A blog devoted to RANTS ON AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN, car reviews, and - above all - fugly autos. whether looking for vehicular plagiarism or rides of extreme tastelessness, you've come to the right place.


Thursday, October 07, 2010

Beijing Hyundai Sonata EF (Extremely Fugly?) Facelift

Beijing Hyundai is a Chinese division of Hyundai, which sells current models along with an expanded lineup that also sells older versions of current models. Not sure what the benefits of offering 3 Sonatas is – I can only guess that the older tech ones are cheaper. One thing they aren’t is attractive.


Take the Beijing Hyundai BT01. Basically a fourth generation (EF) Sonata, the Chinese thought it wise to graft on a face similar to the current fluid Hyundai design language. Unfortunately, the 4th generation’s bulbous flanks did not take the enhancements well. Up front the oval headlights and wide, narrow grille have been replaced with massive headlights and massive grille that look several sizes too large. Those headlights look eerily familiar as well – they’re slightly reminiscent of the current Chevrolet Equinox and Malibu.


Out back things are far worse. The taillights are quite similar to those of the facelifted 4th generation Sonata, except there are some red reflective growths protruding from the trunk. They should get those checked out – they could be malignant.

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