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2007 & 2008 | News Archive

2006 Hyundai Review and Test Drive Roundup

2006 is proving to be an exciting year for our customers! West Ottawa Hyundai presents a round-up of independant reviews of the latest from Hyundai. New for 2006 include the Sonata, Accent, Azura, and for the first time from Hyundai, the Entourage Minivan.

2006 Accent
2006 Azera
2006 Sonata - Preview - Test Drive
2006 Entourage Minivan

2006 Hyundai Sonata Road Test
by Trevor Hofmann / American Auto Press

Building a New Midsize Benchmark
Just how good the upcoming Sonata is came as no surprise to me when I tested it last week in and around the San Francisco area. It seems that everything Hyundai has brought out in recent years has either been leading its respective market segment, for quality, driving dynamics and refinement, or on par with the front runners.

I was duly impressed with the current generation Sonata when it was introduced in 2001 as a 2002 model. It featured a well put together interior, comparable ride and handling characteristics to its Japanese competitors, a long list of standard and optional features for a value packed price, plus dramatic styling.

The new 2006 Sonata follows the same well-proven pattern as the old car, with tight, perfectly aligned body panel gap tolerances, an impressively executed interior worthy of comparison to the segment's best, Lexus-like silence from the engine compartment, a wonderfully sorted chassis that delivers a comfortable ride while still managing to feel sporty through the corners, an even longer list of standard and optional features, and slightly less dramatic but nevertheless very attractive styling.

(Click here for full story - external site)

2006 Hyundai Accent Preview
by Justin Couture / American Auto Press

Redefining Value in the Subcompact Sector
As hard as Hyundai is trying to stretch into all other areas of the automotive landscape with SUVs and luxury sedans, the heart of its business still lies in producing simple, basic transportation to get people from A to B.

Hard work and perseverance has paid off. Hyundai is currently basking in the success of winning multiple awards, including J. D. Power and Associates and Consumer Reports kudos for quality. Having just introduced the all-new Azera/Grandeur luxury sedan and Sonata midsize sedan, Hyundai was long overdue to update a car true to its roots, the evergreen subcompact.

Compared to the outgoing Accent, the new car is 1.8 inches longer, 1.0-inch wider, and 3.0 inches taller, and rides on a wheelbase that's 2.3 inches longer. Overall, that means that the 2006 Accent sedan is 168.6 inches long, 66.7 inches wide, 57.9 inches tall and has a 98.4 inch-long wheelbase. These increases make for best-in-class interior volume, with more headroom, legroom and shoulder room for both front and rear passengers. Trunk space has also grown significantly to 12.4 cubic feet, which can be attributed to the better structure and to Hyundai's decision to switch to a space-saving torsion beam instead of a fully-independent rear suspension.

(Click here for full story - external site)

Hyundai Official 2006 Accent Site

2006 Hyundai Azera Preview
by Justin Couture / American Auto Press

Hyundai revealed its all-new executive sedan, the Azera, at this year's Geneva and New York (shown) auto shows. (Photo: Hyundai Motor America)

Getting Serious About Luxury
At this year's Geneva Motor Show and a few weeks later at the New York International Auto Show, Hyundai revealed its all-new executive sedan, the Azera, known as the Grandeur in other markets. This isn't the first time that Hyundai has attempted to break into the luxury segment; it tried in the late '90s with the XG-series luxury sedan. The generic-looking car did little to help Hyundai's prestige, however, attracting few buyers due to it being underpowered and generically bland-looking. While improvements have been made to the XG since its inception, the new Azera, inspired by popular European E-segment vehicles, should fare much better thanks to a bolder appearance and improved refinement.

(Click here for full story - external site)

Hyundai Minivan to Finally Arrive in Spring of 2006
by Trevor Hofmann / American Auto Press

Hyundai is finally coming to market with a minivan. The Entourage, which will share its general architecture and much of its componentry with Kia's Sedona, will arrive in the spring of 2006. (Photo: Kia Motors America)

Entourage a Fitting Name for Hyundai's Largest Vehicle
It's difficult to understand why it will take Hyundai so long to come to market with a minivan, but at least the target launch date of spring 2006 is finally in sight for a vehicle that will be named Entourage when it arrives. The minivan, mid-van or in Hyundai's case, full-size passenger van market segment is ideal for the conservative, family-oriented automaker, and every rival that vies for global top ten nameplate status has one in its lineup.

(Click here for full story - external site)

2006 Hyundai Sonata Preview
by Justin Couture / American Auto Press

Heads were turning with the unveiling of the all-new Hyundai Sonata midsize sedan. (Photo: Hyundai Motor America)

Hyundai Continues Its Self Reinvention
As usual, gears, wheels and show stand turntables are turning at motor shows across the world, but at the Hyundai booth in Paris this September heads were twisting around as well with the unveiling of the all-new Sonata midsize sedan. The South Korean brand has struggled to develop an image that's distinctive yet on par with its Japanese competitors since it arrived in North America in the late 1980s, and its work over the last few years is starting to pay off. Credit is being given for their affordable yet reliable vehicles, and a name is being forged in various rally and touring car racing series. Covering nearly every vehicle segment in the marketplace, bar the pickup truck category that the brand has announced it is planning on entering in the not too distant future, Hyundai continues its self reinvention with the stylish new Sonata.

(Click here for full story - external site)