South Korea’s auto giant Hyundai Motor Co. releases Sonata in a full-body facelift at the Seoul Motor Show that will kick off on March 29 in hopes to revive the glory of one of its longest-running models.

The exact release date has not been determined yet, according to an official from the car maker, but it will showcase the eighth-generation Sonata around March 21 before the Seoul Motor Show, the largest auto exhibition in the country. It originally planned to introduce the latest Sonata on March 28, the press day of the auto show, but changed the schedule to draw more public attention.

The eighth-gen version will be the full-change model that received a significant design overhaul featuring the car maker’s new design concept dubbed ‘le fil rouge’, meaning ‘common thread’ in English, according to sources. Industry watchers also speculate that the company may also release its high-performing N lineup.

The Sonata was first launched in 1985 and underwent seven generational changes over the past 34 years. As one of the most popular vehicles in the Korean market, its annual sales exceeded the 100,000 mark for 13 times. Its sales started to go downward since March 2014 to fall to 82,203 units in 2016 due to the domestic consumers’ growing preference for foreign brands and sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

Hyundai Motor pins high hopes on the new Sonata as other mid-sized sedans from its rivals including Renault Samsung’s SM6 and Chevrolet’s Malibu have been receiving poor response from local customers. Once released, the company expects that the new Sonata could take up a dominant share in the nation’s mid-sized vehicle market.

By Moon Ji-woong and Choi Mira

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]