THE new Hyundai Sonata has a trump card - a special feature that is apparent even before the ignition key is turned. It stands out, in fact, as soon as you open the brochure. It is the price.
At $238,000, the saloon with a three-litre V-6 engine is less than half the price of some cars in the same class.
The Hong Kong Hyundai distributor, Korean International Motors Ltd, has established a reputation for Hyundai as good value and high quality vehicles.
The Sonata is more of the same - a flagship car which offers a lot of vehicle for the money.
Car buyers, who previously could only afford a car with a smaller engine such as a two-litre four-cylinder saloon from one of the major manufacturers, are bound to be tempted by the big new Sonata.
The only way to find an equivalent car with such a large engine from the major manufacturers for the same price is to buy second hand.
And Hyundai has kept the price of the Sonata low without slashing the standard equipment list, or the loss of expensive options; everything needed to establish the Sonata as a luxury executive vehicle is supplied as standard.