China-made Hyundai Sonata sedan goes on sale

Shanghai, December 24 (Gasgoo.com) Beijing Hyundai launched its flagship sedan model Sonata ("Ling Xiang" in Chinese) to market yesterday. The China-made Sonata model comes with six 2.0L and 2.4L editions priced from 155,800 yuan ($22,800) to 228,800 yuan, said sina.com today. The joint venture aims to sell 40,000 units of its Ling Xiang sedan in 2009.

Hyundai Motor, South Korea's top carmaker, said in a statement that the move is part of an effort to woo customers in China. The launch of the China-made Sonata sedan comes as many analysts expect Hyundai to miss this year's sales target there. Hyundai originally planned to sell 380,000 vehicles in China this year, but has sold just 253,146 units in the first 11 months of 2008.

At the recent Guangzhou auto show, Beijing Hyundai unveiled the all-new Sonata model "Ling Xiang", showcasing the carmaker's upper technical expertise. The China-made 2.0L Sonata will rival Epica, Sylphy and C-Triomphe while the 2.4L Sonata model will compete with Passat (Lingyu), Mondeo, Camry and Accord. The Sonata Ling Xiang is designed as a flagship model for both business and family use.

Beijing Hyundai will focus on the market share of 2.0L cars for its sales growth. This market segment is the pillar of current Chinese passenger vehicle market, nearly 30% of whose sales are achieved by 1.6L-2.0L models and 9.92% by 2.0L-2.5L models in the first nine months this year, according to an industry report.

The sales of the Sonata model is expected to reach 40,000 units next year. The sales, if successful, will boost both Hyundai Motor’s growth in China and Beijing Hyundai’s image. The joint venture has been considered as a manufacturer of low-end cars, said an executive of the company.