November 28, 2024

• 

The new Sonata is on display at the 2023 Seoul Mobility Show held at Kintex in Gyeonggi Province on Thursday. (Hyundai Motor Group)

Hyundai Motor Company on Thursday launched the newest edition of its Sonata at the 2023 Seoul Mobility Show held at Kintex in Gyeonggi Province.

The latest version of the midsize sedan is named “Sonata The Edge.” As the long-time popular model of the carmaker, the eighth-generation model has undergone almost a full face-lift with its design and technology updates.

The automaker said it will begin taking pre-orders for the new Sonata on April 20. The new Sonata, which will go on sale globally later this year, will be available as a standard internal combustion engine model, a sporty N Line model and a hybrid electric version.

Featuring the brand’s signature seamless horizon lamp on the front, the new Sonata has a slick design embodying the theme of sensuous sportiness. The interior has been applied with a floating theme that offers a futuristic mood with ambient lighting.

Hyundai Motor put an emphasis on the future with robotics technology as the company set up a mobility house to show how advanced robotics technology, such as an automatic charging robot for electric vehicles and delivery robots, will look in everyday life.

“In the future perspective of mobility, we believe it will be important for us to provide freedom and economical senses to our customers,” said Chang Jae-hoon, CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. “We are preparing the use of (urban air mobility) and robotics with connectivity on top of just vehicles.”

Asked about how the automaker will cope with the US government’s Inflation Reduction Act pressing the Korean company’s competitiveness in the US market, Chang said that the company will have to find its way through commercial leases and its Georgia plant, which is currently under construction.

The CEO credited the prediction that Hyundai Motor Company will have the most operating profit in the first half of this year among the listed firms in Korea to the tight management of the global supply chain.

“There are still lingering uncertainties and restraints remain on supply. We are trying our best by strengthening customer experiences about the new cars,” said Chang.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury brand, the Genesis, presented its first convertible concept car, the Genesis X Convertible, for the first time in Korea at the mobility event.

By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)