5 reasons why the Hyundai Sonata deserves a closer look

The mid-size sedan market here is a competitive one and in order to stand out, one needs to not only be priced well, but offer a decent amount of kit. It doesn’t hurt if you have bomb proof reliability to add to your list of positive kicks.

While most people would baulk at the thought of seeing their car used as a taxi, it’s actually proof of the car’s reliability. Imagine this, a taxi would easily cover 500 kilometres in a day and any sort of down time would cause problems for the drivers’ income. Naturally the taxi companies would place reliability at the top of their list of prerequisites when choosing a new fleet.

Besides reliability, the latest Sonata is a huge upscale bump compared to its taxi cousins. On top of a much improved interior, the svelte sexy body has a drag coefficient of just 0.27cd. Inside the car is a picture of calm when cruising on the expressway and scores high and keeps Noise Harshness and Vibrations in check.

For a mid-size sedan, the Sonata is packed with continental levels of equipment as told in our full road test review.

Here’s five things we loved about the new Sonata…

The panoramic sun roof compliments the Sonata’s stately disposition and makes a spacious interior even bigger than it physically is. During the day, it allows a generous amount of light in without heating up the cabin. At night, passengers can enjoy the comfortable ride while star gazing at the expansive sky.

Part of its exhaustive list of features, the car comes with comfort features like auto headlights that automatically turn on and off using a sensor built into the windshield.

A useful feature not usually found on non-continental makes. The auto rain sensor becomes particularly useful during our temperamental monsoon season. Similar to the automatic headlights, its sensors are also embedded within the windshield.

Compared to Hyundais of the past, the latest Sonata has comfort at the top of its priorities. The two memory electric front seats offers plenty of adjustability and makes driving the Sonata a rather enjoyable experience even over long distances.

For a mid-size sedan, the Sonata is on the extreme end with its large size at nearly five metres in length. But drivers are aided by a comprehensive blind spot detection system that makes maneuvering the large car a breeze. The system uses a combination of front and rear sensors to warn you of any obstacles while a reverse camera provides visual indication of the rear to avoid any mishaps.

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