Hyundai's masterpiece spied in Northern France

OK, so the Sonata may not look like a masterpiece but if you look it up in the dictionary, it means work of art. Hopefully, this time around, Hyundai will be living upto the meaning of the word Sonata.

These are the very first spy photos of the newcomer undergoing handling testing on a test-track in Northern France. In terms of design, the low roofline, raise waistline and a cleaner, sportier look will help the 2010 Sonata depart from its predecessors typical sedan styling. The Sonata's twin, Kia Magentis/Optima/Lotze has been spied undergoing recent hot weather testing in Spain, in sedan form. The Magentis/Optima/Lotze is likely to be offered in a wagon variant to appeal to a wider range of customers.

It is very likely, the Sonata’s choice of engines, namely the 165bhp, 2.0 litre 4 cylinder and the slow-selling 250bhp, 3.3 litre V6 petrol engines plus the 2.0 litre CRDi diesel with 150bhp will be available. The "i" prefix could replace the "Sonata" name here in Europe, however, the current Sonata has been a slow-seller in the UK. Hopefully, a wagon will compensate for poor sales.

Unlike the outgoing model - designed with the U.S in mind, the new car will be styled to European tastes - just like the i10 city-car, i20 supermini and i30 small family car. Expect the car to be available sometime in mid-2010 or 2011.