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Hyundai For 1999 |
By Carey Russ |
Hyundai has a new generation of its flagship Sonata sedan and a restyled, upgraded Elantra as well. Every 1999 Hyundai comes with the "Hyundai Advantage", a comprehensive warranty that offers limited bumper-to-bumper coverage for five years or 60,000 miles, 24- hour roadside assistance for five years, and ten-year, 100,000-mile power train coverage.
Sonata
Hyundai is moving upscale in intent if not price with the all- new 1999 Sonata. And it is all new, with new body panels and a rigid new chassis structure, two new engines, three new transmissions, and state-of-the-art safety equipment including side air bags and a unique passenger-detection system.
Two trim levels are offered. The standard engine in the base- level Sonata is the 2.4-liter, 149-hp "Sirius" four-cylinder. Optional in the base car and standard in the uplevel GLS is the 170-hp, 2.5-liter "Delta" V6. Both are dual-overhead-cam, four-valve-per-cylinder designs. A new five-speed manual transmission is standard on the base Sonata and available on the GLS. Two versions of a new four-speed, electronically-controlled automatic transmission are offered, one for the base model and one with sophisticated "fuzzy logic" adaptive control for the GLS.
The 1999 Sonata was styled at Hyundai's design center in Southern California. There is more room inside, and a high level of standard equipment even on the base level.
Elantra
The middle Hyundai has a new look and a more powerful engine for 1999. It is offered in both sedan and wagon body styles, in two trim levels. Inside are upgraded materials, a new steering wheel, and a redesigned instrument panel. Outside, the front styling of both and rear styling of the sedan have been freshened, with a new grille, front bumper fascia, and hood the most apparent changes. Under that hood is the same 140-hp 2.0-liter, dual-overhead-cam four-cylinder engine used in the Tiburon sports coupe. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, with a four-speed automatic optional.
The Elantra has fully-independent suspension for nimble handling. Chassis enhancements for 1999 reduce noise levels.
Tiburon
Sports cars are expensive, right? Not the Hyundai Tiburon. Featuring leading-edge styling and a 2.0-liter, 140-hp twin-cam, multi- valve four-cylinder engine, the Tiburon continues unchanged for 1999.
Accent
Although it has one of the lowest purchase prices of any car sold in the country, the 1999 Hyundai Accent comes with the same "Hyundai Advantage" warranty as every Hyundai car. Three trim levels are offered, two hatchbacks and one sedan. All are well-equipped and have a 92-hp, 1.5-liter engine.
