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There’s an 8th-gen Hyundai Sonata in Malaysia, but you can’t buy one

Adrian Chia · Sep 12, 2019 07:13 PM

There’s an 8th-gen Hyundai Sonata in Malaysia, but you can’t buy one 01

  • No, it's not going to be launched in Malaysia
  • Looks classier in the metal
  • Display unit not open to the public

The Hyundai Sonata is a familiar name to Malaysians but unfortunately, the slowing demands for D-segment sedans made local distributor Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM), to discontinue this model.

So, what is this eight-generation Hyundai Sonata doing on Malaysian soil? Well, it’s a display car owned by Hyundai Motor Company (HMC), which has nothing to do with HSDM.

There’s an 8th-gen Hyundai Sonata in Malaysia, but you can’t buy one 02

For the uninformed, HMC operates a regional training centre which sometimes has the Korean carmaker’s latest and greatest on display. More often than not are models that are not available to the local market.

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On display at the Hyundai Training Academy in Mutiara Damansara is a left-hand drive Sonata furnished in the top of the line 2.5L trim. This can be told by the projector LED headlamps, 18-inch multi-spoke wheels and the 2.5 badging at the rear.

There’s an 8th-gen Hyundai Sonata in Malaysia, but you can’t buy one 01

The Sonata looks great in press photos, but in person, the body lines are significantly more prominent to the human eyes. And so is the stark resemblance of the tail lamp design to the Civic FC’s.

What is less obvious but no less effective are the chrome strips on the front bumpers, side windows and rear bumper garnish gives the car a smart and upmarket look.

There’s an 8th-gen Hyundai Sonata in Malaysia, but you can’t buy one 02

There are two petrol engine options for the Sonata, a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 180 hp/264 Nm or a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated GDI that makes 191 hp and 245 Nm of torque which this show car is spotting.

Both engines are paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission with drive being sent to the front wheels.

Although the interior of the car (and the car itself) is restricted access, in Korea the Sonata is armed to the teeth with luxuries. For starters it gets a Bose surround sound system, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.3-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system, push-button drive-by-wire gear selector, panoramic sunroof, Nappa leather upholstery and more.

There’s an 8th-gen Hyundai Sonata in Malaysia, but you can’t buy one 03

Safety features are also accounted for, fully decked out with Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Advanced Smart Cruise Control with stop/go and Highway Driving Assist semi-autonomous driving.

HSDM has no immediate plans to offer the eight-generation Hyundai Sonata to the local market and may never do. A more realistic (and profitable) approach for the company would be focusing on the ever-growing SUV segment and expand its SUV range. I mean, a Hyundai Kona does sound more exciting than a Sonata, right?

Adrian Chia

Editor

Psychology graduate with over 4 years in the automotive industry, 3 in front of the camera. Occasionally seen at his family owned tyre shop. Will only buy cars that passes the big bottle test.

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