Shanghai, July 15 (Gasgoo.com) Beijing Hyundai is planning to give the middle-sized Sonata Yuxiang a facelift targeting the Chinese market. The revamped model will be launched by the end of the year to replace the current Sonata NF (called Yuxiang in China) which has been on sale in China since 2005, Beijing News reported yesterday.
The report said that in the first half of this year, the estimated sales of Sonata Yuxiang plunged by 31.1% year-on-year to 5,380 units, even less than its predecessor --- EF Sonata, which posted sales of 12,000 units in the same period.
Yuxiang
The turning point is expected to come in 2009. Beijing Hyundai now is planning to give Yuxiang a facelift and will launch the revamped model at year end. The company expects the new model could regain sales growth in middle-sized car market, top authorities of Beijing Hyundai told the reporters.
Hyundai has redesigned the 2006 NF Sonata for the North American market in February. The 2009 Sonata model has gone through significant changes from interior to powerplant, with a 2.4L version equipped with five-speed AT.
According to vice general manager of Beijing Hyundai, the new Yuxiang of Beijing Hyundai is not just a facelift as that for the North America but will be better revamped targeting the Chinese market.
The new Yuxiang will still use a 2.0L or a 2.4L Theta engine. Whether the car will be mounted with five-speed AT is still unknown.