New Sonata aiming to return to ‘National Car’, Design Pass…The key is the price
Attention is focusing on whether Hyundai Motor’s new Sonata, which unveiled its interior and exterior design the previous day, will regain its old reputation. The industry generally gave passing points to the recently unveiled design, but predicted that the key to reviving performance will be price.
As Ssangyong Motor’s Torres and Chevrolet Trax crossover have stimulated consumer pockets with price competitiveness as a weapon, the industry is paying keen attention to whether the new Sonata will also offer unconventional prices.
According to the industry on the 28th, consumers are responding to “Sonata The Edge,” which had its interior and exterior designs unveiled the previous day. As Hyundai Motor said it was a “full-change-class facelift (partial change), praise continues for the design, but opinions are divided on the estimated price range.
Netizens are commenting on the design, such as “The Sonata will finally catch the K5, “It’s much better than the previous model,” and “It looks better with a one-line lamp than other models.” In particular, the previous model has a big difference in likes and dislikes about the design, and this model has a positive message as it is applied with horizontal (seamless horizon) lamps proven in Staria, Grandeur, and Kona.
However, there is a war of words about the price. As new car prices have risen one after another due to the recent rise in raw material prices, opinions are divided that the new Sonata may also form a high price range.
In the case of the Grandeur full-change model released late last year, the price increase was around 8-9% based on the 2.5 gasoline model, and the Kona full-change model introduced earlier this year showed a price increase of 10-15% compared to the previous one based on 1.6 turbo gasoline. However, in the case of the recently introduced Avante partial change model, the increase was relatively small, raising only 5-6% based on 1.6 gasoline, even though a large number of advanced safety and convenience specifications were added along with some changes in the exterior design.
In the case of Sonata The Edge, the range of design changes is large, but the platform is a partial change model that is used as it is. Considering the recent increase, the starting price of the new model will be around 28 million won, with the price of the model currently on sale starting at 26.75 million won for gasoline 1.6 turbo and 25.92 million won for gasoline 2.0. However, the inspiration trim, which is the flagship, is currently around 33 million won to 35 million won, and the new model is expected to be in the mid-30 million won range.
Hyundai Motor plans to display its new Sonata at the 2023 Seoul Mobility Show at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on the 30th, and unveil detailed specifications and prices at a new car presentation later. It is reported that major agencies have not yet received provisional contracts.
The power of price competitiveness was shown by the recently introduced Trax crossover model. Since its release on the 22nd, more than 10,000 cases have been signed within four days of pre-contracting, receiving favorable reviews. Analysts say that the fact that the model is nearly 8 million won cheaper than the starting price of $22,495 in the U.S., starting at a minimum of 20.52 million won, attracted consumers. Ssangyong Motor’s Torres was also praised for its price competitiveness as it posted 12,000 performances on the first day of the pre-contract in June last year. 사설토토
An official from a Hyundai Motor distributor said, “We have not received anything about the price or official release date of the new Sonata yet,” adding, “We are interested in customer inquiries about the timing of the contract since the design was unveiled.”