Ft. Myers new cars: Hyundai Sonata is new favorite

The redesigned 2011 Hyundai Sonata has emerged as one of the year's most popular vehicles

. Starting with its coming-out ads during the 2010 Super Bowl, Hyundai has taken its flagship sedan to new heights, a fact brought home by May 2010 shipping data that put the Sonata ahead of the traditional powerhouses like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Demand for the Sonata hit 130,000 shoppers in May, with total Hyundai shoppers topping 320,000, and the model has not slowed since.

"Consumers are discovering that the all-new 2011 Sonata builds on the nameplate's legacy of value with exciting design, best-in-class fuel economy and outstanding residual value," said Scott Margason, director of product planning at Hyundai Motor America. "The combination makes Sonata a top contender in the competitive mid-size category, so we are pleased, but not surprised, by the market reception so far."

That's modest. Hyundai has had winner in the Sonata for years. It's always possessed the right fuel economy, the right price and the right functionality. What the Sonata lacked was panache, the ability to be accepted as a car worth of being seen in if you made more than $60,000 a year. So what changed that put it over that fence? Two things: Updated design language and the Hyundai Genesis.

Hyundai sent updated design language through its models over the past two years and the result is an entire lineup of autos that no consumer would place on the cheap side of the style scale. The new Sonata is the ultimate modern version of a completely traditional sedan concept. The updated sleekness combined with an economy full of fuel-conscious value shoppers has turned this model into the car on more lists than the Camry.

The other factor that boosted, not just the perception of the Sonata, but the perception of all Hyundai models is the Genesis. If you walk into a Hyundai dealer and ask to see their stock of the Genesis Sedan, you'll be shown somewhere between two and six cars. The Genesis won the Car of the Year Award and is greatly revered by auto reviewers, but the premium sedan's greatest accomplishment is the sales numbers of all other Hyundai models, and the Sonata more than any. The Genesis is a great car, but it's been an even greater marketing tool for Hyundai, who is quickly climbing the charts of quality and value, particularly since Toyotas recent quality issues surfaced.

Hyundai is marketing in all the right ways with the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. From pricing to advertising to marketing efforts like the Genesis, the Sonata hits the mind of almost any consumer shopping for a midsize sedan.

"We saw interest rising for the Sonata immediately after its introduction around the Super Bowl, and it has stayed red hot ever since," said Dennis Bulgarelli, director of Automotive at Compete. "Not only are we seeing prospects put Hyundai on their shopping lists in record numbers, we're also seeing Hyundai do a great job converting those shoppers to buyers. Its May sales of nearly 50,000 were 33 percent higher than a year ago, with Sonata sales nearly doubling year-over-year."

And it's likely just the beginning for Hyundai models like the Sonata.

Ft. Myers new cars: Hyundai Sonata is new favorite

By: Rod Johnson

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