There once was a time when if you mentioned “Hyundai” in a car discussion at a Honda or Ford area Kansas City new car dealer, those around you might smirk as though in a best pizza discussion you had brought up Sbarro.  This smirking reaction might not have been grossly inappropriate at the time.  Remember, folks in and around Kansas City?  Used Hyundai Sonatas were a dime a dozen…people couldn’t give them away and new ones didn’t have a lot of appeal, either.  Hyundai has only been manufacturing powertrains from its own design for about twenty years now, so these early vehicles had no legs to stand on, so to speak.  Putting a Hyundai Sonata up against other vehicles was an invitation for ridicule.

But my, how times have changed.  These days, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Turbo (Sonata 2.0T), which debuted at the New York Auto Show earlier this year, matches the performance of a manual transmission BMW 328i, getting to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds.  And this is the Sonata folks, so not only is it competing performance-wise, but also in terms of price.  See, the Sonata Turbo is set to sell for around $25,000.  That’s $5,000 cheaper than the 328i and even as much as $3,000 cheaper than the Malibu, Fusion, and Accord.

Yes, Hyundai is making waves all throughout the autoworld and the Sonata 2.0T is their newest success.  Along with 274-horsepower and 269 lb/ft of torque, its 2.0 L four-cylinder engine is also incredibly fuel efficient, getting 22/32 mpg.  The 2.0T is equipped with twin-scroll turbochargers, a feature generally found on more expensive, high performance cars, and these, over a single-scroll turbocharger, add improved combustion efficiency and lower exhaust temperatures.  This should be more than enough power for drivers in and around Kansas City.  Used Hyundai Sonata owners are probably thinking upgrade right about now and what is the fastest way I can get in touch with a Hyundai area Kansas City new car dealer.  One thing is for certain, it’s likely when someone mentions “Hyundai” in a car discussion these days, there isn’t a smirk to be heard anywhere.