audio system.

i45

On the 1 April 2010, I was invited to the launch of the Hyundai i45 (no relation to Apple like the iPod, iTouch, iPhone). Fortunately, it was not an April Fool's joke.

The i45 is known as the Sonata in the US of A. It replaces the Sonata here in name. Americans are welcoming the revolutionary all-new Sonata with applause. To say the rise is phenomal is an understatement. This sixth generation vehicle is a sleek machine. It is artistically designed and will immediately catch your attention at first impression. It is huge and they described it as "fluidic scuplture". It has great lines, arches and flows making it look sophisticated, sleek and modern all at the same time. 


It begs the question of whether we have to cough out big bucks for such luxury and it has a four that comes with V6 power. Other endearing descriptions are radical, distinctive, sharp and aggressive. It has an original design that older Sonata did not and were made to look like a staid version of an outgoing Audi model previously. The new i45 has the contours of effortless grace with a gentle undulating silhouette with distinctive and sweeping curves and lines. The height has been lowered to enhance its profile and improve its aerodynamics and to give it a coupe look.

Interior

When the doors are opened up, you'll find the luxury is quite amazing in this class and truly puts some other marques to shame. It has some sort of Infiniti or Lexus feel to it. Looking and feeling the quality of the fittings I think they have a winner here! The Camry, Accord and the Mazda 6 had better watch out! The centre fascia is sweeping and ergonomic, simple and yet sophisticated enhanced with a certain measure of style. 


The instrument panel is highly visible and lighted by a vacuum fluorescent display with a cool blue colour. The easiest way to begin a journey is the presence of a start button without having to turn a key. For those who need a bit more of adrenalin flow, the paddle shift comes in handy at your fingertips. Slamming the door is a sort of final test to feel a well-made car and it came with a solid thud when nudge slightly. The lights has a LED-like hue to it and the wing mirrors look like those of a fighter jet and when folded they look like the doors of a Lamborghini when flipped open. The interior especially at the back is extremely spacious, generous to a fault and comes with rear air-con.

Dimension

At an overall length of 4820mm, width at 1835mm and height of 1470mm and a wheelbase of 2795mm, this car exudes a real presence on the road. Boot space is huge and no need to worry about the golf or travel bags. It is 20mm longer and 5 mm wider with the wheel base stretched by 65mm compared to the old model. However, there is a 5mm drop in the roofline in order to accentuate a sleeker appearance. The styling is terrific if compared to the previous Sonata which looked steady and decent but bland.

Engine

It is rolling out in an all-new Theta II 2.4 or 2.0 engine with an all-new six speed automatic transmission to improve fuel efficiency and heighten performance. 2.0 MPI engine has Max Power of 165/6200rpm while 2.4 discharges 178 at 6,000rpm with maximum speed slightly above 200kph. Century sprint according to specification is at 10.5 and 9.5 respectively just like the loft of our golf drivers. I was told that feul consumption level is at 11km/litre.

Verdict

It looks like Hyundai has the i45 firmly slated to be a world-class winner. With four years and nearly USD400 million spent, this could be a new beginning for Hyundai. Hyundai's growth in the local market was 66% last year with Kia at a hefty 115%. They are in the process of building a USD800 million plant in Beijing. In a long term survey conducted by J D Power on Hyundai, they were only one of six volume manufacturers to out perform the industry average going up by three ranks last year and Hyundai was ranked fourth behind Lexus, Porsche and Cadillac. 


The US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named the Hyundai Sonata (in Feb 2009) as its best pick in Safety. The award was made more difficult as they have included a roof strength test to it. Now the world's fourth largest automotive group, they are on the up and up. If you are in the market looking for a solid all-round new car, do yourselves a favour - check out the i45. There is nothing not to like about it except the small issue of what looks like an over-styled front chrome grill to me which is actually not bad but a slight overkill as I personally prefer a more simple but stylish variety. The long and short of it:

Good: Striking, attractive, high level equipments, safety, stylish dashboard and instrument presentation, high quality materials in interior and good fittings, exceptional build quality, good chassis. Very spacious with large boot.

Bad: I was not impressed by the ostentatious chrome grill which shouts "Yes, me! I have arrived! Boomz!" But to others they may find that this is what they like.

Verdict: Go see it, feel it, test drive it and get one for the road. I would have seriously consider such an option if I didn't changed mine recently. I recommend it. The test of the pudding is in the tasting. Like me, you would be convinced too. Think Opel Insignia or Volkswagen Passat at a much different price. Announcing the arrival of Hyundai and the i45!!