2010 New York Auto Show: 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T

2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0TGallery

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Turbocharged, 274-horsepower, four-cylinder, direct-injection, 17.4-psi boost, aluminum block and head: the spec sheet reads like a rally car, not a Korean sedan, but that's exactly what it is. The2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T is set to redefine the midsize, affordable sedan segment with more style and power than your average Subaru or Mitsubishi--let alone staid stalwarts like Honda or Toyota. The car makes its debut today at the 2010 New York Auto Show head of sales later this year.

If there's one beef with the Sonata 2.0T's configuration--on paper, anyway--it's the front-drive powertrain. That much power means it's likely to experience hellacious torque steer. But there's more than one beef with the spec sheet: there's also no mention of a limited-slip differential, and it's only available with a six-speed automatic with manual shift mode. With all the performance potential in the engine, the trifecta of front-drive, no LSD and automatic only conspire to take some of the wind out of the Sonata Turbo's sails.

On the other hand, it's important to keep a proper perspective on the car's position in the market: this isn't aSubaru, much less an Audi. And delivering 274 horsepower out of 2.0-liters is potentially exciting enough--especially if Hyundai have managed to engineer the car to last at those output figures. Remember: the SubaruWRX gets 265 horsepower out of 2.5-liters, and the Mazdaspeed3 uses a 2.3-liter mill for roughly the same figures as the Rex. Getting another 10 or so horsepower from 20 percent less displacement means the little engine may be fairly high strung.

As for the rest of the car's equipment, it's pretty standard Sonata, though tuned for sharper performance. MacPherson front struts with twin-tube shock absorbers and a healthy anti-roll bar mate with multi-link rears and on the Limited model, twin-tube shocks, while the SE gets stiffer springs and monotube shocks. That slight tweak is likely to make the Sonata 2.0T SE rotate a bit more readily--as it should, since the SE has been earmarked by Hyundai as the "driver's" trim version.