The launch of Hyundai’s brand new Sonata has been met with some questioning from experts, even though most are definitely excited to see the new car. The most worrying factor about the situation is the fact that the i40 is still being sold, and the overlap in the designs of the two cars could cause some problems for Hyundai, as the two models could end up competing internally and affecting each other’s performance on the market.
However, Hyundai are confident that the two cars can be sold side by side, even though their market segment has been getting more and more challenging with new entries from all directions, while at the same time sales have been slowing down. There are still some differences between the two cars, enough to warrant having the Sonata as a separate model and selling it at the same time as the i40.
The new Sonata comes with two different options for the petrol engine, while on the other hand the i40 also has a diesel engine among its offers, a unique feature for its model. Its updated version is scheduled to come out on the market within the next few months.
Andrew Tuitahi, senior manager for product planning for Hyundai’s Australian branch, is aware of the fact that the Sonata’s market segment is a difficult one, and poses many risks for the company’s new release. The market is already saturated more or less enough, with buyers focusing on the Camry and some other models to a smaller extent. But with its 45% market share, the Camry is the definite leader in this part of the market.
While the company is confident about the release of the new Sonata and their ability to sell the car to a lot of people, at the same time they’re not very positive about the future of its market segment. According to Charlie Kim, CEO of Hyundai Australia, the new car market isn’t going to move forward very quickly in Australia, with a relatively flat growth. At the same time, the improvements the company has made to the Sonata over the last model should secure it a nice spot on the market, Kim went on to say.
There have been reports of the 2016 Sonata hybrid running for 22 miles without any gas, which is quite nice for a hybrid model, and it’s likely that with proper marketing, Hyundai can easily bring a lot of attention to their new release and ensure that it solidifies its position in the market once it comes out. The company knows how to persuade their fans to check out their newest releases, that’s for sure – so hopefully, we’ll see the new Sonata enjoying a lot of popularity soon.