Korea number one shipbuilder in the world and now making good cars, too

John LINDGREN

Hyundai SONATA 2.4

Korea. South Korea or the Republic of Korea is on everybody’s lips these days. There are Korean soap operas (la koon) galore on government television, Korean made IT & home entertainment products at the Mall and Emporiums, Korean restaurants serving kimchi and Rain the Korean mega star, singer and dancer with a huge Thai fan base and last but not least the new Hyundai, the Korean car!


I recall, when I was in Korea years ago there was not one single Japanese car, nor a Japanese truck neither Japanese bus in the capital Seoul. No Toyota’s Nissan’s, Honda’s or Hino’s! Only Korean made vehicles.

Here in Thailand Hyundai made a come back after leaving Thailand ten years ago in the aftermath of the painful economic meltdown in ’97.
The largest Korean auto maker is back in the showrooms and on the Thai tarmac with a new importer/distributor Hyundai Motor (Thailand) Co., Ltd with a comprehensive line-up consisting of the Sonata 4-door sedan, the 2-door Sonata sport Coupe, the SUV Diesel powered Santa Fe, and the H1 the 8-seater “the Mobile Living Room” van.


The Sonata four-door saloon was the pick for the TTO Motoring February 2008.


Our demo Sonata parked in the Q-house Convent road car park was immediately spotted with it’s gleaming “sleek silver metallic” paint job and red “new car” number plates.


The 5th generation Hyundai Sonata might not win the Grand Prix de Concourse d’ Elegance contest.


But it has clean lines and uncluttered surfaces. It looks like a modern styled executive cruiser and a tad expensive, too.

The Hyundai slogan says “Drive your way”… Our way was the Bagna-Expressway destination Chonburi province, the Eastern Seabord.
As we leave the tollgate the 2.4 litre DOCH 16 valve, smooth four cylinder, four-speed 161 horse power engine was engaged - flat out! And in fifteen seconds: 180 kph on speedometer and my navigator says “do we have to go 200 again?”
“What about the Police? And the fuel consumption? ”

“About 10 kilometers per litre around town and up to 14 kilometers on a longer run of mixed motoring – but not at 180 kph” I answer.


Even at this speed the ride is steady and cabin is amazingly silent.A nice place to be. The big, soft leather seats are comfortable and supportive with a power for the driver. There are acres of space cup holders galore, and a user friendly two-tone instrument panel with a good looking green compact LCD touch screen in the middle connected to the in-car entertainment system.

This is year 2008 no more fiddling with tape cassettes! This Sonata comes with the DVD, the CD, the MP3 and the good ol’ AM/FM stereo with six speakers.
When are we going to have high speed internet in our cars? On-line internet and with you tube and facebook for the passengers – hopefully not for the driver! The fax machine in the car never took off, anyhow.

Apart from audio the new Korean Hyundai Sonata is loaded with a multitude of features and systems: the Electronic Stability Control (ESC), a Traction Control System (TCS), ABS with EBD, four-wheel disc brakes, six standard airbags, active front head restraints and 16-inch alloy wheels with those fine Michelin MXV tires – the silent tires with amazing gripping power.

In French “Mich-e-lengg.” The brand is also a respected French restaurant guide. Did I forget to mention the oh-so-nice-to hold high quality firm and cool grey leather wrapped steering wheel. A wheel made for long distance highway cruising as well as rush-hour Bangkok zigzagging and u-turning.
As we descend from the long and straight elevated Bagna-Trat express way it’s suddenly down to the urban stop-and-go lane shifting and occasional honking mode driving.

Welcome to Chonburi province.

With a length of 4.8 meters, 1.8m width and a turning radius of 5.46 meters the Sonata is easy to drive even in the busy commercial hustle and bustle of South Pattaya. The fully independent and well balanced suspension a comfortable ride.

Parking and reversing piece of cake thanks to the audio parking sensor the. Like a u-boot sonar: “bip, biip, biiipp’. Most of the minor and major dents on rear bumpers are results of parking sans parking sensors. Often alcohol is involved.

Late in the afternoon it’s time to time to top-up before the return drive to “Krungtheep” or Metropolitan Bangkok.


This Hyundai uses 91 or 95 octane, fossil fuel. No Diesel model available yet. At the Caltex pump it is thumbs up from the attendants “dek-pumm na-mann”. And a pick-up driver in a red ball cap asks “is this a Honda Accord?”
As I fire up the engine I answer “no! this is not a Japanese car – this a Hyundai Sonata” a Korean car! Hi asks “Sonn-ata - Tao raii?” How much?”

I answer “1.285 million TBH” as I grab the wheel with both hands and step on the accelerator. And the sleek silver metallic Hyundai Sonata disappears into the balmy Pattaya twilight heading for the Chonburi-Bangkok motorway.


END TEXT