New Hyundai Sonata becomes the most searched mid-sized sedan in March

New Hyundai Sonata sedan tops Autotrader.com research in March…

The all-new Hyundai Sonata sedan became the most searched vehicle in the mid-size sedan segment on the AutoTrader during the month of March. While Sonata has been ranked 10th most searched vehicle overall, with Chevy Camaro topping the list, it was ranked a top of all mid-sized sedans for the first time ever.

It has happened for the first time that the model surpassed all main rivals, including the very popular Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima sedans. As the table below reveals, new Sonata sedan jumped from 22nd place in March 2009.

Another vehicle from Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group that achieved significant improvement in rankings compared to last year was the 2010 Kia Sorento crossover, which entered the top 20 most searched vehicles on AutoTrader for the first time ever.

Since new Sonata sedan entered Hyundai dealerships earlier this year, the interest in the car has been on a heavy increase. “Sonata’s new design identity is drawing significant shopper attention, motivating and driving consumers to include it on their list when considering their next car purchase.” said Scott Margason, director of product planning at Hyundai Motor America.

New Hyundai Sonata sedan made its official US premiere at the 2009 L.A. Auto Show. The model incorporates Hyundai’s latest design language called fluidic sculpture and boasts a range of modern four-cylinder engines, including a 2.4L Theta II gasoline direct injection -GDI unit with 198 horsepower and even more potent 2.0L turbocharged engine, which packs impressive 274 horsepower!

At the 2010 New York Auto Show last month, Hyundai also announced a hybrid version of new Sonata, which is scheduled to join the exciting 2011 Sonata lineup at the end of this year. [Source: Hyundai]