Hyundai has attempted to give the Sonata an upmarket cabin but unfortunately the results aren’t that successful. The interior is dominated by grey plastics, none of which looks or feels particularly good quality and although the climate control and stereo switches (on newer cars) are neat, early models make do with a poor aftermarket radio. Leather seats are standard on all cars, but they lack side support.

However, on the plus side the quality and finish of the Sonata is pretty good and better than more expensive alternatives such as the Chrysler Sebring. done a good job on the whole of giving the Sonata the upmarket ambience it needs to compete with today’s best large family saloons. There is a two-tone grey colour scheme and many of the switches and controls could have come from a more expensive car.

Mid-2006-on models benefit from integrated stereos with steering wheel controls, climate control instead air conditioning, and Smartnav navigation system.

This is one area where the Sonata performs well. The ride is impressively smooth on good road surfaces (although struggles on rough and bumpy tarmac) and the seats are comfortable, albeit not very supportive. There’s plenty of space though and those in the back get plenty of leg and headroom while leather trim and air conditioning is standard on all models.

The noisy engines (especially on automatic models) take the edge off refinement though.