2011 Hyundai Sonata: Four-Cylinder Only?

[sciphi]

Originally Posted By: CROWNVIC4LIFE
Originally Posted By: sciphi
For 99.9% of automotive tasks, a 4-cylinder is perfectly sufficient. So outside of a narrow range of automotive tasks, a V6 is not necessary. It's fun, and overkill. But some folks like overkill for "just in case". It's their $$$ to spend...


Someday you might be in a position that you have to get out of somebodys way fast...I mean real fast...That V6 just might end up saving your life.


I've almost been rear-ended once on I-26 in South Carolina since the V6 Buick wouldn't downshift to accelerate fast enough thanks to conservative factory programming (since corrected with a tune). I was thankful to have a wide, flat shoulder and excellent tires that got me back onto the road.

The 6-speed transmission in the 198 hp Sonata (the Buick is 205 hp) will gladly rev the daylights out of the engine, and will accelerate very quickly when you want it to. The sales guy and I were surprised the base Sonata got to 70 mph fast as stink on the test drive...

Raw power doesn't mean anything if you can't access it when necessary. Stock Sonata I-4 has better access to its peak power than my then-stock Buick did.

 

[Pesca]

Originally Posted By: ekpolk

I'd agree that this is the likely shape of the future. I just wonder how and when. Other than this seemingly small, but perhaps significant omission of the Sonata V-6 option, and maybe the existence of the Lexus 2.5L V-6, it doesn't seem to be happening yet.

Maybe not from Lexus, but it seems Infinity will do.
I have seen a news few weeks ago about a future G25 from Infinity. It will be a 2.5l V6.
Don't have any more info on that, but that got my attention.

 

[jim302]

The 2.7L V6 in my Kia Optima produces 194 hp. This is slightly less than the new 2.4L I4 direct injection engine in the new Hyundai Sonata and Kia's upcoming equivalent. I didn't look up the torque difference between the two. The 2.7L seems to be just fine in every situation so far... it gets up to speed in plenty of time.

As powerful as that new I4 is, there is little real need for the V6. The Sonata isn't really marketed as a performance car... it is marketed as a midsize family sedan. The more performance oriented market is better served by the Genesis.

More power could be a great thing for accident avoidance, but at what point is it good enough?

It seems safe to assume not many people care about the extra power of the V6 for this particular car, or more would have purchased that option. If not many were buying, it makes sense to build what the majority of the customers want.

 

[SevenBizzos]

You don't need a make a V6 when you have a Turbo in your lineup.