The year 2011 has been a busy one for Hyundai. While many manufacturers have struggled with production delays and even closures, Hyundai’s been crafting sleek, reliable, and affordable vehicles for the average consumer. In Canada, Hyundai’s slowly but surely been gaining ground on the big three of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler.

One of the more exciting 2011 Hyundai offerings has been the completely redesigned Sonata, in which the V6 engine has been replaced with a four-cylinder. The regular family-sedan Sonata and Sonata Hybrid are fitted with a 2.4-litre engine, but the Sonata 2.0T has a two-litre direct-injection four-cylinder engine with a twin-scroll turbocharger. Hyundai promised that the Sonata 2.0T would have more power than a V6 and better fuel economy to boot; after test-driving it, I can say that they’ve delivered the goods.

My tester was a veritable beast, packing 274 hp and 269 lb.-ft. of torque with a six-speed automatic transmission and manual switch option. Around town, the 2.0T accelerated smoothly with minimal throttle jerkiness; on the highway, it gathered speed evenly and steadily, which is exactly what you hope for in a well-rounded car. It was all thanks to the direct injection and the twin-scroll turbocharger, which provides the acceleration you’d expect from a V6 while ensuring better fuel economy. The estimated fuel-economy numbers tell the whole story: 9.3 L/100 km in the city, 6.0 L/100 km on the highway.

While I drove around the city, the 2.0T handled expertly. The steering was light for a family sedan, and allowed me to enjoy some smooth lane changes. One of the car’s drawbacks is that it doesn’t absorb bumps on the road especially well, but, given everything else it has to offer, this hardly tips the scales against it. For instance, the interior is comfortable and spacious, with plenty of legroom up front and in back. The control panel is framed in a soft-touch dashboard that is at once modern and curiously satisfying. To configure the air flow within the car, you have to use a digital representation of the human body displayed on the panel, pressing the area you want cooled. Granted, it’s a little weird and over the top, but then again it’s a lot easier to figure out than most of the systems I come across.

If you’re looking for a car with a sleek and modern design, the Sonata will answer beautifully. In particular, the defined creases that shape the body provide the Sonata with a fun and sporty look. On top of this, the dual exhaust shows off its turbocharged engine and rounds out its sportiness.
In the last five years, Hyundai has taken incredible strides using a simple premise: offer more for less. The Sonata 2.0T exemplifies that simple formula. It starts at $29,249 and can get up to $34,199 with its Limited edition, which includes navigation. If it’s a family sedan with some real pop under the hood that you’re after, you need look no further. When it comes to power relative to fuel economy, the Sonata 2.0T is untouchable.