New interiors, fresher looks, more power and an automatic gearbox for the Hyundai Sonata Transform…Is it finally what the Sonata should always have been – AutoCar (March. ’09) gives its first verdict.

The main changes to the Sonata Transform (the Embera name has been discontinued) are the ones that address the weaknesses of the earlier car, namely, the interiors. To complete the update, Hyundai has given the Sonata a nip and tuck of the exteriors as well. One can recognize it for a Sonata, but it has bigger headlamps, a bigger front grille, a new chin and new alloys. The sides and the rear look the same though. These changes have made the Sonata look a bit more grown up. The real transformation is in the interiors, which get a serious up in quality levels. The big Hyundai now gets dual-zone climate control, AUX and USB ports, six airbags and steering-mounted audio controls. And, unlike the Accord, the diesel, automatic version gets a keyless entry-and-go system.

Slide into the armchair-like seats, feel around the dashboard, and you’ll find most surfaces now covered in material that feels a few notches up on the Embera. The part-leather/wood steering wheel feels good, the switchgear quality is a few generations up on the Embera and even the wood finish looks more the part of a luxury car.

The cabin is well thought out too. There’s a big box in the centre console and another one between the front seats. Hyundai’s redesigned dashboard still looks traditional in comparison to the Accord and quality is a slight notch below the Honda too. The Transform retains the Embera’s 2.4-litre petrol and the 2.0-litre CRDi diesel, but both have a little more power. The petrol gets 10bhp more, the diesel adds eight. The petrol is now available only with a five-speed manual, while the diesel gets a six-speed manual or a four-speed automatic option.

AutoCar (March ’09) drove the diesel manual and automatic and was pleased to note that the sonata’s forte still lies intact. The cabin is spacious, the seats comfy and the ride absorbent over most surfaces. Now the interiors are nice too.

The engine is refined for the most part and in the manual, it is quick. Rev it and it ges noisy, and the turbo lag it possess below 2000rpm can get irritating in traffic. But, on the highway, the top three gears are all one needs. It pulls strongly, the shift and clutch action is light and overtaking is a cinch.

Yes, it may not offer the same driving pleasure as an Accord, or the badge snobbery either, but for the sheer space, comfort and price, it’s hard to beat the Sonata Transform’s combination ends AutoCar (March ’09).