It was a night straight out of the James Bond flick Casino Royale. But instead of super-spy 007 and his incredible Aston Martin Vanquish, it was a horde of media personnel, some bankers and dealer executives, a few VIPs, several card tables and slot machines, and two stylish – albeit much more affordable – luxury sedans.
That was the scene early last week at the spanking new Esplanade 1, a posh events complex a stone’s throw away from SM Mall of Asia.
While other car manufacturers of midsized sedans seem to be wilting under the might of the best-selling Toyota Camry, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc., local distributor of Hyundai vehicles, is rolling the dice on a resurgent two-pronged attack in this segment with its Sonata and Azera sedans.
The latest Hyundai Sonata is already on its third generation in the Philippines (including the model brought in by Francisco Motors in the mid- to late 90s).
While priced below the range of the Camry and the Honda Accord, it is classified by the US EPA as a “Large Car”, putting it in a size class above its competition.
In the Philippines, Hyundai offers the Sonata in two variants: the P1.238 million 2.4 GLS AT and the P1.318 million 3.3 GLS AT.
The two share the same sleek, refined body with sculpted hood, chrome door window and body-colored side moldings, in-glass antenna, front fog lamps, projector-type front headlamps with black bezels, clear-type signal lamps, and rear horizontal bezel strip lamps.
The Sonata 3.3 GLS is powered by a second-biggest-in-class 3.3-liter V6 with Continuous Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) that generates 235 ps at 6,000 rpm and 31 kg-meter of torque at 3,500 rpm. It boasts a 5-speed automatic transmission.
The 2.4 GLS is powered by a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with CVVT that packs 161 ps at 5,800 rpm and 22.3 kg-m of torque at 4,250 rpm. This is mated to a 4-speed automatic.
Front double wishbone and multi-link rear suspension with stabilizer bars are tuned to provide a good balance of sporty performance and ride comfort.
The Sonata features a spacious and well-appointed, leather-swathed cabin, which includes a driver’s seat with 8-way power adjustment, a fully automatic climate control system with a cabin air filter, all-power amenities, and lots of other comfort and convenience goodies.
For entertainment, there’s an AM/FM, CD/MP3/cassette player with six speakers.
Safety features include dual front airbags (plus side and curtain airbags in the 3.3 GLS), ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), keyless entry with alarm, and trunk emergency escape system, among others.
The Sonata has also been cited as the “2007 Most Ideal Premium Mid-size Car” and the “2006 Premium Mid-size” Car by the AutoPacific 2006 Ideal Vehicle Awards.
Noted international automotive publications have also recognized the Sonata. Other awards include “Most Dependable Sedan 2006” from Road and Travel Magazine, USA; “Executive Car of the Year 2006” from Business Standard Motoring, India; “Best Family Sedan” from MotorWeek’s 2006 Drivers’ Choice Awards, USA; and “Excellence for Automotive Safety in 2005” from Popular Mechanics, USA.
The Hyundai Azera, on the other hand, aims to set new benchmarks in the Philippine luxury car market. As the flagship luxury sedan of Hyundai, the new P1.758 million Azera exhibits European sophistication in styling, engineering, and technology.
Its sleek lines and soft curves hide the fact that it is the biggest luxury passenger sedan among Asian car marques in the country. It also has the longest wheelbase.
The Azera boasts high-intensity discharge (HID) projector-type headlamps with headlamp-leveling device, front fog lamps, rear combination lamps with horizontal bezel strip lamps, solar control glass, and turn signals on the side view mirror with power-folding feature.
Inside, plush leather envelopes the seats, door trims, console box and steering wheel. The driver and front passenger enjoy power seat adjustments (10-way adjustments for driver and 4-way for front passenger).
An Integrated Memory System allows drivers to pre-set favorite seat adjustments to complement their side view mirror and tilt-telescopic steering column positions.
Rear-seat riders enjoy a spacious rear cabin with seatbacks with center arm rest and drink holder. There are power outlets for laptops, and chargers, and other electronic gadgets.
The Azera comes with all the convenience features and amenities found in most top-of-line luxury sedans: central door locking, power windows and side view mirrors, dual climate control with an Air Quality System and Filter; and a superb 8-speaker Infinity 2-DIN AM/FM stereo system with in-dash 6-CD/MP3 changer.
The headlamps turn on automatically in dim or dark surroundings, while wipers turn on when it senses rain.
The Azera is powered by a 3.3-liter V6 24-valve DOHC CVVT gasoline engine that generates 235 ps at 6,000 rpm and 31 kg-m of torque at 3,500 rpm. It also has a 5-speed automatic.
The longest wheelbase and widest front tread in its class work with the big 235/55-R17 tires to provide great stability on the road.
Hyundai equipped the Azera with most of the safety features expected in a high-end luxury sedan: dual front airbags, side (front and rear) and curtain airbags, seatbelts with emergency locking retractors, dual pretensioners, load limiters and height adjusters, keyless entry with alarm, impact-sensing door locks, among others.
Active safety systems in the Azera include ABS with EBD as well as Electronic Stability Program with Brake Assist and Traction Control System.
Among the Azera’s awards are “Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Large Cars” from the AutoPacific 2007 Ideal Vehicle Awards; “Highest Rated Car” from the AutoPacific 2006 Ideal Vehicle Awards; “Most Appealing Large Car” from J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study; “Best New Family Car” from the 2006 Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC); “Second in Large Car Segment” from the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Initial Quality Study (IQS); Top Crash Test Ratings from the 2006 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, US; and “Best Luxurious Car for a Non-Luxury Price” from the 2006 Forbes.com Best Cars for the Bucks Award.