Hyundai today introduced the local market version of its new Sonata sedan at the Moscow motor show. While there are no styling changes over the Sonata offered here in the States, the mid-size sedan will be sold in Russia with a different engine lineup that includes a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated petrol producing 150HP and 198Nm of torque, and a 2.4-liter four-banger rated at 178-horsepower and 228Nm (in the U.S., the same Theta II unit delivers 196HP).
Both engines are paired with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, with a six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC manual control offered as an option.
Depending on the trim level, the added specifications of the Russian-market Sonata include ESP, foot parking brake, amplitude selective dampers and rear heated seats.
The sixth-generation of the Sonata made its domestic market debut in South Korea last September. For North America, production began at the firm's Alabama plant in December of 2009, while the company also plans to begin building and selling the car in China starting from early next year. Hyundai said it expects to sell around 450,000 units of the Sonata [worldwide] annually from 2011.
