Big Hyundais haven't generally found favour with British customers. Will the current Sonata model break that trend? Andy Enright reports.

A big Korean saloon doesn't feature prominently on most executive car shopping lists but Hyundai's Sonata is worthy of consideration. It's far more European in looks and feel than you'd credit and with the diesel engine installed, it represents an extremely cost-effective choice.

Congratulations. You're one in a million. Well, perhaps a slight exaggeration, but if you've managed to read even this much of a review of the latest Hyundai Sonata, you're not one of the mainstream. After all, ask most people what a Hyundai Sonata looked like and they'd be struggling to picture the car. For the uninitiated, it's the South Korean company's stab at a Saab 9-5 sized car at sub-Mondeo pricing. We're looking here at the fifth generation Sonata, now offered with a wider range of engines, although we'll excuse you if the previous four iterations are a blur.

One common thread runs through each of these models. As each subsequent car is introduced, the sniggering at Hyundai's ambition becomes that little bit more forced and the recognition that South Korea will soon be challenging Japan for domination of the Asian markets becomes ever more plausible. While we can still damn the Sonata with faint praise over here, due in no small part to its frankly dismal sales performance, the same isn't the case around the world. In its domestic market, the big Hyundai is a common sight and it's also one of the big sellers in the US. Taken in that context, the UK market represents very small beer indeed to Hyundai. They predict nearly a quarter of a million Sonatas will find homes worldwide in 2005 although it's doubtful we'll account for more than a couple of percentage points.

The UK engine line up is built around three engines, a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol, a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel and a 3.3 litre V6 petrol. The oil-burner is the pick of this range with its strong pulling power and low running costs. The 138bhp output is nothing special in a car of the Sonata's size but the 305Nm torque output even eclipses that of the 3.3-litre V6. The big petrol unit is the preferred choice if outright pace is your thing with its 7.8s 0-60mph time being far superior to the 10.5s of the 143bhp 2.0-litre petrol and the 10.7s of the diesel.

The Sonata is a refined and smooth high-speed cruiser but it's let down a little by its handling with a little too much body roll in evidence when cornering. It's not the sharp drivers car that many executive saloons try to be but in this class of vehicle, it's the level of comfort that matters most to lots of buyers and the Sonata does well on that score.

The big Hyundai's styling is clean and uncluttered and certainly a good deal less ostentatious than the Sonatas of the past. The design language of many Korean companies appears to be maturing of late, and the old adage that too much chrome and fake wood was merely a good start appears to have thankfully been retired. If all the badges were removed, it would be tough to say what sort of car the latest Sonata was. From the rear three quarter, the clean lines and lack of excess frivolity in the styling suggest a bigger brother to the Mazda6, while the front is more reminiscent of a heavier duty Honda Accord. The cleanliness of the glasshouse and wheel arches makes the flanks look vaguely Audi-esque. Okay, so it could be accused of being somewhat derivative, but if you're going to remind customers of any cars, those chosen are good targets to pick.

Although the styling looks pleasantly compact, the tale of the tape shows that the fifth generation Sonata is fully 55mm longer than iteration four. The wheelbase has been stretched out by 30mm with the net effect that rear legroom goes up by the same amount. Front seat occupants get another 10mm of fresh air around the knees. Combine wider front and rear tracks with a lower ride height and you end up with a car that possesses a far more purposeful stance on the road than the old model. The sit up and beg look doesn't play too well these days.

Hyundai Sonata prices theoretically start at around £17,000 for the 2.0-litre petrol model but dealers have found the need to be more competitive than that in the face of cheaper but very comparable South Korean offerings like Kia's Magentis and Chevrolet's Epica. The fuel-sipping 2.0 diesel that most choose, capable of 56.5 mpg, requires a premium of around £1,000, while the range-topping 3.3 litre V6, which boasts 232bhp, bears a rather hopeful list price at around the £20,000 mark. All models get Hyundai's five year unlimited mileage warranty, plus an integrated audio system, Smartnav satellite navigation, leather trim, ESP stability control and climate control.

A key attribute shared by all Sonatas is that you do get a lot of car for your money. Quantity is very little without quality, however, and with many of the so-called 'premium' marques stretching downmarket in an attempt to boost their volumes, it's sectors like the Sonata's that feel the pinch hardest. After all, unless you really need all that space, an entry-level BMW 1 Series or Audi A3 is, to many households, a more attractive proposition than several acres of Korean real estate parked outside. If you prefer a big car look and feel, plenty of equipment and the refreshing feeling of resisting the pull of badge snobbery, the Sonata would seem to make a good case for itself, assuming you get the right deal.

Combined fuel economy figures are par for the course given the Sonata's substantial dimensions. The 2.0-litre petrol model can do 35.3mpg accompanied by 190g/km emissions, the diesel achieves 46.3mpg with 163g/km and the V6 petrol brings up the rear with 28mpg and 241g/km. The automatic gearbox that comes as standard with the V6 blunts the economy of the diesel quite severely, lowering it to 38.7mpg, but it harms the entry-level petrol's parsimony by less than 2mpg.

Much will hinge on how well the latest Sonata can resist the dreaded depreciation. Hyundai will doubtless counter by claiming that the Sonata tends to be purchased by mature customers who keep the car for a long spell, therefore offsetting the steepest section of the depreciation curve, but in order to gain valuable conquest sales, the Sonata really needs to be eating into other markets and that means the corporate sector. Gimlet-eyed fleet managers won't want a car that loses money hand over fist. Although many would finger the Sonata as a depreciation disaster, the previous generation one actually fared a lot better than many realised. After three years, your old Sonata V6 would retain around 36% of its value compared to 31% for a Vauxhall Vectra V6 GSi. Even a Volkswagen Passat fared only slightly better and given that you would have paid far less upfront for the Hyundai, it would have worked out a far better buy on a pence per mile basis. Expect an even better showing from the latest car.

With Hyundai sticking to its policy of levering a ton of standard equipment into the car and continuing to add user-chooser appeal, it could have a limited success story on their hands in the shape of the Sonata. After all, this is a viable executive saloon for the price of a bog-standard premium hatchback. What do you think?

The Sonata has a spacious interior and pleasant styling on its side and build quality is far better than buyers unfamiliar with the marque's latest models would expect. It rides very well and levels of comfort on long journeys are high but it doesn't handle with the composure of the top efforts in its sector. It may come down to the price and Hyundai's excellent warranty package to clinch the deal and if you're persuaded, the Sonata is unlikely to disappoint.