In
the same way that shoppers visit Hyundai
dealers to try out the Korean automaker’s latest product offerings, Canadian
automotive media frequently test-drive the brand’s latest models to review and
highlight their character, their strengths and their weaknesses to help
Canadians make more informed decisions when it’s time for a new ride.
In
addition to media road tests, Hyundai
has been carrying out what’s known as Hyundai Fun Day for the past few years --
bringing their new products together at a central location to showcase the
latest technologies and engineering advances with a number of activities, while
highlighting the latest and most popular Hyundai models.
This
year’s program took place at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (CTMP), a facility
surrounded by beautiful country roads and equipped with numerous racetracks, an
auto-cross course, and an off-road course. This year, Hyundai demonstrated numerous
car and crossover models, including the Santa
Fe, all-new Genesis
and all-new Sonata on the road, on the track, and in a challenging off-road
setting that likely exceeds the severity in which an owner would choose to
operate their machine.
A
test drive of the all-new Sonata
Sport 2.0T started the day. Notable was the powertrain; a 2.0L turbocharged
4-cylinder engine that’s down some 29 horsepower compared to last year’s model
while still offering pleasing performance rich with low-end torque and
responsiveness, and complete with a pleasing growl from the engine bay when
called upon. This sporty Sonata variant is set off with quad-pipe exhausts,
some unique paint colour choices reflected in the interior’s accent piping and
stitching, and a great new cabin atmosphere that’s more dynamic, fresh and techy-looking
than the outgoing model.
As
it is with the all-new Genesis, the new Sonata is keen to show off the
capabilities of Hyundai’s design team, and displays more uniqueness and
character than the previous car. Further, thanks to an extremely rigid frame
structure built of a whopping 51% high-strength steel made by Hyundai’s in-house steel
manufacturing facility, the ride feels solid, dense and robust -- with comfort
and noise levels on par with a premium vehicle.
The
all-new Genesis pulls off a similar experience. Using the same high-strength
steel to the tune of 53% in its construction, engineers were able to create a
body structure with more torsional rigidity than a BMW 5-Series. This rigidity
benefits noise levels, handling, ride quality and more. The result is a ride
that’s truly world-class, with a carefully honed and creamy-smooth feel on most
surfaces. The latest hazard-detection and driver support technologies are all
on board, and the new cabin that showcases a more daring and upscale look than
the former car should stand shoulder to shoulder with luxury cars that command
far higher price tags.
High-strength
steel also helps the Hyundai
crossover model range deliver durability and capability in an off-road setting.
In a Santa Fe XL, I positioned the vehicle to tackle a carefully designed set
of moguls that would see only three wheels touching the ground at any given
time. Even in this extreme maneuver, which heavily twists the vehicle’s frame,
there was no audible creaking from the body structure, and more impressively,
no creaking from the giant panoramic sunroof overhead, which amounts to a large
structural opening. The Santa Fe is one of the only vehicles in its segment
built on an exclusive crossover platform, rather than one adapted from a car
platform, and it shows. The model also boasts the latest hill descent control
and other traction management systems, helping further a confident and relaxing
drive over even extremely rough surfaces and heavy grades.
The
2015 Genesis
Coupe, available this year solely with V6 power, puts a high-stiffness
frame to use in yet another way: for precise handling. Driving one of the new
R-Spec V6 models around CTMP’s Driver Development Track, Canada’s most powerful
sub-$30,000 car demonstrated precise and predictable reactions to steering
inputs and weight transfer, thanks in no small part to the extremely rigid
sub-structures to which the specially calibrated R-Spec suspension system is
bolted. This, as well as Brembo brakes, a limited slip differential, and a
delightfully snort-y V6 engine with 348 horsepower help support budget-minded
track-day enthusiasts of all skill levels.
There’s
an underlying theme, here: Hyundai
says their current line-wide goal is to advance new products on the driving
dynamics front, in no small part with the help of extreme-strength steel frames
like those beneath the skin of the Genesis and Sonata. The frame is one of the
least-glamorous parts of a new car, as it can’t be seen, though shoppers can
expect to feel the benefits of Hyundai’s
latest frame structure design when they stop in for a test-drive of a current
model -- or the slew of yet-to-be-announced new and updated models that’ll be
rolling out in the coming 1 to 2 years.
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