Buying a car today can feel more complicated than it used to, but that is largely because there are so many excellent options to choose from. Even manufacturers whose output used to be regarded with a bit of suspicion have since become top providers of highly reliable, value-packed cars. Likely no company better illustrates this development than Hyundai, a South Korean manufacturer now celebrating fifty years in business. Once regarded as a company capable only of serving the very lowest end of the market well, Hyundai has become a lot more since.
It took plenty of hard work to get there, of course, but Hyundai cars now regularly hold their own in the middle of the market and even quite a bit higher up. Probably the single best representation of Hyundai’s steadily elevating standards has been the Sonata, a vehicle that competes head to head with legendary models like Toyota’s Camry. Designed to be a significant step up for buyers who are still not quite yet ready for a true luxury sedan, the Sonata has become one of the most highly regarded cars in its niche.
Sonata reviews, for example, inevitably praise the way that the vehicle seems to cover all the bases at a value-heavy price point. From the basic trim that offers significantly more room than the compact cars many shoppers will be putting up as trades, to the fleshed-out, upgraded configurations that cater to the bulk of the steady demand for the Sonata, every version of the vehicle seems like the result of plenty of careful consideration.
Now in its seventh generation worldwide, the Sonata stands as an excellent illustration of just how much can be accomplished by a single model of car. With variations like a plug-in hybrid now becoming available in certain markets, Hyundai is clearly not done wringing everything possible from this line. While the early days of the Sonata might have left some feeling confused as to just whom the car was meant to appeal to, it has since become clear that Hyundai had a strong, winning strategy all along. That is always great news for buyers, with another interesting option becoming a mainstay in each new year’s lineup.