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| 2004
HYUNDAI LINE-UP |
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 Give
credit to Hyundai, the largest automaker out of
South Korea, for some curvy design concepts, an
alluring pricing strategy for all models plus
the most extensive warranty coverage in the automotive
market. All of these points are apparent in the
2004 array of Hyundai products, which consist
of hatchbacks, sedans and wagons plus a racy sports
coupe.
Hyundai's
flagship XG sedans show sedate styling in generous scale for the midsize class
with power supplied by a V6 engine. Sonata, the value-packed midsize sedan in
Hyundai's fleet, carves out room for five in a spacious compartment. Accent and
Elantra are two different subcompacts that deliver economical power in spacious
packages. Santa Fe, a compact sport-utility wagon with either four-cylinder or
V6 engine aboard, uses the front-wheel-drive (FWD) platform of a sedan on a monocoque
platform that cultivates a smooth ride quality. And
Hyundai's low-slung sports coupe goes by the name of Tiburon, as marked by muscular
fender bulges flanking an extended hoodline and a hatchback roofline tapering
to a stubby tail capped by a flying spoiler wing.
For 2004, best-selling Elantra shows fresh styling on the body and revamped cockpit
colors and fabrics. Face and tail of XG350 and XG350L sedans also get a redo with
enhancements in the five-seat cabin. Tiburon's entry-issue engine earns a CVVT
(continuously variable valve timing) upgrade and the GT V6 edition rolls on new
17-inch wheels and tires. | | Hyundai
XG350 | |
The passenger compartment for Hyundia's four-door flagship features leather-lined
seats and automatic everything in a cushy environment that mimics the finest luxury
models in class. Exterior styling seems subtle but elegant with a series of flat
horizontal and vertical surfaces united by crisp angled surfaces that form etched
character lines across the hood and along each side as shoulders. A
revised grille and headlamp cluster, reformed air dam and new projector-style
foglamps mark the 2004 models. Power for XG350 stems from Hyundai's dual-cam 3.5-liter
V6 engine that delivers 194 hp.
There
are two versions, XG350 and the luxury-laced XG350L.
XG350 continues to offer an extensive list of
standards including leather seating, five-speed
Shiftronic automatic shifter and 16-inch alloy
wheels.
Read
our Review: Hyundai
XG350
| | Hyundai
Sonata | |
The midsize
Sonata sedan shows bold and contemporary exterior styling with unusually smooth
shapes contrasted against definitive creases and crisp edges. It looks elegant
and dressy but also active and even aggressive -- and clearly different from typical
sedans from other Asian automakers. Sonata
also puts more headroom in a cabin dressed with favored features for comfort and
luxury, along with safety systems reaching to frontal and side-impact air bags.
The series repeats in the 2004 class with three trims starting with a base Sonata
and climbing to GLS and deluxe LX models, the latter two rolling on 16-inch alloy
wheels and Michelin tires.
Sonata's
optional 2.7-liter V6 engine hits 170 hp, while the base dual-cam 2.4-liter in-line-four
musters 138 hp. |
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| Hyundai
Accent |
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Hyundai's
itsy-bitsy sedan in the price-conscious economy club forges a spacious passenger
compartment. A new platform appeared several years ago with a longer wheelbase.
The expansion created modest spatial improvements within the redesigned passenger
cabin, which resulted in more headroom for front seats and more legroom in the
rear.
Last
year brought edgy exterior style revisions with a new front grille and headlamps,
restyled front fenders and rear quarter panels. This year, all models carry side-impact
air bags as standard safety gear.
Variations
include a three-door hatchback and four-door sedan. The hatch trims out as the
base Accent, up-level GL and sporty GT, with the sedan strictly in GL trim. Accent
GT gets a sport suspension, front fog lamps, rear spoiler and a leather-wrapped
steering wheel with white-face gauge package.
All
Accents use Hyundai's 1.6-liter dual-cam four-cylinder engine, which achieves
105 hp plus fuel economy numbers as high as 33 mpg. |
| Hyundai
Tiburon |
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Hyundai's
2+2 sports coupe looks exotic and expensive, although it supports affordable price
points. The price-leader entry edition, labeled simply as Tiburon, packs Hyundai's
four-cylinder Beta engine that displaces 2.0 liters and reaches 138 hp.
A
five-speed manual is standard but Hyundai's four-speed
electronic automatic with Shiftronic manual controller
is optional. The sport-tuned version - Tiburon
GT V6 - contains an aluminum dual-cam V6 sized
at 2.7 liters. It's racked to 172 hp and offers
the five-speed manual or optional Shiftronic four-speed
automatic, with Hyundai's pliable six-speed manual
as the ultimate sport option.
Tiburon
GT V6 adds leather seats, an Infinity 360-watt sound kit with seven speakers and
the spoiler wing on the tail. |
| Hyundai
Santa Fe |
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The sport-utility
vehicle from Hyundai fits in the compact class with four doors and two rows of
seats for five riders. It packs a four-cylinder or V6 engine and has FWD or optional
all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction with the V6. The full-time AWD system employs a
unique Dual Drive front differential with planetary gears plus viscous coupling
and sends as much as 60 percent of the engine's muscle to front wheels and 40
percent to the rear.
Despite
a car-like attitude, Hyundai's SUV looks tough like a sturdy wagon rigged for
work yet it's also stylish with a bold face and shapely contours on the sides.
The cabin layout consists of bucket seats and center console in front of a bench
seat for three and a bay in back measuring to 30 cubic feet for cargo and sports
equipment.
Four
trim levels apply to 2004 editions with a base Santa Fe, the base unit with utility
package added, or GLS and LX models. The 3.5-liter V6 engine is standard on LX
for 2004 and optional for GLS. The six-pack nets 173 hp and links to Hyundai's
five-speed Shiftronic automatic transmission.
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