Ever find yourself concussed, bleeding and locked in the boot of your car? Well thankfully the new Sonata has just the answer. Thanks to an ingenious lever, prominently located on the inside of the boot lid and made from luminous material that's clearly visible in the pitch black of the boot's interior, simply pull on the lever and, hey presto, you're free.
It's a strange feature in what is otherwise a clear attempt by the Koreans to compete head-on with the mainstream family saloon market. The new Sonata takes a step away from its predecessor's attempt to mimic the likes of the Mercedes and Jaguar X-Type, and instead takes its design direction from the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Mazda6.
We actually preferred the look of the older model, perhaps because it bore some resemblance to a more premium-end model, but at half the price. Of course, it also represented half the quality in terms of interior trim and driving enjoyment. Few in the executive market were going to part with their prestige brands in favour of the Korean, while the fleet driver lost the benefits of relatively good looks when it came to the badge consciousness of the company car park.
Hyundai is constantly referring to its goal of making it into the top five global carmakers by 2010, so it needs to secure a foothold in the mainstream. A quick perusal of the various market segments shows, in Ireland at least, it's not some fanciful idea but a very realistic goal. Models like the Trajet, Santa Fe and Coupe all top their specific markets.
The problem is that while these are all growing niche markets, to succeed it must do better in the big volume segments; the hatchback market where it is represented by the Accent - with a new version due out next year - and the family saloons where its entrant is the Sonata.
The claim is that Audi and BMW design influence its new look, but to us it is far closer to the current Ford Mondeo saloon. Every dimension has been increased by between 12mm and 60mm, with the new car now one of the longest and widest in its class. All these extra millimetres end up adding to the spaciousness in the cabin.
So it passes muster in terms of interior space and with a boot of 462 litres, it's a decent size for its class, if not quite up to the 500 litres on offer from the likes of the Avensis or Mondeo.
However, thanks to split rear seats, that space can be expanded. The new Sonata is powered by three new engines: 2-litre petrol and 135bhp 2-litre CRDi diesel engines - both due here for the start of 2006 sales - and a 2.4-litre petrol, the one in our test car and the only engine available at present. Clearly the 2-litre units will be the dominant sellers and with plans to win over the fleet market, the diesel will be crucial. For all its extra bulk, the new Sonata is actually lighter than its predecessor, but the 2.4-litre unit doesn't deliver the expected punch for its size. We found the best combination was to drop it into semi-automatic mode and go into third gear for a much smoother increase in power, particularly when overtaking.
The four-speed box keeps the revs down low, most likely to conserve fuel, but it also means that you have to go looking for the real potential of the engine.
The Koreans have worked hard to win favour with the all-important American market where the Toyota Camry is king, and there's a lot of common ground between the two, both in the relative serenity in the cabin and the handling and ride quality. Time was clearly spent in the wind tunnel, and the car blocks out engine and wind noise with aplomb, unless you push down on the accelerator. The downside is that it jars on Irish roads, with every bump reflected in the cabin, while the steering is rather numb.
In terms of interior trim, there's been a marked improvement in the plastics used, though there still seems a strange addiction to light grey and the seats are covered in the type of leather normally associated with jackets worn at 1980s discos.
Hyundai's oft-criticised stereos remain a feature in the Sonata, though out goes the fidgety Pioneer system in place of an easier to use unit. Our test car was fitted with a Sat-Nav/DVD system that's only on trial at the moment. Operated only by a remote control, with no fixed buttons for either volume or radio stations, suffice it to say that you would have to have the patience of Job to opt for this feature.
These features are superficial, however, to the extra room inside. This will be its strong selling point, along with traditional saloon looks that caught the eye of several passers-by during out test run.
Downsides remain an interior that, although improved, remains some distance behind competitors in an increasingly tough market. Ride quality is also not on a par with big-selling competitors.
These could be outweighed, however, by a price that comes in at an equivalent level to lower-engined versions of European rivals. That should signal that the 2-litre versions should be even lower priced when they arrive at the end of the year.
These days few would under-estimate the ability of the Koreans to win market share. After all, they've even gone so far as to cater for those who accidentally lock themselves in the boot of their car. How thoughtful.