Hyundai expands Sonata line

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2011 Hyundai Sonata Hibrid

Hyundai's once basic, almost bland, lineup of vehicles be­came much more exotic when the company introduced turbo and hybrid versions of its best-selling Sonata.

Company officials said the new models will attract new customers, and industry watch­ers said it means the firm is poised to continue its growth.

When Hyundai confirmed re­cently that the turbo model, en­gine and car, would be made in Montgomery, it was good news for the plant.

That news answered some concerns from plant workers and others that a large segment of Sonata production could move elsewhere. Hyundai esti­mated that up to 25 percent of its Sonata sales could be pow­ered by the turbo engine when it reaches full availability months from now.

Concerns about demand for the Montgomery-made prod­ucts rose a little when Hyundai introduced the 2011 Sonata without the V6 engine that once was a mainstay of the plant.

Now, the turbo engine ba­sically will make up for any lost production of the larger engine.

"We are glad to be able to have that engine mix," plant spokesman Robert Burns said. "It is good for us to be able to maintain those jobs."

Getting the turbo model helped ease any pain from news that the hybrid will be imported from Korea. Hyundai expects to sell many more turbo models than hybrids, so Montgomery appears to have received the better end of that deal.