Hyundai would be studying to merge the names i40 and Sonata

El Hyundai Sonata It is an old acquaintance in the American and European market. The first time we were able to see it on our own was in the year 1996, when he was already in his third generation. However, the commercial history of the average Asian sedan dates back to the year 1985when he came to fight the daewoo royale. However, the brand decided to withdraw it from our continent in 2011, just as the fifth generation finished its commercial cycle.

After him came the Hyundai i40, the same vehicle but this time designed expressly by and for Europe. To this day, the i40 continues to fight in the competitive D-segment. However, the name Sonata has not disappeared, as it continues to be marketed in United States and other countries of the world. In this way, the brand has two models in the same segment, with very similar technical characteristics and different names.

Sonata or i40 who will survive?

However, the brand is restructuring its operations to continue growing globally. We have the best example with him all the way Tucson. After a generation calling itself that, its name was replaced by IX35, to be replaced by Tucson again. According to the brand, it was a marketing question, because in the United States they like names and in Europe they like nomenclatures. In this way, if we take into account that the main market for this SUV is America, it was obvious that Tucson would win.

Well, with the i40 y Sonata something similar would be happening. Apparently, both models are on the drawing board of Asian engineers. With this maneuver, instead of having two models in the same segment, with similar characteristics, they would have only one. The same would happen with its trade name, but of course Which of the two will win?

Today, the United States accepts better than Europe the sedans. This being so, we could see how the name i40 returns to the bench to bring the Sonata back to our market. However, the update of both models is scheduled for the end of next year. (2019), so all possibilities are open. It will be necessary to see how they solve this ballot, since the Sonata or i40 is vital for Hyundai's global sales.

Source – Hyundai